Jewish Customs and Traditions: For Understanding and Goodwill Among All Men

This book sheds light on the customs, rituals, and traditions of the Jewish community in Israel and in communities around the world, where daily life is conducted according to adherence to Jewish law. A Jewish custom — known in Hebrew as a minhag — is a religious practice that, though sometimes very widely practiced, does not carry the force of Jewish law and is thus not considered mandatory by traditional Jews. This book cover an extremely wide range of activities such as the order or language of particular prayers, the practice of swinging a chicken over one's head prior to Yom Kippur, or the nearly universal practice of smashing a glass at the conclusion of a wedding ceremony. Many Jewish customs and traditions are explained in this book. The origin and the meaning behind each one is described in detail as the reader is led through an interesting expose into the customs and traditions of the Jewish people.