Thomas, Nora and their teacher are standing in a white space. Two symbols are in the air above them. On one side is the Star of David for Judaism. On the other is the Crescent and Star for Islam.
NORA: Oh, what are those?
TEACHER: These are the symbols that represent the faiths of Judaism and Islam. People who practise the Islamic faith are called Muslims, and people who practise Judaism are called Jews. Let’s look at Islam a little closer shall we?
THOMAS/NORA: Let’s go!
As the teacher talks we cut to the exterior of a mosque.
TEACHER: This is where Muslims come to worship - it’s called a 'mosque'. Muslims believe there is one all-knowing god whose name is Allah.
We see a Muslim in prayer, kneeling on a prayer rug inside the mosque.
TEACHER: This chamber in the wall is called a 'mihrab'. It shows Muslims the direction of Mecca. Mecca is a very holy place in Saudi Arabia. Muslims always pray to Mecca, wherever they are.
We see Mecca on a world map.
TEACHER: Muslims believe that Islam was revealed to a prophet called Muhammad 1,400 years ago. They have a holy book, the Qur’an, which they believe is the word of Allah given to Muhammad.
We return to the opening scene with the two symbols overhead.
NORA: We know a bit more about Islam, now what about Judaism?
The Star of David becomes a feature on the front of a synagogue. We pull back to show the kids and teacher standing beside it.
THOMAS: Wow!
TEACHER: This is where Jews come to worship - it’s called a 'synagogue'! The Sabbath - or Shabbat - is the most important time of the week in Judaism.
TEACHER: It starts at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. Jews believe that there is only one god who created the world. They believe that his day of rest was Saturday.
*We see a man walking towards the synagogue. *
NORA: Look, he's wearing a hat.
TEACHER: Yes, he's wearing a 'kippah'! Most Jewish men wear kippahs when praying or attending religious events. Jews attend synagogue on Saturdays, where the services are led by a religious leader called a 'rabbi'.
Cut inside the synagogue to a close-up of a rabbi reading the Torah.
TEACHER: The Jewish scripture is the Tanakh. Parts of the Tanakh are read aloud during the service in the synagogue. The most holy part of the Tanakh is the Torah.That's it for today kids. Did you enjoy your travels?
THOMAS/NORA: I sure did. Thanks!
Judaism
While Christians’ holy place is a church, for Jewish people their holy place of worship is a synagogue.
Jews normally attend the synagogue to worship on Shabbat, which starts on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening.
Yahweh
The Jewish holy book is called the Torah. Jews believe that this is a sacred book and so they do not touch it when they are reading from it. They use a special pointer called a yad.
A Jewish religious minister is called a rabbi.
Jewish people believe in one god called Yahweh.
Most Jews follow a kosher diet. This means that certain foods can’t be cooked together, and pork or shellfish isn’t allowed.
Islam
Those who follow the religion of Islam are called Muslims.
It is one of the world’s largest religions. Muslims worship their one god, Allah.
Their holy book is the Qur’an, and it is treated with the upmost respect.
It is placed on a special stand to be read.
The mosque
Muslims worship at a mosque and their religious minister is called an Imam.
In the mosque, men and women worship separately. Everyone must take off their shoes before entering the mosque. Muslims then wash their feet, hands, face, and arms before going to worship.
Muslim women usually wear a hijab. Muslim men will wear a small cap when praying.
Muslims eat a halal diet. This means that they don’t eat pork or drink alcohol.
Now that you have learned about Islam and Judaism, read about how Christians also respect Sikhs and Buddhists.
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