Aim

To understand the central importance of the Shema within Judaism.

Lesson

Begin by revising what was taught in the previous lesson about the Torah as God's Instruction Book.

There is a Jewish prayer which sums up all of the 613 rules in the Torah. This prayer is called the Shema.

Use the text to inform children about the Shema.

Activity

Following discussion, groups of children could:

• learn the first two sentences of the Shema.
• write two sentences which sum up their belief.
• hear the Shema being sung or recited.
• read the traditional Jewish story of Abraham, who was the first person to realize that there is only one God.
• begin the God of the Jews worksheet.