The Broken Spears by Miguel Leon-Portilla

In the book originally written by Miguel Leon-Portilla, mirroring the event way back in 1519 when Hernan Cortes sailed from Cuba to Mexico and entered the capital of the Aztecs, there were accounts that he gathered from the basic viewpoint of the Aztec tribe. ‘The Broken Spears’ talks about the conquest of Cortes, although it dates back ten years before his arrival in the east coast of Mexico, in a place called Tenochtitlan. From the voices of the tribes, there was defeat and destruction with the arrival of the Spaniards†¦ years after they saw eight omens that, for them, were warnings by the gods on the end of the world.Main Body They first heard the invasion from a common man who reported to King Motecuhzoma: â€Å"Our lord and king, forgive my boldness. When I went to the shores of the great sea, there was a mountain or small mountain floating in the midst of the water, moving here and there without touching the shore† (13). Moctezuma, then, sent people to inspect, and when he received word on the beings that appeared on the shores of his land, he was terrified and was sure that this was the god Quetzalcoatl, who had come back from his journey.Thus, he sent gifts of turquoise and gold to the Spaniards to pay homage to the returning gods. When Cortes recognized this, he frightened the messengers by firing off a canon, and then ordered them to fight in combat to prove their bravery. Cortes announced that he wanted to see Moctezuma. When Cortes, together with hundreds of soldiers, arrived at Tenochtitlan, King Motecuhzoma told Cortes: â€Å"Our lord, you are weary / The journey has tired you, but now you have arrived on the earth / You have come to your city, Mexico / You have come here to sit on your throne, to sit under its canopy† (63).Motecuhzoma was frightened and even thought of escaping, which led him to offer human sacrifices with the coming of the gods, against the advice of his counselors, and to the disdain of the Spani ards. He held a meeting with his nephew Cacama, his brother Cuitlahuac, as well as the other lords and leaders of the tribes on whether or not they should open their doors to the new arrivals in their land. In the end, Motecuhzoma decided to make friends with the Spaniards, and it led to the destruction of his throne, land, wealth, and his people.It is evident that this book should be required for Latin-American Studies, since it gives a very detailed description of the events. Most of the materials used are on the side of the Spaniards. To present a material that would reveal the side of the Aztecs, and how they viewed the event, would be very helpful because it will dramatize how the Aztecs took the invasion in the light of their beliefs, their culture, and their tradition. The style of writing is not really biased.In fact, more of the negatives could be drawn on the description of their king, Motecuhzoma—what his weaknesses were, and which mistakes made him lose his throne and his land. The Spaniards, however, were taken as greed, ruthless men who craved for gold and treasures. It would be best to include this book in Latin-American Studies, but together with the other versions that were written on the side of the Spaniards. This would paint the picture from all sides†¦ for a good sense of balance. Conclusion The story is presented more as a work of literature, with the use of imagery and figures of speech.Having been arranged in chronological order, it presents history from the side and beliefs of the ancient Aztecs. It is well written and easy to understand, which ends up being really fascinating because of the descriptions of things that would relay how ancient human beings view things and people, which they have not seen in the past. Having used a constricted point of view, though, it should be regarded more as literature than as history. Works Cited Leon-Portilla, Miguel. The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. Bosto n, MA: Beacon Press.

Christianity and Time Period Essay

Christianity had a big impact on Europe culturally, economically, and politically through the 600 to 1750 C. E. time period. Christianity during these time periods had great many changes but also had a variety of continuities that were alike as well. The Christian faith through this time period in Europe went through multiple reforms. Reforms such as the Protestant Reformation, led by Martin Luther, had a severe impact on the Catholic Church and Christians everywhere in Europe. Also the change of the political power of the papacy and the effect it also had on Europe’s economy. Culturally Christianity had a big impact on Europe, seeing as almost everyone in that region considered themselves Christians. Christianity during the 600’s was on the rise and this caused various different forms of ideas of what people thought Christianity was. Most Christians in the 600’s to the 1500’s were Catholics and the Catholic Church had clear power in Europe politically and economically. Of course, this all started to change around 1517 when Martin Luther published â€Å"The Ninety-Five Thesis† that got people thinking about the downfalls of the church and the reasons to join the Protestant Church during this time period which effected European culture in such a short period of time because of one man’s attempt to overthrow the Catholic Church in Europe in the 1500’s. This split between the Christians led to European Wars of Religion in the 1600’s that eventually ended and came to peace with the â€Å"Peace of Westphalia†. Despite the ending of the wars Europe’s Church was still split in two and caused many changes in Europe culturally. Although there were a great many changes in Europe’s culture there was also a continuity that kept these three time periods alike. This continuity was the fact that despite all of these obstacles that the Catholic Church and the Christians face over the 600 to 1750 time period they still kept going and stayed intact because of the love of culture and religion in Europe during this time period. Economically Christianity affected Europe in a variety a different ways.

An issue in the work environment resolved by the presence of a diverse Essay

An issue in the work environment resolved by the presence of a diverse workforce - Essay Example Dimensions of diversity include but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, parental status, religious beliefs, work experience, and job classification." International company 7i, Network Services Pvt Ltd a BPO company, based in Bangalore, provides various IT-enabled services such as data processing supply chain management, application software and web development to its various subsidiaries world-wide and acquired a sophisticated global tech support centre in Mumbai to provide voice- the BPO centre declined tremendously in the last quarter. Many employees have resigned the job. The Bangalore centre employs 120 staff in total, and 69% of all partners and staff are married women. More than half of women partners and staff, and nearly a third of men, have poor working patterns that take into account their work-life balance needs. The company is one of country's largest employers of people aged 25 years and above and employs staff from a wide range of backgrounds. Working timing starts from morning 8 till 10 o clock in the night. Menasha Sharma working as call centre executive is one such example. ... Working timing starts from morning 8 till 10 o clock in the night.Menasha Sharma working as call centre executive is one such example. She was filled with depression and not able to give time to her daughter and could not give attention with her parents and husband and struggled to fit as an employer and was mentally disturbed in the midst of a busy competitive life. "I needed to make a choice about the way I lived the rest of my life. I could remain overweight, keep smoking, expend all my energy at work, have nothing left for me or my family and probably live the company or else will die." This was the case with almost all the married persons working there. Lack of flexibility in the work environment and long working hours has deprived the productivity of individual and the company as a whole. Employee burnout is caused by a number of things, including an employee's own abilities, their workload, their responsibilities and how much support they have in the workplace. The employees lacked motivation and Value of Diversity Paper 4 enthusiasm.The productivity has decreased. The organization was rated as low family friendly. The staff members were not able to maintain healthy balance between work and their family life. The extreme nature of the work content has resulted in the differences exist between staff and Poor work environment prevails among the employees. Employees were overworked and overstressed are more likely to get sick and have high absentee rates. A lack of work/life balance affected employee's attitude and thus unhappy workers are typically less efficient and can destroy morale. Physical fitness has gone down and most of the employees were overweight, smoking, and lacking strength and motivation energy at work and

What Is Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What Is Philosophy - Essay Example I think the knowledge of everything depends on the extent of knowledge that we have about that thing. For example, we believe in God because we experience His involvement in every matter of our lives, as well as in what is beyond our imagination. The basis for knowledge is experience. A person learns from what he/she experiences. I think not all knowledge is subjective and there exist a number of universal truths. The relationship between faith and reason is obvious. We develop faith in someone when we experience something good from that’s person. That experience becomes the reason for developing faith in that person. If we talk about artificial intelligence, we can say that it builds upon the knowledge of humans. I would say that human understanding has some limit because a person understands maximum the level his mind allows him. I think the right thing to do is what benefits us and the people around us. A good person is one who values others and takes decisions that do not produce any harm for any other person. A good person to me is also the one who maintains good social relationships with others and provides support to the people in need. I think virtue always leads to happiness. Virtue is an asset and a good asset always produces something good. A virtuous action benefits everyone and puts a long-term positive impact on the whole society. â€Å"Like everything else morality is a man made concept, therefore it is not real† (An, 2009).

Ethics in Business Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Ethics in Business - Case Study Example Businesses must act ethically to all stakeholders, yet the different stakeholders have differing interests. To balance the needs of the various stakeholders becomes a challenge for businesses, which usually results in corporate scandals that have ethical and other long lasting effects. It is for that reason, that this discussion explores the recent ethical issues in businesses, in the United States. The following is a comprehensive list of recent ethical issues, the moral issue, as well as what should be done to resolve the moral dilemma. Marketers looking for edgy corporate advertising usually risk character and shut doors on social responsibility in search for a breakthrough moment. While drawing up competitive advertisements, corporations yearn to be in the limelight, but such advertisements end up bringing unexpected and negative upshots among the audiences or the intended recipients. Recent miscarriages of advertisements are such as the McDonald’s, Pepsi, general motors, ford and Hyundai. The above corporations’ recent advertisements were originally intended to be humorous, although they were unwrapped as insensitive and offensive typecasts. An advertisement by the Pepsi Corporation dubbed the Mountain Dew ad has attracted criticism of propagating racism and venerating cruelty against women. The ad features an African American wrapper, and is deemed as the most insensitive and racist ad in united states. McDonald’s advert â€Å"You are not alone† has been criticized on grounds that it makes light of people suffering from mental illness. General motors run an advert with 1930s settings and incorporates a contemporary remix of a 1930s song that makes references to Chinese people. The general moral issue in the general motors and the Pepsi advert are that they are portraying a racial stereotype. At the

Nursing Practice. Roy Adaptation Model Research Paper

Nursing Practice. Roy Adaptation Model - Research Paper Example Adaptation is defined by RAM as the process and outcome, in which thinking and feeling of persons utilize conscious awareness to fashion integration between human perception and their environment. The paper explores the efficacy and application of Roy Adaptation Mode within the nursing practice. Roy Adaptation Model # 1a Summary of the Theory Roy’s adaptation model was advanced by Sr. Callista Roy and sums up as one of the broadly applied nursing models in nursing practice, education and research. The theory approaches nursing as the science that broadens adaptive abilities and promotes individual and environmental alteration. According to RAM, nursing goals pursue promotion of adaptation for persons and groups in four adaptive modes that contribute in the promotion of health, quality of life and dying with dignity (Clarke, Barone, Hanna & Senesac, 2011). Adaptation in this case is manifested by four interconnected modes of behavior: physiological, self-concept, role function and interdependence modes. RAM promotes nurse’s capabilities to enhance a person’s interaction with the environment to avail of an effective adaptation. According to RAM, an individual is described as an adaptive system capable of responding to diverse internal and external environment stimuli whether positively or negatively (Clarke, Barone, Hanna & Senesac, 2011). ... Roy adaptation model (RAM) is useful as it guides nursing practice and avails scientific knowledge for practice. The model has been essential in organizing nursing education, clinical assessment and intervention (Clarke, Barone, Hanna & Senesac, 2011). RAM comes out as an applicable, flexible and valuable model that can be employed in diverse aspects of nursing research. #1c Limitations of the Theory RAM has inspired the development of various middle range nursing theories. RAM arrangement of concepts is logical; however, the empirical precision of some terms and concepts is inadequate to mirror nursing disciplines. This may decrease the clarity of the model when employed in any specialized area of practice. The theory manifests explicit assumptions. These include the individual is mainly a bio-psycho-social being; the individual is in a continuous interaction with a changing environment; in order to cope with the changing world, individual usually employ both innate and acquired mec hanisms that are characteristically biological, psychological and social; health and illness are un avoidable dimensions in an individual’s life and in order to react positively to environmental changes, individuals must adapt (Clarke, Barone, Hanna & Senesac, 2011). # 2a Articles from the Nursing Literature that discusses RAM The application of RAM differs from one design to another depending on the predicted goals and the form of adaptation level required for monitoring. In the outlined studies, RAM plays a critical role in shaping research direction and the adaptation of participants. Huang, Carter & Guo (2004) study sought to estimate daytime sleepiness and measure factors unsettling the adaptation of sleep loss during the early postpartum

Article Reviews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Article Reviews - Essay Example He brought with him a young boy and though it was too late, the judge allowed him to be sworn in to stand up for Good. The boy said he had seen it himself. The accuser had lied about the knife mysteriously breaking. The accuser was in trouble for lying to the judge. But Sarah Good , the alleged witch, was still sentenced to death. This became the start of something strange: a witch hunt. All people who seemed to be able to conduct something â€Å"magical† were hunted and it was throughout all of the New England states in America. An author Cotton Mather, had seen the effects of the people who were afflicted with this witchcraft. Blistered with fire, pins stuck into their flesh by invisible hands, convulsions, and scalded with hot water; these were just some of the claims of accounts afflicted upon people who said that they were affected by the witchcraft. Peoples only escape from conviction was to tell the truth, which was actually sometimes a lie. Many people died because they were found to be suspicious people; people of the devil. The author wrote this article to tell about the trials and oddities surrounding the Salem Witch Trials. It was a narrative telling about particular instances in trials and tribulations that described what it was like in New England during the time when everyone was out to chase and destroy whomever they thought practiced witchcraft, magic labeling them witches. This article was written as a news story that appeared in the area newspaper in Baltimore, Maryland in the mid 1800s to tell the story of how the hunt and execution of witches came to begin. The article originally began with the narration of the story of Sarah Good. But in this article, she was merely an example of what others had to expect if they were suspicioned of conducting witchcraft. The author barely touched on all of the occurrences during the

Making of Collateral Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Making of Collateral - Essay Example It’s in this perspective that I will critically analyse how creative people have used films to give experience that people will always value. I will look at how the producers and director have put out a finished work that shows creativity and also the practical decisions they have made during the film making process. According to Irving and Rea (2006) filmmaking steps include the preproduction, production, postproduction, and distribution. Filmmaking has two-fold approach in which it is mainly centered on the perspectives of the producer and the director. Their (producer and director) different energies must always merge to create a winning short film or video from script to the final product. On the director’s perspective; Rabiger (2008) explains that directing covers the methods, technologies, thought processes, and judgments that a director must use throughout the fascinating process of making a film. Directing also should help you master technical and conceptual ski lls in the filmmaking process. â€Å"The first time we watch a film; we usually don’t know or think about the artistic decisions that were made during its production.† (Brown, 2002) In my case study, I examine how choices made by filmmakers, lead to artistic results by looking at the production of a single movie. My case study is based on the movie â€Å"Collateral† by Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx directed by Michael Mann. Boucher Geoff (2008) said "The movie had to communicate some inherent truth about the L.A. experience, and only one film per director was allowed on the list" in relation to the movie. Michael Mann’s ‘Collateral† was released in 2004. A psychological crime thriller set in Los Angeles. Vincent (Tom Cruise), a mystifying man hires Max (Jamie Foxx), a cab driver, to drive him to a string of appointments in one night. Max before long learns that those appointments are a chain of killings, he struggles to escape but Vincent forces h im to carry on as a reluctant getaway driver. During that period the two men wrangle verbally and in the end they confront one another. Mann and his crew made numerous decisions during the making of Collateral. Some of the choices made include: one that impacted the film’s form and one apiece for four categories of mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound. Scriptwriter Stuart Beattie originally set Collateral in New York City. Max was to be portrayed as a loser, hiding from the world in his cab and getting little out of life. Once Mann took charge as a director, he made numerous changes. The setting was changed to Los Angeles. Max became less a loser and more a laid-back, intelligent man content to observe the world from behind a steering wheel and to interact with his passengers, endlessly delaying his plans to start his own limousine service. The story largely consists of this pair interacting, so Mann’s decision to change Max’s traits altered the nat ure of the conflict between them. Max becomes our point-of-view figure for most of the film. Unusually for a film about a professional killer, we don’t see the first murder but stay with Max in the cab until the shocking moment when the body falls onto his cab roof. The switch to Los Angeles affected many aspects of the film’s style. One of the attractions was that this tale of a random crossing of destinies took place almost entirely at night, from 6:04 p.m. to 4:20 a.m. Mann wanted to portray the atmospheric Los Angeles night, this was to make use of L.A night as much of a character in the story as Vincent and Max were. This major decision created much of the film’s look. Mann was determined not to use any more artificial light than was absolutely necessary. He relies to

Philosophical Issues in Business and Management Essay

Philosophical Issues in Business and Management - Essay Example It is essential to present the expression, which can give and explain the principal roots of the strategic management decision making: Thus, the purpose of the given paper is not only to make the taxonomy of the decision making knowledge in strategic management, but to make it simple, understandable and practical for the use in the further similar researches. It is of course possible to develop certain taxonomy in the system of the modern strategic managerial knowledge, but it often difficult or problematic to find the exact borders between various theories, as they often combine common features and share common grounds. Every successful company needs good strategic management and right strategic decision making. The practice must be supported by the corresponding theory and the theory should be prove by practice. That is why it is essential to consider the issue both from the theoretical and practical points of view. The given work will be useful for making the taxonomy of the decision making knowledge in strategic management. It also will help to make this taxonomy simple and comprehensible, so that it may be applied for further investigations. This work has used 16 literary sources, and has chosen various approaches as the basis for taxonomy of the necessary information; it has also made certain suggestions which should be accounted in the further attempts to systematize the notions of the strategic decision-making.  Ã‚   Taxonomy can be defined as a science of classification of any knowledge, and can be applied to any theoretical or practical field of science. Applying taxonomy to the area of strategic decision making has become popular in the recent years, though attempts to systematize the schools of the strategic decision making has been attempted earlier. It was a difficult task to accomplish, as strategic decisions have been described, as being unclear, complex, unpredictable and messy. The first

Apple's Strategy for its products Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Apple's Strategy for its products - Assignment Example All of these are a result of conscious effort by Apple’s managers, designers and team of engineers to strive for better product for its consumers. As a result, Apple has become the world’s most liquid organization despite having a niche target market which is miniscule as compared to Microsoft. (Kotler and Keller, 2005) One of the fundamental parts of Apple’s innovation strategy is its premium pricing. Apple has never competed on price unlike other companies. Steve Jobs once said that other brands are making money because of Wal-Mart (they are cheap!), but Apple is in such a good condition because of their innovation strategy. This shows us that the prime emphasis of Apple is on innovation and costing and pricing is not as dear to them as it is to other company. As a result, it is rear that people can find substitutes for Apple’s product. (Martins, 2011) Hence, we can safely conclude that Apple is a company that is leveraged thanks to its great innovation policies. This tells us that any organization can do well in the market by positioning their products on some differentiating factor rather than

An Analysis of the opening sequences of Luhrmanns Essay Example for Free

An Analysis of the opening sequences of Luhrmanns Essay I think Luhrmann repeated the prologue three times to make people understand what was to come, because he did not add the last two lines which were In which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. In other words, meaning that if you have not understood this prologue they hoped their hard work helps you understand it.  The first time the prologue is shown is when the news reporter is on the news reading out the prologue. She has a modern American accent towards this but it seems as if Luhrmann has kept to the old Shakespearean language; also, there is the picture of a ring in the corner. The sequence starts of with interference and then it tunes in onto the news, then the news reporter starts reading out the prologue. To put it in media terms I would say the first few shots of the zoom in creating a lead up to the extreme close up of the news reporter. I would say then that a medium close up was used until the second time the prologue was shown. I think this interpretation of the prologue represents how important and how serious the conflict between the families is and shows the end of both lovers also showing the end of the feud. The second time the prologue is shown, it shows a serious of pictures of Verona Beach according to the lines of the prologue, which is now read by a man. Either, he wanted to make the prologue stronger by doing that or make a change to get it stuck in peoples head. There are loads of newspaper cuttings but one of the newspapers shows both the families, which ends up in flames. It also shows images of two skyscrapers one with Montague on top and the other with Capulet also God (Jesus) is standing in the middle showing, I think this shows that the feud might have gone to far and God has now stepped in to stop it. Also at the end of this both the families are shown with the other characters apart from Romeo and Juliet. In the Mise-en-scene of the completely said prologue, there were close-ups of the families, medium shots, long shots, birds eye view shots, etc. The third time the prologue is shown the writing comes up. In addition, there are a few scenes from the film later on, which gives us an insight of whats to come.  This start gives us quite a lot of insight to the film this gives us a head start to whats to come from the whole film. In this interpretation, I think there were only quick shots used to give an effect of how quick the story went.  I think the audience might get a different feeling from each time the prologue because it shows different types of ways to express the prologue it shows the end, beginning and middle. In Act 1, Scene 1 the two families boys have a comical fight at a petrol station but it shows the first actual conflict between the families. The Montague boys go down to petrol station and to represent them they have loud rap music in the background, whereas when the Capulet boys arrive they have spaghetti western music to represent them so the director might be trying to say that the Capulet boys are more old fashioned and that the Montague boys are more modern. Luhrmann creates an atmosphere of many things in this scene but the main three things are tension, fear and excitement. I first of all think Luhrmann created this by showing the anger between both families this both created tension and fear of one another, he done this by introducing the boys and slowly setting the scene up till both families started being rude to each other. Both families show this by Body Language and Face Expressions. I think the Montagues though felt more threatened by the Capulets because when the Capulets appeared they suddenly had a sense of fear in them, which created quite a bit of tension. The next thing was excitement this was that of the fight they were going to have and because of the tension Luhrmann had created he had to even it out by using humour, I think he done this by using the tension he had already created. When he had one of the Montague boys licking his nipples to scare the nuns and when he had one of the women in the car hitting him on the head with her handbag. I think he used a cowboy film clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, to make the scene more interesting and to make the fight presentable he used hidden typical cowboy props such as the flipping sign and music. But by doing this he has really stereotyped the western cowboy material but I am not trying to say that he is not doing what any other modern director does because they all stereotype in their films one way or another. I feel the opening scenes to a film are most crucial and I found that the opening scenes to Romeo and Juliet were quite substantial, the scenes of the prologue were quite short but short of this fact, it was very informative. However, I think it was difficult for Luhrmann to create the rest of the movie after such a good start but I think he done this during Act 1, Scene 1 by showing just how terrible the feud was in this case I mean hurting people who are not even involved in the fight. I personally think that the targeted audience for this film is from people aged  15 -30 years old as some of the violence would be too much for little kids, to take in and mostly the language and sense of this story would confuse them whereas if you showed it to an older person over 30 they would probably be more interested in a calm love story with not so much violence.  In my opinion, the opening scenes to this film were portrayed as an insight to the rest of the film. I see the representation of the prologues as a beginning, middle and end, but as the first act and first scene come up, I feel as if the whole film has started again but from a different angle. I also think that Luhrmann took on a great task and that was to re- enact Shakespeares greatest love story and I also think he done that well.

High school Essay Example for Free

High school Essay Many people would like to become a cheerleader, however, they are afraid of being stereotyped, and in turn, these stereotypes may affect ones chances of successfully becoming a cheerleader. â€Å"Stereotyping is so common in our society that when you meet someone for the first time you are often stereotyped before you even reach, ‘hello. ’ The way people perceive us can have a profound effect on how we see ourselves† (Mega Essays, 2008). Cheerleading has three common stereotypes as this sport gains in popularity. The first stereotype of cheerleading is a controversy that rages on about whether or not it is a sport. Next, cheerleaders are often times compared to people with unflattering and unintelligent personalities. Finally, there have also been questions about the inclusion of males upon cheerleading teams. Though many examples exist, the three examples listed above seem to be the most challenging stereotypes which keep many afraid of joining the sport of cheerleading. Cheerleading is very popular in middle schools all the way up to the university education level, but unfortunately, several observers often question a cheerleader’s athletic ability. Cheerleaders put in hard work by lifting weights, working up a sweat, and even facing possible injury. These athletes have a strong drive for determination and dedication by practicing at all hours of the day both with their team, and also individually. Some cheerleaders may often say they practice more than the teams they cheer for. So the question arises, why not give them the title and respect they strongly deserve? Independent cheerleaders also compete nationally in addition to high school and college cheer teams; however, many cheerleaders are left pondering whether or not they can gain the attention and recognition they need to officially declare cheerleading as a sport (Ninemire, 2008). Besides the questions of cheerleading as a sport, cheerleaders are often stereotyped from the moment they are met and identified as uneducated ditzy blondes. â€Å"She’s dumb,† â€Å"She’s ditzy,† â€Å"He’s feminine,† and â€Å"They’re snobs† are just some of the stereotypes that are often used. Many people who have been a cheerleader, met one, or have even watched a cheerleading team, have experienced these stereotypes. As stated by Mega Essays, (2008) â€Å"Stereotyping is most often someone’s perception of an individual or a group based on social status, education level, race or even looks. Therefore, why do they constantly defend their sport and themselves? † One of the stronger stereotypes within the cheerleading world is the placement of men on the cheer team. As males enter the world of cheerleading they are immediately labeled as being effeminate. They are faced with society’s overcoming stereotype of a male Barbie figure (Bluestein, 1994). Unfortunately, these qualities often lead to males defending their sexuality. â€Å"Against popular belief, females where [sic] not the founders behind the sport of cheerleading; instead males who were so eager to cheer while watching sporting events created this sport. In the 1890’s the first pep club was organized at Princeton University and it was there where the first organized yell was recorded† (Bluestein, 1994). In many high schools around the world, due to the stereotypes, very few males participate on a cheer squad. â€Å"There are more then [sic] 3,000 high school and college cheerleaders in the United States. 97% of all cheerleaders are female; however, approximately 50% of collegiate cheerleaders are male† (Bluestein, 1994). Over the years, there have been many stereotypes which have agonized and affected the cheerleading world. Some stereotypes of cheerleaders include the comparison of cheerleaders with uneducated ditzy blondes, the assumption that cheerleading is not an actual sport, and should males cheer on a team. Furthermore, one should be cautious when joining this sport because of the amount of rumors, whether true or not. According to About. com (2008), â€Å"Cheerleading has expanded from pom-poms and pep rallies into big business an estimated half-billion dollar industry. In addition to college cheerleaders who joke that they practice more than their football teams, there are also independent cheerleading groups not affiliated with schools, which compete nationally. † Cheerleading has been around since the first pep club in the1890’s and continues to grow and evolve each day. References About. com (2008). Cheerleading: controversy and competition. Retrieved August 22, 2008, from http://cheerleading. about. com/od/cheerinjuries/l/aa103102a. htm Bluestein S, (1994). Male Cheerleading is a sport Serendip. Retrieved August 22, 2008, from http://serendip. brynmawr. edu/exchange/node/1685 Mega Essays. (2008) Cheerleading stereotypes. Retrieved August 22, 2008, from http://www. megaessays. com/viewpaper/78441. html Ninemire V, (2008). Stop the stereotyping of cheerleaders. About. com. Retrieved August 22, 2008, from https://cheerleading. about. com.

Exploring career prospects for accounting graduates

Exploring career prospects for accounting graduates Accounting graduates have a healthy career prospect which makes them land lucrative jobs right after college. In fact it is said that, an accountant is a man who watches the battle from the safety of the hills and then comes down to bayonet the wounded. The jobs range from working in a small business, an individual client, to working for a large organization. Market standards for accounting students are high. Individuals with BA degrees and the required course work are more likely to find employment in smaller firms, but individual strengths and abilities will have an impact. This makes someone without accounting qualifications to have very slim chances of finding a job in accounting. Every business major in college must take accounting classes just so that they have some brief knowledge in the subject. This paper will discuss the career prospects of students graduating with an accounting degree. It will explain where accounting graduates end up working. In addition, the paper will e xplain whether any certification, licenses or experience are required. Accounting students develop an extensive range of vital skills for their prospect career. They study the use of popular accounting software, writing financial reports, and interpreting different kinds of financial information. They also learn on how to advise organizations and individuals on financial planning and understanding state and federal tax laws. In addition, they acquire skills in customer service and become recognizable with ethical trade practices. Most prospect jobs require a minimum of an accounting degree or any related field. Opportunities must be favorable. Accounting firms hire plenty of students out of college through internships. Those with professional recognition, for instance certification or licensure like CPA, enjoy best prospects. The main advancement for an accountant fresh out with a business degree is a CPA, this is a certified public accountant, however there is also a CMA, and this is a certified management accountant. A CMA is recognized worldwide, wh ere a CPA is generally recognized in North America. There is a wide range of duties in the four major accounting fields namely; management accounting, internal auditing, public accounting, and government accounting. Management accountants, also called managerial, corporate, private, cost, or industrial accountants, record and analyze companies financial information. Their other duties include budgeting, cost management, asset management, and performance evaluation. Management accountants, being among executive teams, involve themselves in strategic planning and new products development. Analyzing and interpreting monetary information desirable by corporate executives in making sound business decisions is among their duties. Other duties include preparing financial reports for groups like stockholders, regulatory agencies, tax authorities, and creditors. There will be more competition on work for smaller private businesses. We understand that. We welcome it and we think we are in a good position to be the market leaders. We have a long history of brand recognition. Within accounting departments, the management accountants may do financial analysis, cost accounting, planning and budgeting. Public accountants execute a wide range of accounting, tax, consulting and auditing activities for their customers. The clients may be individuals, government organizations, or corporations. For instance, some public accountants contemplate on tax matters, like advising companies on advantages and disadvantages of tax on certain business decisions. They also prepare individual profits tax returns. Others may offer advice on employee healthcare benefits or compensation, data processing systems and design of accounting, and selection of controls for safeguarding assets. Public accountants can also be called external auditors. A professional is a person who can do his best at a time when he does not particularly feel like it. These accountants, of whom many have qualified as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), normally work for accounting firms or own businesses. Some public accountants focus in forensic accounting. They investigate and interpret crimes like securities fraud and misapp ropriation, contract disputes and bankruptcies, and other criminal financial transactions, for example money laundering. Technology is hastily changing the work nature of most accountants. Special software packages help accountants to summarize transactions in financial records using standard formats. Accounting packages reduce the tiresome work linked to record keeping and data management. Being an accountant is much harder than taking a few classes, but the payout in the end comes in handy when becoming wealthy. This is because the average income for an accountant straight out of college with a BS in accounting is around fifty thousand dollars. Computers enable accountants to be mobile and to make use of computer systems of their clients in extracting information from the internet and databases. Consequently, many accountants with broad computer skills may specialize in correcting software problems or developing software to ensure unique analytical and data management needs are met. Accountants also execute technical duties like developing technology plans, and auditing, implementing, and controlling computer systems. Most accountants work in a distinctive office setting although some may work partly from home. Working for a firm creates different opportunities for college graduates because it helps build a portfolio, and in return the portfolio will be used to attract new customers. Accountants employed by government agencies, public accounting organizations, and firms with various locations may take trips frequently to do audits at government facilities or places of business for their clients. A survey conducted in 2008 showed that half of the accountants worked a typical 40-hour week. Many who worked longer hours were either self-employed or had many clients. Accountants with tax specialization often worked longer during taxation period. It is said that there are endless career choices for an accounting degree, because people will always have their taxes done. Fresh accountants may work under close supervision of an experienced accountant before becoming independent. Enough working experience at a high enough level as determined by the CGA point system is required. Usually it is two to three years of full time work. The hours are counted so if you work part time it would take much longer to get this piece completed. There are about 20,000 CGAs in Ontario and 8,000 graduate students working towards the designation Toronto star. Any accountant who needs to file a report with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) must be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Senior accountants working in public companies registered with SEC may be included among Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). Helpful for Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) to have as it gives a person a better rounded accounting understanding. State Board of Accountancy licenses CPAs. Any accountant, having passed a national exam can become a CPA. Very few people opt to start with a CA and then move on to other designations as the CA is a field in itself. The Ca designation is in no way less than the CMA or CGA. The CA employees are likely to be recruited right out of university. Large firms like KPMG and others do so and have the ability to pick the BComm graduates with the top marks. In summing up, there are endless opportunities that lie ahead of an accountant. In addition, there is a lot of money to be made in the business, and the knowledge of how to stay wealthy should make people want to become an accountant. There is a wide range of duties in the four major accounting fields namely management accounting, internal auditing, public accounting, and government accounting. Management accountants, also called managerial, corporate, private, cost, or industrial accountants, record and analyze companies financial information. Internal auditors verify internal control effectiveness in their organizations. They check for waste, fraud, or mismanagement. Public accountants execute a wide range of accounting, tax, consulting and auditing activities for their customers. Government accountants work in public sectors. They maintain and examine government agencies records, audit private businesses including individuals whose activities must be regulated by the government. S tate Board of Accountancy licenses CPAs. Any accountant, having passed a national exam can become a CPA. This is in addition to having met all the other state requirements in their area of practice.

Essay examples --

It all started in the summer of 2007 when a crisis hit the U.S., and because of the huge government interventions that were made, the U.S. and most European countries got into a recession. The EU crisis was also caused by big debts made mostly in Spain and Italy, before 2008. The private sectors (companies and mortgage borrowers) who were taking out loans were the main reason for this crisis. There was a decrease in the interests rates in southern European countries when they joined the euro and that resulted and caused the countries to go into a huge debt. This had negative effects on the financial markets, a slowing down of the economic growth in the industrialized countries, and impacted the European labor markets. After the Second World War the unemployment rates in Europe were already low, and with the crisis the percentage of the unemployment rates just increased in the following years. All of this was due to different problems and occurrences that they were facing such as; the two oil price shocks, the decrease in the production growth, the disinflationary policy of many Central Banks, and so on. This recession resulted in very high unemployment, and the increase in unemployment during that period was made by using some internal measures (such as flexible working time arrangements, temporary closures, etc.) but the unemployment was not equally shared between the different groups of people (the largest differences occurred due to the sex, education, age, etc.) but at the end these measures only delayed the process of significant labor unemployment, it didn’t help the situation go back to how it used to be before the crisis. The labor force of a population is involved with the people who are employed and unemployed. The Inte... ... face many problems, the European labor market was affected by this crisis as well, and there were many other problems that were faced during this hard period. The EU’s plans for the future are to minimize the job losses and prevent unemployment, improve job creation, and to recover the economy in a full and stable way. In order for them to make this happen and in order for them to improve and develop the flexibility of the labor market and in order to raise the labor supply, they made some cuts in the income taxes, improved the access to non-standard forms of work, redirected the active labor market policies, and similar activities like these were made. But even though the EU crisis has influenced the European labor market and has created many problems and struggles with unemployment, in the past couple of years they managed to increase the unemployment rate by 2%.

Cloning :: essays research papers

Human embryo cloning should not be done because of the religious, moral, ethical, and social concerns that it places upon the human race. Although there may be some positive affects to cloning humans, there are far too many opposing factors in this situation. Many religious leaders of expressed their concern and condemnation of human cloning. The moral and ethical aspects outweigh any scientific evidence, and the social concerns are frightening. The most important question that needs to be asked, is whether the gains out weigh the losses--the gains being scientific research and the losses being the religious, moral, ethical, and social concerns that it poses on today’s society. A clone, as defined in â€Å"The Human Genome Project,† is; 1. a population of genetically identical unicellular organisms or viruses arising from successive replications of a single ancestral unicellular organism or virus. 2. a recombinant clone. 3. the fragment of foreign DNA contained in each member of a recombinant clone. 4. a population of identical cells arising from the culture of a single cell of a certain type, such as a human fibroblast or a rodent-human hybrid cell containing a full set of rodent chromosomes and a single human chromosome. Human embryo cloning starts with a standard in vitro fertilization procedure. Sperm and an egg cell are mixed together on a glass dish. After conception, the zygote (fertilized egg) is allowed to develop into a blastula (a hollow mass of cells). The zygote divides first into two cells, then four, then eight... A chemical is added to the dish to remove the â€Å"zona pellucida† covering; this material provides nutrients to the cells to promote cell division. With the covering removed, the blastula is divided into individual cells which are deposited on individual dishes. They are then coated with an artificial zona pellucida and allowed to divide and develop. That is how a human embryo clone is made using the â€Å"twinni ng method.† Some scientists believe that human embryo cloning and related research can have some positive results, however, many religious leaders feel that cloning and related research should not be permitted. Religion and science have been involved in an ongoing battle over many subjects in the past, but human embryo cloning has caused the biggest debate thus far. Many religious philosophies teach that human life is unique and special and should be created, determined and controlled only by their deities.

Nature of Power in Shakespeares Julius Caesar :: William Shakespeare

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a political drama which examines the nature of power and leadership in Rome. A conspiracy of eight men, headed by Cassius and Brutus, plan the assignation of their leader, Julius Caesar. However while Cassius is driven by envy, Brutus on the other hand believes he is acting for the good of Rome. In Rome at the start of the play there is a vibrant atmosphere. As Caesar overthrows Pompey for the crown the crowd erupt into delight. In spite of the overwhelming support he still has a few doubters still lurking around. One of the discontented few, Brutus, opposes the idea of Caesar becoming King and gaining further power. ''I do fear the people who choose Caesar for their King.'' Brutus is heedful that this decision may effect the welfare of Rome by shattering the republic. Brutus is adamant that Rome's success was built on the fact that they had no ruler with his only line of thought being to weigh up what will benefit Rome and it's people the most. Cassius viewpoint on the issue is we shouldn't ever even contemplated offering Caesar this position.'' I was born free of Caesar and so were you.'' Cassius is saying that it was the rash of us to offer him power as this will harm Rome and take away. However Caesar has done very little wrong. The spite for Caesar erects from the view that he may gain too much power which illustrates the envy felt towards him. Another argument he compiled from him was that he found to his knowledge that Caesar couldn't handle pressure.''And when the fit was on him I did mark how he did shake''. He is mentioning at how he thinks this `unkingly` attribute he possesses hardly makes him fit for the job. It furthermore shows the extent of his envy by scrapping for little details like this. Brutus doesn't seem to agree with this.''Be any further moved by what you have said, I will consider what you have to say.'' The word ''consider'' reveals his caution as he attempts to decide in due course rather than to rush into the decision. It outlines him showing a sign of weakness by considering something he disagrees with. If he wasn't so open minded then the pairing of Brutus and Cassius may not of lasted.

Orthodox Jewish family Essay

(1) â€Å"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.† Exodus 20:8 Describe in detail the way in which a fully observant Orthodox Jewish family would keep this mitzvah. You should explain the symbolism of the various ceremonies and rituals where relevant Shabbat is the only Jewish holiday enjoined by the Ten Commandments, making it an especially important one to the whole family. It is observed on the seventh day in commemoration of the seventh day on which God rested after completing the Creation, and of God’s role in history and his covenant with the Jewish people. Along with all Orthodox Jews, the family are strictly obligated to sanctify Shabbat at home and in the synagogue. They will all avoid work on this day and will engage in worship and study. The Talmud specifies the activities which they are to abstain from and, being Orthodox, the family would say that anything resembling these is work and is therefore forbidden on Shabbat. They stop their creative work in order to reflect on the powers God has given, making sure they make the right use of them. A member of the family, usually the mother or father, will use a Jewish calendar, diary or newspaper to find out the precise time Shabbat begins on that Friday evening. This is because it varies from week to week and it is therefore uncertain to which day the period between sunset and nightfall begins. Knowing the correct time is important to the whole family to ensure they are observing the rules for Shabbat for the exact length of time God expects from them and because the time division follows the biblical story of creation: â€Å"And there was evening and there was morning, one day† (Genesis 1:5). Shabbat lasts from sunset on Friday evening to sunset on Saturday. Before Shabbat each member of the family will carry out the necessary preparations so that they won’t need or want to undertake any of the forbidden activities. For example, the mother will have prepared all the meals needed because God said it was important to have three meals during Shabbat, but that they should still abstain from growing or preparing the food. Modern technology has made this easier because the Jews are able to put their meals in slow cookers and although the parents aren’t able to create a fire or turn on the heating, they are able to set a timer for the heating. The light on the fridge is also taped up so that the fridge can be opened without breaking the Shabbat rule, not to create fire or light. It is usually the mother that thoroughly cleans the house and gets all the necessary shopping beforehand because cleaning is seen as work and is therefore forbidden. The use of a car is also forbidden, so the parents will be unable to drive to shops. Collecting food is also seen as work because the Israelites had to collect manna in the wilderness. The whole family must have prepared their clothes for the day, because the mother is unable to iron or sew. Children must have completed any homework or jobs that have to be done, before the Friday evening, because the completion of work and writing is also forbidden. The children must also be able to leave school early (especially during winter) in order to ensure they have enough time to arrive home before Shabbat begins. If either of the parents have jobs, they must make sure that everything important is completed and that they wont need to speak to colleagues because they are unable to use the phone or machines such as computers and fax machines. The Shabbat table must be laid by the family beforehand because the meal that they share on the Friday evening is very important, even members of the family that have left home try to return for this meal because it unites them. Each member of the family has a bath before sunset and wears their best clothes, for the meal. All members of the family will try to wear some white to symbolise purity and hope. It is important to the whole family to abstain from these activities, and many more, during Shabbat. This is because the Talmud lists them as forbidden and says that God made the seventh day holy by resting after making the world, therefore the opportunity to rest is the mark of being free and Shabbat offers this opportunity. The Shabbat preparations involve everyone in the family, from the youngest upwards because, although there are synagogue services to attend, the main focus of Shabbat revolves around the home and is a day for the family to share together. In preparation for the approaching day of holiness, the woman of the house must light white candles before the sunset. This not only welcomes Shabbat, but it also symbolises peace coming into the house, joy, blessing and serenity, because God created light. For the family, the home is central to the celebration of Shabbat and this is an important duty for the woman. She will then recite the berachah of God, all in hope of driving away any sorrow and unhappiness. The father then takes an important role in welcoming the Shabbat. He says a special blessing over bread and wine and the emphasis of the family is expressed by blessing the children and reciting proverbs in honour of his wife. A father’s blessing is very important for the Jews because Abraham began the custom with their ancestors. The males in the family will attend an evening service in the synagogue. The service is attended to welcome Shabbat as a bride. The ‘husband’ is the Jewish people. The women do not attend this service because it is felt that their place is at home at this time. They are also very busy with preparations and the rituals they partake in to welcome Shabbat. The men greet each other by saying ‘Shabbat shalom’, which wishes them a good and peaceful Shabbat. They also say hymns and psalms and recite blessings, like Kiddush, over wine. The Shabbat celebratory meal is eaten on the Friday evening. Each Friday morning, usually, the mother will bake fresh Challot (sweet braided loaves) because as it bakes it produces an amazing aroma that fills the house and reminds the family that Shabbat is on its way. Everybody washes their hands as a symbol of purity to give Shabbat the best welcome possible. Before the meal, after the father has blessed the family, he recites the prayer of holiness so that each member of the family is involved, by saying ‘Amen’ at the end of each blessing. Kiddush begins the meal because it sets a special atmosphere and gives a sense of occasion. Kiddush is said because it is an important way of sanctify the meal. One of the adults in the family will recite part of the Genesis; this has the importance of teaching the children because it speaks of God resting after creating the world. This helps the family understand the importance of Shabbat and sticking to its rules. Throughout the meal, many items are present and many actions take place that are an important part of the festival. A white tablecloth is laid out on the family dining table before the meal, symbolising the purity. The woman of the house, or whoever has prepared the meal, must ensure it is eaten with the best cutlery and crockery because it is important that the family welcome the Shabbat with the utmost significance and treat it like a queen or bride. Two candles are used to give extra brightness than usual and to symbolise the extra or ‘double’ soul that each member of the family has on Shabbat. This number of candles also has many other meanings that different members of the family will believe in. The adults present often believe that it symbolises the number of parents in an ideal family and the different commandments that have to be observed on Shabbat. The family may also believe it is an important symbol of past (creation) and future (exodus). Two loaves are placed on the table, and blessings are said over them. The double portion is an important reminder of when the Israelites were in the wilderness after the Exodus and a double portion of Manna was left for them so that they wouldn’t have to collect any on Shabbat. The loaves are covered by a cloth called a Hallah, symbolising the dew over the manna. This is important because it makes the meal even more special and precious to the family. The hallah dressed the bread like a bride and protects its sensitivities. The two loaves, that the family eat, must be plaited to represent God, Israel and the Torah which are important when bound together in the bread because they are mutually dependant, showing the family that the three can’t exist without each other. After the blessings, a piece of bread is dipped in salt and given to each member of the family. The parents or children will often have invited guests to this special meal and they are also given a piece of the salted bread because hospitality is always greatly important to the Jewish faith and its festivals. The knife that is used to cut the bread for each member of the family is covered during the meal because the knife is a weapon of war and violence. The parents want to protect the children from this and emphasise that Shabbat is a time of peace and harmony. During the meal, a plaited candle is always present to symbolise God’s omnipresence and the potential in every human being. After the meal a special grace is said by a member of the family and Bible stories are told to the children to spread joy and happiness whilst they learn. The whole meal and the preparation involved is extremely important to the whole family because it brings them together on one of the most important days of the week and reminds them of their dependence on God for all that is good in life. Sometimes the family may sing songs at the table, which emphasise the joy and togetherness that Shabbat brings. On Shabbat morning the whole family will attend a synagogue service, which is one of the most important and central parts of the festival. It is the chief bond uniting the family with each other and other Jews. The parents ensure that the service is attended because it keeps the family as part of a worshipping community. It is often three hours long for everyone to fully appreciate the importance of the holiday. The males and females will sit separately during the service. The parents aren’t allowed to use the car during Shabbat, so the family are likely to walk to the synagogue together. The Rabbi leads the family and others in prayer, during the service. The men of the family refrain from wearing their Tefillin whilst praying because Rabbis say that Shabbat is a sign of God’s relationship with the Jews and no other sign is required. Every Shabbat one, or maybe two, scrolls are taken out of the Ark and as it is opened each family member will join the congregation in si nging the first line of the Shema. The scroll is then carried round the synagogue with great rejoicing. The men will kiss their tallit as they touch the passing Torah, before it is taken up to the bimah. Having the Torah read to the Orthodox family, from the bimah, is very important because it reminds them of the altar in the Temple. The father may be involved in carrying the scroll and other members of the family may be called up to read or recite a blessing. If a boy in the family has had his 13th birthday during the previous week he celebrates his Bar Mitzvah during this service. This is a Jewish custom and makes the birthday extremely special for the young boy and his family. This is all a very important part of the service, especially for the family, because it involves them in the joy and gives them a sense of identity. The readings, by members of the congregation, are said before or after a portion of the Torah is read. This is then followed by the chanting of the Haftara. Psalms are also read to the whole congregation, by the Rabbi, during his sermon. These readings are all very important to the family because Jews look upon the Torah and Shabbat as God’s two greatest gifts to them. Kiddush is said again at the end of the service as an important blessing. As the family leave the synagogue they wish each other and, members of the congregation, ‘Shabbat Shalom’. This wishes them the peace of Shabbat. Often guests will be invited back to the family’s home for the afternoon because hospitality is a great feature of Shabbat and the religion. Attending the service each week helps them to show their dedication to God and ensures the day is lived as a celebration and not an annoyance. The synagogue service is usually held in the morning, leaving the family with the afternoon free to enjoy the Shabbat holiday. A lunch is often eaten similar to the meal eaten the night before. Kiddush is again said over Challot to sanctify the remaining hours of the holiday and keep them just as special as the rest. The festival forbids many things, but there are still plenty of activities each member of the family can partake in. They may set time aside in order to study the Torah, this will remind them about what matters most to Jews – the family and the Torah. They will spend time, during Shabbat, thinking about what God intends human life to be because Jews realise that it is important to God that there is human co-operation. All Jews want to help make the world a better place, and the family may spend this time thinking of ways in which they can achieve this. This can also be done in the synagogue during an afternoon service, if the family want to attend. If not, they may choose to go for a walk to spend more time together because family is seen as very important. If the adults are feeling particularly social, they may hold a gathering at their home to express outwardly the happiness inherent in the Shabbat holiday. Hospitality has also been very important to Jews because it is a custom that occurs in many festivals and goes back to the times of Abraham, so friends and family are invited. The group entertain them selves with drama, community discussions, lectures and singing. The children can play games and music. Usually the mother or father will provide refreshments that can be offered round by themselves or the children, in order to complement the congenial atmosphere and perpetuate the Talmud’s recommendation to eat three full meals that day. As the day draws to an end, a special ceremony is held in the family’s home to mark the end of Shabbat. It is said at any time after nightfall in order to give the day a departing ceremony. This is to show how special and important it is to them. They may choose to attend this ceremony at their local synagogue, to give a sense of socialism and community, instead of at home. Wine and candles are used to welcome the Shabbat and the same symbols are used for it’s departure. A chosen member of the family will say a special blessing called the Havdalah, which means ‘division’. It is said to emphasise the idea of separation (between light and dark, sacred and the profane, Israel and other nations and Shabbat from weekdays). It praises God for all these separations. The family then chant two other blessings, the first over sweet smelling spices and the second over a lighted candle. The spice box is passed around each member of the family, in the hope that the deeds of the next week will be sweetened. The spices are also important for the family to be able to remember Shabbat throughout the week, by the sweet scent of the spices. The lit candle is a very important symbol for the departure of Shabbat because fire can now be kindled, after having been forbidden for the past day. Each member of the family then spreads their hands towards the light to express the thought that light is God’s gift and is too be used to good purpose. It also reminds them that the first thing God created was light. With the end of Shabbat, the ‘first day’ of creation begins. The family have used all five senses of smell, sight, taste, hearing and touch throughout this ceremony and this heightens the spirituality of the festival. The mother or father will end the ceremony by putting out the candle with the wine as the rest of the family sing songs that ask for help and for the arrival of the messianic age. (2) Discuss the ways in which the lives of this family will be affected by their observance of this mitzvah, and the reasons why they are enthusiastic about keeping the traditional Sabbath practices alive in modern times. The family’s lives will be affected in many ways by their observance of Shabbat. It is the most difficult mitzvah of the year and will put each member of the family under pressure. There are lots of ways in which the festival can be very difficult and many Orthodox Jews would feel that although it is a day meant for rest it actually makes life more stressful, by having to fit it in around the busy, hectic lifestyles of today’s society. The word Sabbath means ‘rest’, but in the home of an Orthodox family a great deal of work has to be done before the day. Friday becomes busier than any other day of the week and this puts the family under more stress to get everything completed on time. The whole house must be cleaned, food cooked and all jobs finished before sunset. Someone in the family also has to take even more time out in order to find the exact time in which Shabbat begins that week. This has to be done before Friday evening and can be difficult because the time is only displayed on some Jewish calendars and newspapers. This causes extra stress before the day has even begun. Orthodox women are not obliged to pray during Shabbat, wear the Tefillin or read the Torah at the services so it seems that the festival is easier for them and has less effect on their lives, but this is not so because there is lots that they are obliged to do. They must always keep to the traditional guidelines to set a good example to the children. It is usually the women who have to take time off work and important jobs in order to prepare for Shabbat. They must cook the meal, clean the house, light the candles and carry out traditional rituals like the removing of a piece of dough whilst the bread is baking. Women work more these days and preparation for Shabbat can be virtually impossible or can make their lives very hectic, making it difficult for them to obtain certain jobs and complete work on time. The men in the family are obliged to attend the Synagogue on Friday evening to pray, whereas the women aren’t. This could have the effect of dividing the family on an occasion which is meant to be joyous and bonding occasion. This may be difficult for the younger men in the family because they will see their sisters and mothers being able to stay at home on the Friday evening. As with the adult women, the men will also have to take time off work to observe the Sabbath in the traditional way and this can cause stress over the early or late completion, or worry over what is happening whilst they abstain from work, because they are unable to communicate via technology like the telephone and computer. Traditional observance of Shabbat will affect the choice of job the adults make because they have to ensure that they will be able to take at least a whole day off, each week. Using the car is forbidden and even using public transport, which means that the parents can’t travel any distances and therefore can’t make any important trips. This can have bad affects within businesses because it prevents problems from being solved as quickly as possible. Taking this time of work can cause a reduced wage, which can have a disastrous effect on the whole family. Life can be even more expensive if you have a family and so they would need as much money as possible. This could make it difficult to find enough money to buy essentials and pay the bills. To make things worse Shabbat can be an expensive holiday to have each week because to for an Orthodox family to observe it, they would need the correct bread and candles, good crockery and posh clothes. The family would also lose even more money by having to abstain from creativity, which means leaving the heating and lights on for the whole day, if they don’t have timers. Not only do the candles cost money but they are a hazard to have in a family home. The constant lighting and close contact could cause a fire, effectively ruining homes and lives. They are also dangerous to have around children, especially the very young or babies. If accidentally left unattended the candles could cause the death of a child. The many forbidden activities on a traditional Shabbat could make the parents feel as though they are wasting a day because they are unable to get on with important jobs around the house. Even the children may feel they are wasting homework time. Not being able to work would have a very bad effect on teenagers because they would be unable to revise for important exams and would lose a day each week for coursework. University and sixth form students are unable to write essays and coursework over this time. This could ultimately affect their school and exam results, which affects their lives and futures. Children often have to leave school early, especially during winter, because it is a tradition to be home before sunset so that you can welcome in the Shabbat with the family. This can cause them to miss important information and work each week. It also puts them under stress to catch up on missed work, at the same time as new work. Teenagers and sixth form students are unable to get Saturday jobs, so they have less money than their friends and less to pay school fees. This can make life even more of a struggle during their education. This Orthodox family may have to abstain from doing things which they enjoy, during this free time, because they have been defined as work. This can be very frustrating because different people consider different things as work. Sometimes people choose to do things which are hard work to others, because they enjoy them. This makes it hard to abstain from doing these, whilst they have all this free time. The laws of Shabbat mean that food and milk can’t be heated for babies. This can make it difficult for parents to feed them and if they don’t get the correct food and nutrients it can cause health problems in the future. In today’s society, a traditional Shabbat can have a particularly restrictive affect on children and can cause boredom, which leads to resentment against the festival and even the religion. If there are no afternoon activities planned and no television or computers allowed the day can become very boring. Modern society relies on things like television and computer games as a form of entertainment; it is very difficult for children to give this up each week. They are unable to participate in many weekend activities like other children their age and this can have a depressing affect on children, causing them to feel left out and isolated. It can also lead to bullying or loss of friends, which can have a devastating affect on children. Teenagers can’t go shopping or even use mobile phones, causing them to feel isolated or cut off from society and their friends. Taking part in traditional rituals and practices on Shabbat can make the children, and even the parents, feel like an exhibit, different and as though they are not normal. Shabbat often doesn’t fit in with local cultures and modern society work practices. This is made even worse by the fact that the Christian Sabbath, which is the majority, celebrate Sabbath on the Sunday. They can see everyone else going out and leading what society sees as a ‘normal’ life. This can encourage bullying and a lack of enthusiasm for the festival. There are just too many rules to follow and all the ‘dos and don’ts’ make the Jews sound weird to other people, affecting their lives in the community and creating a problem for the family, in distinguishing what can and can’t be done. Using the car is forbidden on Shabbat, making the day even more difficult for the family, especially if they have young children or elderly or disabled members of the family. This means that walking long distances can become an almost impossibility. In Orthodox, traditional observance the family are meant to walk no further than 1 and 3 quarters miles. This is still a long distance and will tire certain members and make the trip feel like a chore. This also means that, to keep this rule, the family have to buy a house within this distance from a synagogue. This reduces their choice and can leave them feeling unhappy with the area they live in. However, for an Orthodox family, the Jewish rules become such a complete way of life that they can’t and won’t break the traditional observance, despite any restrictions and difficult effects it has. Tradition- doing things the way they have always been done- is very important in Judaism. It comes every week and is an important reminder of God’s creation. Shabbat itself symbolises the covenant God has with the Jewish people and this emphasises why they are so enthusiastic about keeping traditional practices, they feel these practices thank God , praising him for the covenant and creation, and help them feel closer to him. Despite the pressures involved, Shabbat is so unique that it must be respected by behaving differently, to differentiate it from the rest of the week, there are also many positive ways in which the day affects the lives of each member of the family and causes them to be enthusiastic about observing it in the traditional way. They festival has so many benefits for the family, heightening the enthusiasm. Orthodox Jews hold very firmly to the teachings of the Torah because they were revealed by God to Moses. The observance of Shabbat is the fourth commandment. This rule came from God, so strict Jews, such as this family, have no objections against it and enjoy the challenge Shabbat creates, seeing it as a necessity to their religious faith. Many Jews would say that all the festivals are wonderful occasions and Shabbat provides a discipline to life which brings family togetherness, right from childhood and this is seen as a wonderful thing. The adults in the family are particularly enthusiastic about keeping the tradition of a day of rest, because it allows them to set time aside to study the Torah and Talmud. This is important to them for guidance in life and to learn new things, whilst enabling them to pass their Jewish knowledge to the children. Shabbat affects the way in which the next generation of Jews will develop because the parents are more able (through the festivities) to teach their children a sense of values and pass on what is believed to be right. The children will realise a sense of right and wrong, what is of real value in life and how people should behave. Shabbat is also a time for relaxing with the family. Nowadays, many people live highly stressful lives. People work too hard and Shabbat gives them time to remember what’s really important in life. They are continually hurrying to get things done and families seldom have time to just be together. Shabbat is like calling time out, everything stops and an incredible peace descends on the family. A traditional Shabbat is important to them because they are able to spend time together in an unhurried, relaxed atmosphere. The family like to keep it traditional and abstain from work to feel relieved, happy and to aim for better spirituality, whilst feeling better physically. The opportunity to rest is the mark of being free, and the family know a traditional Shabbat offers this. This increases their enthusiasm for the holiday because it is enjoyable and they are able to talk about what has happened to each of them during the week. This is a nice change from always watching the television, ensuring that the family don’t become more and more distant from each other. They want to keep it traditional, as their Jewish ancestors would have celebrated it, because their heritage is extremely important to them and is wonderfully satisfying. It is keeping Jewish culture alive and unites the family with all Jewish communities in the world to give them security and a sense of identity. Children may find the day restrictive, but most parents will try not to make it so. After a hard working week the whole family look forward to Shabbat because it’s a pleasure to come together, relax, eat a meal together, be able to talk and have some time to read without interruption. Some Jewish families feel pressurised to have certain objects at Shabbat, like fine cutlery or a white tablecloth, but the traditions and nature of the festival teach the family that it’s not the objects, but the actions that are important. It’s having the loaves of bread on the table, not what covers them that matters. Many Orthodox Jews are enthusiastic about the practices of Shabbat each week because it is a day out of the twentieth century for a change. A day of rest and relaxation. All the traditions like candles, songs, a special meal affects each individual. It provides a sense of wellbeing and fulfilment, as though everything they do is right. This means they enjoy life more and have something to look forward to each week. It is a festival primarily enjoyed in the home, which affects the lives of the family in a very positive way and is important because the home is a very special place in the Jewish faith. It is the central point of the religion and is of great spiritual and physical importance because it is where we learnt to talk, walk, feed and play. This reflects on how the family feel about Shabbat. Instead of feeling like they are being cooped up inside all day, they feel there is much to learn and share. They are able to have a celebratory meal together and even invite friends and re latives, to be hospitable and make it more enjoyable. During the meal, the family are able to have deep and interesting discussions lasting long into the night. It is quality time, a time of connection, communication and inclusion. The women are especially enthusiastic to observe the tradition of candles and the lighting, because it is seen as a lovely sharing time which brings mums, daughters, grans, friends and guests close in the warmth and beauty of the moment. It is important to them, to know that Jewish women all over the globe do the same thing, and that gives a wonderful feeling of unity. Baking home made Challot for Shabbat is very satisfying for the women in the family. They are still able to keep the tradition, even if they are unable to bake their own, because it is easy to buy some from tasty Jewish bakeries that are now around. The celebratory meal fills the house with many wonderful aromas of traditional Shabbat food, including from the lunch for the next day, this increase the enthusiasm of everyone involved and especially entices the children to keep the festival traditional, whilst reminding and teaching everyone present of their dependence on God for all that is good in life. As technology progresses, keeping the traditions of Shabbat has become easier for the whole family, which makes them more enthusiastic to observe it as it always has been. For example, the family may eat a dish called ‘cholent’ for lunch. This will be left to keep warm on the stove, the low flame of which will be covered with a sheet of metal called a ‘blech’. This covers the flame and controls of the stove, as no cooking is allowed over the entire Shabbat. Modern appliances have made it much easier for Orthodox Jews to keep to the rules of Shabbat, which inevitably increases their enthusiasm for keeping the holiday traditional. For example, timers can be set for things like the heating and lights so that they don’t have to be left on for the whole of Shabbat. This saves the family money that would have cost previous Jews. Machines can be programmed to do things at certain times, like cookers and even computers, so essential work may not be missed. The synagogue plays a very important part in Jewish worship. This is part of the reason why the family are enthusiastic to keep the festival traditional, by attending special services to worship God. The Friday evening study services at the synagogue help the family to better understand the Torah and how to live your life, the service will not only help them to strictly observe Shabbat, but it also brings the congregation together and the family can be more social, making new friends or just spending time with ones they already know. The children can also attend youth services and groups that help them meet with other Jews their own age. They can learn about fun things surrounding Shabbat and it helps them realise that although Saturday is a special day out for their non-Jewish friends, it is just as special, in so many ways, to the Jews. As well as attending these services, the children can also conduct their own, which would be more appropriate to their interests and much more suit able and interesting for the youths of the congregation. This also helps them to become practically involved with the religion as well as giving them key skills in preparation, speech giving and co-operation which are very important. The services during Shabbat are especially important to young boys, because the first Shabbat after their 13th birthday is when their Bar Mitzvah is held. They are especially enthusiastic to keep it traditional around this time because it is a celebratory custom that has been conducted since the time of Abraham. The Orthodox family would have found their home near to a synagogue, because walking there each Shabbat is a tradition they would want to keep. By not using the car for a whole day each week, the family are saving money that non- Jews wouldn’t. This makes them more enthusiastic to keep the tradition of only walking, to travel, on Shabbat. The walk can have a very positive effect on the family, giving them time to spend together and a chance to walk rather than constantly depending on the car, because life is always a rush. It slows life down, giving each individual a chance to think. After the services there are lots of afternoon activities that take place to prevent boredom. These will often happen in the home. The children and parents can get much enjoyment and happiness out of this hospitality. They make new friends, feel part of the community and can play games or show off certain talents in drama and singing. These activities are fun and still keep to the rules of Shabbat. This makes it seem less restrictive and encourages the family to keep it traditional. The free afternoons are also a perfect time for the children to importantly widen their knowledge on the religion. Any festival has its negative effects on those that observe all its rules, but despite these the family are still enthusiastic about keeping the traditional Sabbath practices alive because they can all become involved and enjoy the festivities of their unique day. It is important for parents to bond with their children and to encourage them to do something different when they find it difficult to abstain from televisions and computers. Children may find it particularly difficult and separating from their friends, but it helps them to learn that if your friends are truly genuine and caring, they will respect your religious beliefs as part of who you are. It’s a day so different from all the others, that gives each member of the family a sense of identity and by keeping the traditions they can all find their own place in the religion, knowing they are spending the day as their older relatives always have done. They know that, by observing traditional practices, Jews around the world are doing the same things and this emphasises their sense of identity and helping them to feel part of a community. When they are in the homes of other family members or friends, during Shabbat, they know that each ritual will be the same and this provides a welcome structure for the whole family. So to be able to spend a holiday at a friend’s or relative’s house and see the same candles, the same bread and the same wine focuses the mind, to create something beautiful out of very basic objects is very satisfying. (3) â€Å"For religious people, every day should be holy.† Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Judaism in your answer. I believe that in religion, every day should be treated as holy because, especially in Judaism, the whole life is directed towards thinking about and putting into practice their faith in God and observance of his guidelines. There are days of the year on which holier rituals are carried out and more time is spent reflecting on the religion, but every day of the week involves activities that are important to the religion and are considered holy. The faith of a Jew is incorporated into every day of their life, giving each one a special holiness because of its dedication to God. The covenant that God created between himself and the Jews is the reason for this. By following the lifestyle advocated by God: â€Å"And you shall do that which is proper and good in the eyes of Hashem,† The Jew is commanded to â€Å"be holy† and â€Å"to create holiness† in themselves. They can experience and contribute to the holiness through many actions. They feel that as a sign of gratitude and commitment every aspect of everyday should be sacred and set apart. They also believe that actions which aren’t considered holy or being carried out for God should not be done. On an average day, Jews will be thinking about God, their religion and how they should act, which already makes the day more sacred and holy to them, but they aill also partake in lots of rituals that set time apart for remembrance, thanks or even just thought. Even the home, in which every day is spent, is considered holy because of the mezuzah, a parchment scroll on which two passages are written. These command the Jew to write God’s words on the doorpost, setting it apart from other houses. It is a constant reminder of God and his Torah. By having mezuzah in the house as well they can make every room sacred for God. They touch it and then their lips when they enter or leave the room. It is then a permanent visual aid, reminding them of God’s commands in their home life. A typical Jewish day is the best example of the way Jews want every day to be holy. Prayer is not simply something that happens in the synagogue once a week but it is an integral part of everyday life. They are constantly reminded of God’s presence and of their relationship with him because they continually pray to him. The first thought in the morning, even before they get out of bed, is a prayer thanking God for returning their souls to them. The holiness and sanctity continues throughout the day because there are prayers to be recited before enjoying any material pleasure, such as eating and before performing any mitzvah, such as washing and lighting candles. They will also pray whenever something good or bad happens and before they got to bed. These are known as berakhot and have to be said at least 100 times each day to increase the holiness and acknowledge God as the ultimate source of all good and evil in the universe. These prayers are said in addition to the formal ones which are recited three times a day, every weekday. This is to dedicate as much of the day as possible to thought about God and to increase the awareness of the role he plays in their lives. If they only pray when they feel inspired then not every day would be set apart for God. The Talmud states that it is permissible to pray in any language, nut to pray in Hebrew adds a special importance and holiness to each day. Reciting in Hebrew is important because it is the pure essence of Jewish thought and is a responsibility they undertook as part of the covenant made with God. It is also considered a â€Å"holy language† because of its intrinsic characteristics. As well as praying in Hebrew, every time they pray they face Israel. This makes it extra sacred because the Land of Israel is more holy than all other lands. A Jewish day completely revolves around their religion and keeping it holy. This is partly due to the comprehensive way of life, filled with rules and practices that affect every aspect of life: what they can and cannot eat, what they can and cannot wear, how to groom themselves, how to conduct their business and most importantly, how to treat God. These rules and practices are known as ‘Halakhah’ and is the Jewish law. It gives spirituality to each day and gives all trivial acts a religious significance. They are constantly reminded of their faith and so it becomes an integral part of their entire existence. The daily rituals, I am about to explain, are laws of the Halakhah, instituted in the Torah to keep every day, between holidays, holy. Kashrut is the body of Jewish law that deals with what they can and cannot eat and how it must be prepared and eaten. They call this keeping â€Å"kosher† and it is something the Jews will do every single day of their lives. This involves the maximum removal of blood from their meat and not mixing meat with milk. This is because the Torah commands â€Å"thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.† Every day, great trouble is put into observing this law, making sure they are not cooked or eaten together. It is observed with exact care as a means to self discipline and purity. This shows their obedience to God and it elevates the simple everyday act of eating into a religious ritual. Even the dinner table, used regularly each day, is holy because it is compared to the Temple altar. A Jew that observes the laws of kashrut cannot eat a meal without being reminded of the fact that they are a Jewish. A Jew will ensure that time is set apart each day to study the Talmud and Torah. They learn more about the religion and achieve guidance in life, whilst proving their commitment to God and keeping his mitzvah. They are able to spend thinking only of this and none of the material things in life, which is very holy and sacred to them. At the heart of the Halakhah is the unchangeable 613 mitzvot that God gave to the Jewish people in the Torah. The Jews keep to all mitzvah (commandments) that apply to them. For example, every day Jews observe the mitzvah to recite grace after meals because the Torah has told them to and that it blesses the Lord. It is also performed out of respect for God and to make the day holier for him because he has ultimately provided them with the food they need to survive. As well as prayer each day, Jews will often visit the synagogue by themselves or with the family, to bring extra holiness to each day. They don’t just visit the synagogue for special services and festivals; instead they often go to just pray and be closer to God. Prayer in the synagogue brings them closer to God and allows their mind to be completely focused on God rather than things that are happening in the home. There are many items worn during prayer in the synagogue that are of great significance to each day and the sacredness of prayer. There are three items worn by adult male Jews, each time they pray, as reminders of God and their obligations to him. The first is a prayer shawl, called a Tallit, a white, square or rectangular garment made of wool or silk. The most important feature of it is the fringe tzizit in each four corners. This is very important to remind them of the holy mitzvoth they have to keep each day. The second sacred object is the tephillin, which are two black boxes that contain four passages of the Torah to instruct the Jew. The material it is written on is very important because it comes from a kosher animal and is treated with great respect. This is worn every time the Jew prays. One box is bound to the forehead and the other to the arm opposite the heart. This is important because they remind him that he must worship God with his whole person, the heart and the head. Tephilin are very holy symbols of the covenant because they stress obedience to the Torah. The third item is the kippah. This is a skull-cap worn by the men during prayer. Some wear this all day as a way of expressing their respect for God. To incorporate their faith into everyday and make it holy Jews will fulfil the commandment in the Torah to help those in need, both in physical and financial. They will give at least ten percent of their income to charity. It is a sacred, instinctive response to express thanks to God, ask forgiveness or to request a favour from God. The spiritual benefit of giving to the poor each day is so great because it gives them an opportunity to perform Tzedakah, which is the highest of all commandments. Although I agree that for the Jews, each day is holy there are some days which are holier than others and have a special focus. These days are considered holidays, emphasising their holiness because the word originated from ‘holy day.’ Morally, everything a Jew does each day is directed towards God, but certain days are more important because more focus is put on God. These days are mainly well known festivals and are holier because extra effort is made, there are more rules to observe and far more togetherness. Pesach (or Passover) is a very important festival because unlike all other holy days it celebrates the beginnings of the Jewish people, when God delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Before Passover their house must be cleared of all foods containing leavened grain products or yeast in response to a passage commanding so in the Torah. This is followed so completely that families will have special kitchen utensils, crockery and cutlery used only for this festival and stored away for the rest of the year This makes it extra sacred because it means the use of it reminds them only of Passover and of God’s control over history and nature. The most spiritual part of the festival is the opening meal, called the Seder, in which unleavened bread is eaten to recreate the slavery conditions of their ancestors and to relive the exodus. It is very holy because of its strong connections with their ancestors and God, and because of its reminder of their dependence on him. Bitter herbs are eaten during Seder, to remind them of what is being commemorated. Parsley leaves represent freedom and the bitter stalk, slavery. This is rarely eaten throughout the year, giving it its own important spiritual meaning. These are dipped in salt water as a symbol of the slave’s tears. Many other spiritual, unusual foods are eaten, including a hard boiled egg and a lamb bone as a reminder of the sacrifices offered in the temple. The Talmud states that each person must also drink four glasses of wine. This shows dedication to Gods commandments. The days of Passover are sacred and set apart from the rest because they celebrate freedom and without the events commemorated by it, there would be no Jewish people. In every Kiddush, throughout the year, Jews speak â€Å"in remembrance of the exodus†, but it is Passover which celebrates the birth of a nation. It expresses the sense of belonging to a people, chosen by God and depending on him. The tradition and ritual of Sukkot creates an important festival to the Jews. The seven days in which it is observed are very holy and special because they focus on what God has given and celebrate his protection of the Israelites in the wilderness. This is different and holier than the rituals carried out on normal days because the Jews fulfil the mitzvah to â€Å"dwell in booths.† These booths remind them of their dependence on God and contain a hole in the roof, so that they feel closer to him. Having to stay in these booths is very special because it means families are able to spend more time, than usual, together. The â€Å"four species† is a very symbolic part of Sukkot and makes it extra holy. It contains an etrog and different leaves as a reminder of the harvest and the variety of people making up the Jewish community. It is waved in all directions, each day of the festival. This is a very spiritual act that symbolises God’s omnipresence. The days leading up to the festival of Rosh Hashanah are far holier than most of the year because they are spent repenting and Jews must enter into a mood of self reflection. The days are made holier and happier by an increase in good deeds. To fulfil the obligations of honouring and enjoying the festival, Jews will prepare, bathe, wear new clothes and clean the house. Rosh Hashanah lasts for two days, in which certain work is forbidden. These days are of great holiness and importance because they are traditionally when God opens the â€Å"Book of life.† During these days Jews beseech mercy in recognition of their sins, reflecting the importance of God. It is also the anniversary of the creation of the world, making it particularly holier and more significant than other festivals. Sacred blessings are recited over the candles, lit before sunset on the first night. Evening prayers and services are conducted with special melodies that enhance the special atmosphere. Each day of the festival is sanctified over wine by saying Kiddush, which sets it apart from other days. Special foods are eaten on Rosh Hashanah that aren’t eaten for the rest of the year, this gives the meals a special importance. Jews are more careful about keeping kosher on these days – to make it holier and perfect in the eyes of God. Each food is very symbolic to the Jews, for example apples dipped in honey represent joy and blessing. Fruit is eaten, that has not been eaten for a year, to represent renewal. On Rosh Hashanah everyone should hear the Shofar to fulfil the commandment in the Torah. Its powerful blasts are a very important part of making the festival holier than others because it is only blown 100 times on these days out of the whole year. It not only warns people of the coming day of judgement, but importantly calls people together before God, so that communities and families spend more time together. Yom Kippur is without a doubt the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It is a sacred experience for the Jews. The principle theme is atonement and is extremely holy because all actions are directed towards making God happy. On this day, Jews ignore physical needs, such as eating, to help them to concentrate on special needs, notably forgiveness. This Day of Atonement is extra holy because it combines the elements of remorse and confession with those of prayer and spiritual purification. Fasting enhances this because it is done in fulfilment of the biblical command â€Å"you shall afflict your souls.† In honour of the holiday, it is customary to wear best clothes and to prepare the house as they would for Shabbat. Most clothes and special materials are white, on this day, for holiness and to symbolise purity. Many Jews will carry out a special ritual on the eve of Yom Kippur, particular to this festival to set it apart from others. They immerse themselves in a ritual bath in order to enter into a â€Å"pure†, holy manner. Jews do not light candles in their home every day, only for special occasions, and because Yom Kippur is so holy they will light specific candles called Yahrzeit candles. To set it apart from regular days and other festivals, Jews attend more services on Yom Kippur. They chant Kol Nidrei to stress the importance of the day and to remember when Jews were forced to convert to Christianity, but vowed to God to remain Jewish. The story Of Jonah is read on this day as a sacred reminder that God is willing to forgive anyone that repents their sins. Yom Kippur is especially holy because of the constant communication with God and the many pleas of forgiveness, for sins. It is the holiest day of the year because, they believe, it is when God makes his final judgement on each individual and what will happen to them throughout the next year. In addition to these festivals, Shabbat is the holiest day of each week. It is a spiritual day because of its constant focus on God. It is immensely holy because it is the only festival in whose observance is a commandment. Sabbath is so important each week that God told the Jews to keep it â€Å"holy†, therefore it is referred to as the â€Å"holy day†. This emphasises how holier it is than regular days with the same rituals each day. Shabbat has lots more additional mitzvah and rituals, for every Jew to partake in. Shabbat itself is the holiest day of each week, even without the rituals, because it symbolises Gods creation of the world and his covenant with the Jewish people. The holiness is shown by the way in which the day is welcomed so much differently from any other. Other than festivals, it is the only day of the week in which the Jews must ensure that the house is cleaned, the table laid, food prepared and the best clothes are worn by everybody. There are also so many more rewards for observing Shabbat because each individual has something to do and everyone wants to keep the day holy to show their obedience to God. A special meal is eaten on Shabbat, where the whole family and guests can spend more time together than usual meals. The rituals and symbols involved with this meal make the day much holier and give it great meaning. They also give the family something important to look forward to each week. Plaited loaves are eaten on Shabbat as an important representation of the dependence between God, Israel and the Torah. Two loaves are used to symbolise the double portion that God left for their ancestors so that they wouldn’t have to break the mitzvah to not work, looking for food. Shabbat is the only day of the week where a Hallah cover is used to protect the bread and the best cutlery and crockery are used. Candles are an extremely important part of Shabbat, to set it apart from regular days. They are lit various times throughout the day, symbolising peace coming into the house, the creation of the world and the extra brightness that Shabbat brings over other days. The family can spend more time together and with God on Shabbat because they are not distracted by work and school, like the rest of the week. They are also able to spend more time within the Jewish community because there are special synagogue services that only occur on Shabbat. They meet as a community to pray and worship before God. It is only during the Shabbat service that a weekly portion of the Torah is read. This makes the services on Shabbat extra holy because of the great importance of the Torah to Judaism. It is how God wishes them to live their entire lives. Shabbat even has its own special greeting, different form other days. When greeting or bidding farewell, each Jew will say â€Å"Shabbat Shalom† to express their wishes that everyone has a peaceful and happy Shabbat. The afternoon is made extra sacred by the study of the Torah or spending more time in the synagogue. Shabbat gives them the time to do this and focus on God. As well as having a special welcome, Shabbat is set apart from normal days by its sacred departure. The Havdalah is performed and more prayers are recited. This shows how important and holy the day is because they are sad that the day has ended. The ritual involves blessings over wine and spices as well as a candle, and this only happens on Shabbat. For a Jew, each day is holy and important, but there are some days in their lives which are even more important to the individual and their family. These days are so important that they have a special name, each one is known as a ‘rites of passage’. The rituals carried out on these days are in addition to the normal mitzvah, making them even more holy than usual. The birth of a Jew, into a family, is an extremely sacred occasions. They believe a child is born completely pure and free from sin and the birth is so holy that extra prayers are said. They believe that every person is a gift from God, so the day must be sanctified by prayer in thanks to God. After a child is born, the father is given the holy honour of aliyah, which is an opportunity to bless the reading of the Torah in the synagogue. This is especially holy because it is the only day when a blessing is recited purely for the health of the mother and the child. Brit Milah is a much holier day than most because it is one of the most universally observed commandments. It is the circumcision of a male, usually when eight days old. There is more to the ritual than merely the process of removing the foreskin; it is very holy because it is a commandment specific to the Jews. The circumcision is a physical sign of the eternal covenant between God and the Jews. It is also a sign that the Jewish people will be perpetuated through the circumcised man. The circumcision is performed on the eighth day of the boy’s life and is holier than most other rituals because it can only be carried out by an observant, educated Jew called a mohel. This man is religiously qualified and it is a very religious ritual, blessed by a rabbi, so that it is completely directed towards God. The Bar and Bat Mitzvah is the next very holy ‘rite of passage’ in the life of a Jew. ‘Bar Mitzvah’ means ‘son of the commandment’ and occurs when the Jewish boy reaches the age of 13. Bat Mitzvah is the same for girls at age 12. It is very important because it enters them into the covenant relationship with God. When approaching Bar Mitzvah, the boys wear a very sacred prayer shawl and can begin wearing a pair of Tefillin. On this special occasion the relatives recite blessings for the child as they become adults in the religion. During the ceremony, for the first time the child is able to read a portion of the Torah to the congregation, in Hebrew. This brings them closer to God and involves them more in their religion. After this, the father recites baruch shepatarani, in which they thank God for having brought the boy to maturity and declares the boy is now responsible for his own actions. This is very sacred to the father because it is the o nly time he will recite it for that child. Marriage is an extremely holy occasion in the life of an adult Jew. It is seen as vitally important in Judaism. Refraining from it is not considered holy. There are many rituals carried out on the day of the ceremony that set it apart in the life of a Jew and bring them much closer to God. The ceremony takes place under a chupah because it can be held up by 4 poles, held by friends or relatives of the couple. This is a very important way of bringing people together before God. The Rabbi reads a section from the psalm as a blessing. This is a sacred way of blessing the couple in the name of the Lord and expresses thanks to God. The bride then circles the groom to symbolise her basic rights for the rest of their marriage: food, clothing and sex. A betrothal blessing is said to sanctify the marriage. The groom places the brides ring on her right index finger to symbolise her acceptance. The Ketubah is read and signed before God to sanctify and bind the marriage, setting it apart from the betrothal. The ceremony is set apart from most other joyous occasions, by the blessings over wine. This is very sacred, as well as adding to the festivity. Kiddush is recited twice to sanctify the occasion. Fasting on the day of the wedding is a very important part of the holiness because the couple are able to make peace with God before entering the covenant of marriage. In Judaism, life is valued above almost all else to every day is considered holy, but death is not considered a tragedy or any less holy. Death is the last ‘rite of passage’, but is still considered very holy because they believe, like our lives, it is all part of God’s plan. Candles are a sacred symbol in Judaism and so they are lit next to the body. The mourner recites a specific blessing, holier than usual blessings, to describe God as â€Å"the true judge†. The mourners have a special meal that is very symbolic and holy. It usually consists of eggs (as a symbol of life) and bread. Death is such a holy occasion for Jews that it has a mourner’s prayer called Kaddish. This is to reaffirm their faith in God, despite their loss. Holiness and faith is incorporated into every day of their lives, so I agree that every day is holy for them, but the specific festivals and ‘rites of passage’ are considered much holier days. The sanctity and importance of each of these extra rituals, brings every individual Jew closer to God. The focus of these days is completely spiritual, with none of the usual distractions faced every day.