Judaism | AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062)

Judaism

140 questions
10 subtopics
Paper 1
Paper 1

Judaism is examined in Paper 1, The study of religions — one of the two religions chosen from seven.

It covers the nature of God and the Shekhinah, the Messiah, judgement and life after death, the Covenant with Abraham and the Covenant at Sinai, the mitzvot, free will and key moral principles, the synagogue and its features, public worship, the Amidah and prayer in the home, Shabbat in the home and the synagogue, Tenakh, Talmud and the dietary laws, Brit Milah, Bar and Bat Mitzvah, marriage and mourning and Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Pesach.

Sample questions from Judaism

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

The nature of God and the Shekhinah

What does it mean to call God the Law-Giver?

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God gave the Torah and its mitzvot to the Jewish people at Sinai. Jewish law is understood as God's instruction rather than human invention.
The Messiah, judgement and life after death

What is the Orthodox Jewish view of the Messiah?

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Orthodox Jews expect a personal Messiah sent by God. Belief in the Messiah is one of Maimonides' thirteen principles of faith.
The Covenant with Abraham and the Covenant at Sinai

Which sign of the covenant with Abraham is still kept today?

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Brit Milah, the circumcision of a baby boy on the eighth day, continues the sign. Genesis 17 records the command given to Abraham.
The mitzvot, free will and key moral principles

Why does the difference between the two kinds of mitzvot matter on Yom Kippur?

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Yom Kippur atones for wrongs done against God. Wrongs against another person must first be put right with that person.
The synagogue and its features

Why is the aron hakodesh the holiest place in a synagogue?

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The ark holds the Sefer Torah, the handwritten scroll of God's word. Congregations stand whenever the ark is opened.
Public worship, the Amidah and prayer in the home

How many blessings does the weekday Amidah contain?

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The weekday Amidah has nineteen blessings. The older name Shemoneh Esrei means eighteen, from the number it once had.
Shabbat in the home and the synagogue

What is kiddush?

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Kiddush is the blessing said over a cup of wine to begin Shabbat. The blessing marks the day as holy.
Tenakh, Talmud and the dietary laws

Name the two parts of the Talmud.

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The Mishnah sets out the oral law in short statements. The Gemara records later rabbis debating the Mishnah.

The 10 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic	What it covers	Questions
The nature of God and the Shekhinah	The subtopic covers the Shema and belief in one God, God as Creator, Law-Giver and Judge, mercy alongside justice in Exodus 34:6, the Shekhinah and why it is a rabbinic term, and whether God can be pictured.	14
The Messiah, judgement and life after death	These questions explain the Messiah and differing Orthodox and Reform views of him, the messianic age, olam ha-ba, judgement, Gan Eden and Gehinnom, resurrection of the dead, and how belief in judgement affects Jewish life.	14
The Covenant with Abraham and the Covenant at Sinai	Students learn the covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 and its sign of circumcision, Moses and the exodus, the covenant at Sinai and the Ten Commandments in their Jewish numbering, and why these covenants still matter.	14
The mitzvot, free will and key moral principles	The subtopic covers the number and two kinds of mitzvot, free will, justice, tzedakah, tikkun olam and gemilut hasadim, and Pikuach Nefesh with examples of it in practice and the laws it does not override.	14
The synagogue and its features	These questions describe the synagogue and its names, the aron hakodesh, ner tamid and bimah, the mechitzah and the minyan, the language and music of services, and how Orthodox and Reform synagogues differ.	14
Public worship, the Amidah and prayer in the home	Students learn the three daily services and the siddur, the Amidah's blessings, structure and posture, the Shema said morning and evening, and the mezuzah, tefillin and tallit, and why the home is a small sanctuary.	14
Shabbat in the home and the synagogue	The subtopic covers when Shabbat begins and ends and why it is kept, the candles, kiddush and two loaves, the thirty-nine forbidden categories of work in Orthodox and Reform practice, the synagogue service and havdalah.	14
Tenakh, Talmud and the dietary laws	These questions explain the three parts of the Tenakh, the Torah, the Talmud as oral law and its authority, and the kosher food laws, including permitted animals, shechitah and the separation of milk and meat.	14
Brit Milah, Bar and Bat Mitzvah, marriage and mourning	Students learn Brit Milah and the naming of girls, Bar and Bat Mitzvah in Orthodox and Reform practice, the chuppah, ketubah and breaking of a glass at a wedding, and burial, shiva and the Kaddish.	14
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Pesach	The subtopic covers Rosh Hashanah with the shofar and symbolic foods, the Ten Days of Repentance, the Yom Kippur fast and services, Pesach and the removal of chametz, and the seder plate and the four questions.	14

Judaism is 140 of the 1,734 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £7

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.