Judaism: Religion, Peace and Conflict | OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625)
Judaism: Religion, Peace and Conflict
- 82 questions
- 7 subtopics
- Group 2 paper
- Group 2 paper
Judaism: Religion, Peace and Conflict is examined in Component Group 2, religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a Jewish perspective (J625/08), if this is the perspective studied.
That perspective must be one of the student's two Group 1 religions. It covers Jewish teachings on violence and its justification, Jewish attitudes to terrorism, Milchemet Mitzvah, Milchemet Reshut and conduct in war, Jewish attitudes to conventional, technological and nuclear warfare, Jewish views on pacifism and working for peace, Jewish teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation and Jewish views on justice and social justice.
Sample questions from Judaism: Religion, Peace and Conflict
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Jewish teachings on violence and its justification
What does Proverbs 25:21 teach about enemies?
Show the answer
If an enemy is hungry, give him bread, and if thirsty, give him water. Kindness to an enemy can turn hatred into peace. -
Jewish teachings on violence and its justification
What role have Jewish individuals and communities played in violent conflicts?
Show the answer
Jewish partisans and ghetto fighters resisted the Nazis, as in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Many British Jews served in both World Wars. -
Jewish attitudes to terrorism
How have Jewish communities in Britain responded to terrorism?
Show the answer
Jewish communities hold vigils, support victims and protect synagogues through the Community Security Trust. Many rabbis call for justice rather than revenge. -
Jewish attitudes to terrorism
How do Jews differ in their attitudes to the causes of terrorism?
Show the answer
Some Jews stress removing the causes of terrorism through dialogue and justice. Others stress security and firm action against those who plan attacks. -
Milchemet Mitzvah, Milchemet Reshut and conduct in war
How do Jews interpret wars such as Joshua's today?
Show the answer
Most Jews see the conquest of Canaan as belonging to a unique moment in history. The commands of that time are not applied to modern wars. -
Milchemet Mitzvah, Milchemet Reshut and conduct in war
What is the Israeli army's code of “purity of arms”?
Show the answer
The code requires Israeli soldiers to use weapons only to complete their mission. Soldiers must do all they can to avoid harming civilians and prisoners. -
Jewish attitudes to conventional, technological and nuclear warfare
What is Israel's Iron Dome, and how do many Jews view it?
Show the answer
Iron Dome is a defence system that shoots down incoming rockets. Many Jews see defensive technology as a way of saving lives. -
Jewish attitudes to conventional, technological and nuclear warfare
How might the Torah's rule against destroying fruit trees be applied to modern warfare?
Show the answer
The rule shows that war must not destroy what people need to live. Many Jews apply it against weapons that devastate land, water and food supplies.
The 7 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish teachings on violence and its justification | Exodus 15:3 and 17:16, the command to fight Amalek today, Proverbs 25:21 on enemies, when violence is justified, the rodef, teaching on anger, Jews in past conflicts, and situation ethics. | 12 |
| Jewish attitudes to terrorism | Why Jews condemn terrorism, Jews as victims and British communities' responses, Jewish extremists, the King David Hotel bombing of 1946, terrorism set against self-defence, Pikuach Nefesh, and Humanist agreement. | 11 |
| Milchemet Mitzvah, Milchemet Reshut and conduct in war | Obligatory and optional war, why one is called holy war, Joshua 1:2–3 and modern readings of it, Deuteronomy 20 on offering peace and sparing trees, rabbinic rules, purity of arms, and concern for enemies. | 12 |
| Jewish attitudes to conventional, technological and nuclear warfare | Drones, Israel's Iron Dome, apocalyptic warfare and nuclear use, deterrence, the fruit-tree rule and the offer of peace applied to modern war, and Messianic hope as a case for disarmament. | 11 |
| Jewish views on pacifism and working for peace | The Jewish Peace Fellowship, shalom, Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4, Joel 3:9, Isaiah 9 and Psalm 34:15, Elisha's enemies in 2 Kings 6, Exodus 20:13, and non-violence as a force. | 13 |
| Jewish teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation | How to seek forgiveness from someone wronged, reconciliation in the Torah, Numbers 14:19–21 and Isaiah 1:18, wrongs others cannot forgive, when forgiveness is undesirable, its effect on communities, and Humanist views. | 11 |
| Jewish views on justice and social justice | Genesis 9:6, Exodus 21:23–24 and the rabbis' reading, peace and a just society, tzedakah and Maimonides' highest level, tikkun olam, social justice work in Britain, and differing approaches. | 12 |
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.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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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.
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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.
Nearby topics
OCR GCSE Religious Studies Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,800 questions with their answers.