Belief and Ritual

The Jewish faith dates back nearly 4000 years. This collection theme looks at how the beliefs, rituals, principles and traditions of Judaism have been formed and applied over many years and within many different regions and communities.

This area of the collection is constituted by both contemporary and historical ceremonial objects, texts and textiles. These items are used in the rituals that define Judaism, and they allow a rich insight into how Jewish culture and religion influence the way people eat and dress as well as how key life-cycle events such as weddings, births and deaths are marked.

This collection narrative also looks at how Jewish rituals have changed over time and how such practices may reflect different cultural backgrounds, world communities or degrees of orthodoxy. The different versions or strands of Judaism that make up our Australian Jewish community are represented by the many varied ritual objects that make up this part of the collection.