Judaism Depth Study · HSC Studies of Religion

What are the ethical teachings of Judaism on bioethics?

Ethics: describe and explain Jewish ethical teachings on bioethics OR environmental ethics OR sexual ethics (this page: bioethics)

HSC Studies of Religion Judaism depth study, bioethics. How halakhah works, the core teachings with precise sources (b'tzelem Elohim, pikuach nefesh from Leviticus 18:5 and Yoma 85b, the duty to heal, lo tirtzach), and how Orthodox, Masorti and Progressive authorities apply them to abortion, fertility treatment, organ donation and the end of life, with verbatim 2022 to 2025 HSC questions.

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What are the ethical teachings of Judaism on environmental ethics, and how do they guide Jews today?

Ethics: describe and explain Jewish ethical teachings on bioethics OR environmental ethics OR sexual ethics (this page: environmental ethics)

HSC Studies of Religion Judaism depth study, environmental ethics. The earth belongs to God, stewardship (Genesis 2:15), bal tashchit (do not destroy), tza'ar ba'alei chayim (animal suffering), Shabbat and shmita, Tu BiShvat and tikkun olam, with Tanakh, Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash and Maimonides sources, contemporary Jewish responses and the 2023 to 2025 HSC questions.

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What are the ethical teachings of Judaism on sexual ethics, and how do different Jewish movements apply them?

Ethics: describe and explain Jewish ethical teachings on bioethics OR environmental ethics OR sexual ethics (this page: sexual ethics)

HSC Studies of Religion Judaism depth study, sexual ethics. Sexuality as a positive gift within marriage, the mitzvah of procreation, onah, consent, the Torah's prohibitions, niddah and mikveh, modesty (tzniut, yichud, negiah), contraception and abortion, and Orthodox, Conservative and Reform approaches, with Tanakh, Mishnah and Talmud sources and the 2023 to 2025 HSC questions.

15 min read →

How did one significant person or school of thought shape the development and expression of Judaism?

Significant people and schools of thought: explain the contribution to the development and expression of Judaism of ONE significant person OR school of thought, other than Abraham or Moses, drawn from: Isaiah, Hillel (and Shamai), Beruriah, Rabbi Solomon Isaac (Rashi), Moses Maimonides, Kabbalah, The Hassidim, Moses Mendelssohn, Abraham Geiger, Rabbi Isaac Abraham Hacohen Kook (Rav Kook), Jewish Feminism; analyse the impact of this person OR school of thought on Judaism (this page: Moses Maimonides)

HSC Studies of Religion Judaism depth study, significant person. Moses Maimonides (Rambam, 1138 to 1204) - his life, the Commentary on the Mishnah and Thirteen Principles, the Mishneh Torah, the Guide for the Perplexed, his ethics (the eight levels of tzedakah, the middle path), the controversy he caused, his lasting impact, and the 2019 to 2025 HSC questions.

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Significant people and schools of thought: explain the contribution to the development and expression of Judaism of ONE significant person OR school of thought, other than Abraham or Moses, drawn from: Isaiah, Hillel (and Shamai), Beruriah, Rabbi Solomon Isaac (Rashi), Moses Maimonides, Kabbalah, The Hassidim, Moses Mendelssohn, Abraham Geiger, Rabbi Isaac Abraham Hacohen Kook (Rav Kook), Jewish Feminism; analyse the impact of this person OR school of thought on Judaism (this page: Rashi)

HSC Studies of Religion Judaism depth study, significant person. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 1040 to 1105) of Troyes - his commentaries on the Torah and the Talmud, his method of plain meaning (peshat) with selected midrash, his school and the Tosafists, his impact on Jewish learning and practice to this day, his critics, and the 2021 to 2025 HSC questions.

13 min read →

How are death and mourning expressed in Judaism, and what is their significance for the individual and the Jewish community?

Significant practices in the life of adherents: describe ONE significant practice within Judaism drawn from death and mourning, marriage, synagogue services; demonstrate how this practice expresses the beliefs of Judaism; analyse the significance of this practice for both the individual and the Jewish community

HSC Studies of Religion Judaism depth study. Jewish death and mourning practices in order (aninut, the chevra kadisha and taharah, keriah, burial, shiva, shloshim, the year of Kaddish, yahrzeit), their sources in the Tanakh, Mishnah and Talmud, how they express Jewish beliefs, differences between Orthodox and Progressive Jews, their significance, and the 2023 to 2025 HSC questions.

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How is marriage expressed in Judaism, and what is its significance for the individual and the community?

Significant practices in the life of adherents: describe ONE significant practice within Judaism drawn from death and mourning, marriage, synagogue services; demonstrate how this practice expresses the beliefs of Judaism; analyse the significance of this practice for both the individual and the Jewish community

HSC Studies of Religion Judaism depth study, significant practice. Jewish marriage in order (preparation, ketubah, bedeken, chuppah, kiddushin with the ring, the sheva brachot, breaking the glass, yichud, celebration), its Tanakh and Mishnah sources, how it expresses covenant, creation, holiness, community and Jerusalem, Orthodox and Progressive differences, and the 2020 to 2025 HSC questions.

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How are synagogue services expressed in Judaism, and what is their significance for the individual and the Jewish community?

Significant practices in the life of adherents: describe ONE significant practice within Judaism drawn from death and mourning, marriage, synagogue services; demonstrate how this practice expresses the beliefs of Judaism; analyse the significance of this practice for both the individual and the Jewish community

HSC Studies of Religion Judaism depth study. Synagogue services described (the daily and Shabbat services, the minyan, the Shema, Amidah, Kaddish and Torah reading), how they express belief in one God, covenant, Torah, the Temple and messianic hope, differences between Orthodox, Masorti and Progressive Judaism, and their significance for the individual and community.

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What are the principal beliefs of Judaism, and how are they recorded in its sacred texts and writings?

Preliminary course, Religious Tradition Study (Judaism): discuss the belief in the one God and the attributes of God; outline the concept of a divinely inspired moral law; identify the importance of the Covenant for the Jewish people; identify the importance of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud; examine extracts from the Hebrew Scriptures which demonstrate the principal beliefs of Judaism

Year 11 (Preliminary) Studies of Religion, Judaism. The one God and the attributes of God, the divinely inspired moral law and the 613 mitzvot, the importance of the covenant, and the importance of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud, with verified extracts, drills and practice questions linking beliefs to the HSC depth study.

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