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The Jewish people and the covenant

I can explain why the covenant with Abraham is important to most Jews.

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Lesson 1 of 6
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The Jewish people and the covenant

I can explain why the covenant with Abraham is important to most Jews.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The word covenant means a solemn promise.
  2. Jewish people believe God made a covenant with Abraham.
  3. The covenant story is the beginning of the relationship between God and the Jewish people.

Keywords

  • Covenant - a solemn promise

  • Descendant - someone related to you who lives after you

  • Torah - a Jewish holy text containing books of the law

  • Genesis - the first book of the Torah

Common misconception

The covenant is ancient and has no meaning for today.

Jews today still remember the covenant with Abraham.

Explore Jewish patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. These stories explain Jewish identity, covenant and promised land. Joseph's story explains the move to Egypt. Many Jews prefer God’s name to be written: G_d. This convention is followed for Jewish voices. You may wish to point this out to pupils.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
What is the special symbol of Judaism?

Cross
Correct answer: Star of David
Crescent moon

Q2.
What is the Torah?

Correct answer: a holy book of Jewish teachings
a kind of food
a building for prayer

Q3.
Where do Jewish people go to worship?

church
Correct answer: synagogue
gurdwara

Q4.
Which Jewish holiday remembers the story of Moses and the Exodus?

Correct answer: Passover
Ramadan
Easter

Q5.
Which of these are characters in the Jewish scriptures?

Muhammad, Ali, Fatima
Correct answer: Noah, David, Daniel
Vishnu, Rama, Lakshmi

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What is a covenant?

a type of celebration
Correct answer: a solemn promise made by God
a rule for how to pray

Q2.
Why was Abraham surprised about God’s promise?

Correct answer: he had no children
he did not want to move
he lived in Egypt

Q3.
The covenant is ancient and has no meaning for today.

True – it only matters to people in the past.
True – because it was made before Joseph was born.
Correct answer: False – Jews today still see the covenant as important.

Q4.
Joseph was given a special by his father, which made his brothers jealous.

Correct Answer: coat, Coat

Lesson appears in

UnitReligious education / Pesach: How do Jews remember God's covenant?

Religious education

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