The Kabal of Yehudim

Since the Civil Wars, relations between the Jewish city-state of Prague and the Archipelago of Albion have been at an all-time high. Following changes to the Recusancy laws, practising Jews were given the same religious rights as Anglicans; although the Church of England remains the state religion, many subjects of Albion have converted to Judaism, and these Gerei Tzedek find themselves welcomed into the fold by all but the most conservative of Rabbis.

The Kabal of Yehudim is a relatively loose organisation; membership merely means that you are a practising Jew who is resident in Albion. You might be a Ger Tzedek (convert), or the child of a Jewish mother who practises her religion. At higher ranks, you are likely to have a certain amount of political and religious respect - in the same manner as a Priest in the Church of England - and, if you have the Appointed quirk, will be a Rabbi legally licensed to perform and oversee religious ceremonies. However, you will also be expected to pay attention to the political needs of the Kabal, support more junior members, and represent the Yehudim at Court - your behaviour will reflect on your people, and you will be expected to act appropriately.

At low ranks, membership in the Kabal merely represents your character's heritage or religious choices; it is entirely possible to be a member of more than one organisation, so you might choose membership in the Kabal as a secondary organisation, representing the fact that your character attends Synagogue and respects their Rabbi, but has no greater involvement in religious or social matters.

At higher ranks, membership in the Kabal can be an interesting vehicle for becoming involved in the religious and political games. Between the pressures of hidden Catholics wishing to burn you as a heretic, Anglican traditionalists wishing to revive the old Recusancy laws to make your worship illegal, political influence from Prague and the need to tend to your flock, the role of a Rabbi is one which will bring many challenges - but also political power.

In their most basic forms, Jewish practices in Albion can be considered largely equivalent to Jewish practices today. There are many variances between different individuals and different Minyanim; unlike the Anglican church, there are no Thirty-Nine Articles for English Jewry. At base, however, most Yehudim can be expected to:

• Wear a kippah or other headcovering;
• Keep Shabbat and attend Shul (this is a legal as well as a religious requirement; see the laws on Recusancy for more details);
• Keep the Holy Days;
• Keep the Mitzvot, including Kosher laws;
• Keep and ensure that one's family keeps the Rites of Passage, including circumcision, Bar or Bat Mitzvah, marriage and correct mourning.

However, there is a great variance even within Albion concerning the relative orthodoxy of Jewish practice, and some Minyanim are a great deal stricter or more lenient than others.

Magic is as praised as any other form of scholarship by the Kabal. It would be inaccurate to say that every Rabbi is a Theurgist, but many high-ranking Rabbinical scholars practice the art, often in conjunction with Talmudic scholarship, numerology and Kabbalah.

Few modern Rabbis have any but a positive attitude to the practice of Science among their flocks, though there are occasional warnings about the dangers of treating Sorcery or Witchcraft with too little respect. Some can be quite contemptuous of Christian Theurges, believing their version of the magic to be far superior.

The usual procedure for Appointment as a Rabbi is to study at a Yeshivah for some years, and then to gain the approval of a senior Rabbi, or the local Synod. The procedure is a great deal less formal than that of the Church of England, but has great emphasis on legal scholarship as well as religious ability. The hierarchy of the Yehudim is exceedingly flexible, and tends to be based on mutual respect and perceived seniority rather than formal rank.

Several of Prague's ruling council of Rabbis are female, and there is a general acceptance of female equality throughout the Kabal. One finds the occasional traditionalist holdout, but in general, female Rabbis are at least as common as female Priests.

There are many Dragons and Sea Serpents within Albion who have converted to Judaism; naturally, these creatures find it difficult to attend most of the Synagogues within Albion, although there are plans frequently mooted to build a massive subaquatic Temple off the coast of Birmingham. In the meantime, there are several itinerant Rabbis - some of a slightly proselytising bent, since there is a school which believes that the Dragons and Serpents are another of God's chosen people - who attend to the religious needs of these Creatures within Albion. It is considered something of an honour to be appointed to such a task, and these Rabbis tend to be young, vital, active and doctrinally flexible, with very fast reflexes.

Affiliation: Affiliation to the Kabal of Yehudim may be either Public or Private; however, if you are accused of Recusancy, you may be obliged to declare your religious affiliations to avoid arrest.

Rank is rather loose within the organisation, which is why there are only three ranks. Seniority among Rabbis is determined by a multitude of factors including age, knowledge of the Law, scholarship, Theurgic ability and political closeness to the Synod at Prague.

In general, if you wish to be a high-ranking Rabbi, then taking high Doctrine is a very good start.

Requirements: A Jewish mother, or a background which includes conversion to Judaism.

You attend Shul regularly enough to avoid censure, hear a certain amount of the gossip and participate in holy days and festivals. You may occasionally be asked to run favours for your local Rabbi, but are unlikely to be involved in anything too politically sensitive.

Requirements: A Jewish background, Doctrine of at least Rank 1 and fluent Hebrew1).

Although you have not been appointed as a Rabbi, you are trusted to lead the congregation in prayer, and pray on behalf of the community. You are well-respected in your local community and may occasionally be expected to advise Goyim on matters of the faith, and vice versa.

Requirements: A Jewish background, the Appointed quirk, Doctrine of at least Rank 3 and fluent Hebrew.

You have been Appointed as a Rabbi, and probably have a congregation on your home island (feel free to give us details). You are able (and indeed expected) to lead services, perform Rites of Passage, and pray very regularly, in addition to ensuring that your congregation keeps the Law appropriately and setting an example yourself. At Court, you are an ambassador for the Kabal, and will be expected to act appropriately; more senior Rabbis may ask you to perform certain actions for the good of the Faith from time to time, and you can draw on the (not inconsiderable) resources of the Kabal when you need to.