On Saturday, October 17th, I attended the Shabbat morning service at Touro Synagogue. The service was held in the main sanctuary for the Bat Mitzvah of Jessica, a young woman from the congregation. The service was guided by Rabbi Alexis Berk and Cantor David Mintz, but it was primarily led by Jessica. Rabbi Berk offered words of wisdom while Cantor Mintz used his exquisite voice and guitar skills to lead the congregation in singing of the hymns. Jessica took command of the service by reciting prayers in Hebrew and offering a reflection based on her intensive study of the story Noah and the flood from a Torah scroll. The Torah scroll from which Jessica read from and used was passed around to each member of her family present, and then carried …show more content…
There are many misconceptions about Judaism and the people who practice it, but by attending this service, I was able to experience the practice of this faith first hand. Christianity and Judaism obviously have their differences in terms of belief systems and methods of worship, but I believe that the basic values demonstrated by both religions are the same. One value that I noticed in the service that parallels my own is that of helping the community. For part of Jessica’s transition into Jewish adulthood, she participated in a program that helped provide gift cards to children in the foster system so they are able to purchase their own clothes and other personal items. The program focused on helping these foster children gain a little control over certain aspects of their lives since they live in such unpredictable situations. Helping those in need is something that I believe is very important. God taught us to “love thy neighbor as thyself” and in aiding those around us, we are fulfilling God’s plan for us as those who …show more content…
The service glorified God through prayer and song. The celebration of the Bat Mitzvah reminded me of when I became an official member of my church. Like Jessica, I had to attend classes in which I learned about the foundations of the religion, and studied certain chapters of the holy book. I was challenged to become more in tune with my faith and determine God’s role in my life. Unlike Jessica, I did not have to engage with the entire congregation, I was just voted in by the church session. Ultimately, what drives these acts of faith is a love and trust in God. Attending the Shabbat service was such an incredible and unique experience. Knowing that the traditions that I witnessed have been practiced for centuries is awe inspiring. However, I feel that it was more of an educational experience than a spiritual one. There are so many ways one can worship God, and it is extremely important for people to become educated on things they are not familiar with. My current values and beliefs remained the same, however seeing someone as young as Jessica be incredibly devoted to her faith inspires me want to try harder and become a better
...t also with acceptance as one of their own, although I never wore a Tallit or Kippah. This was a very peculiar position since I have never been so accustomed to this sort of kindness. By the end of the Jewish service, not only did I respect and appreciate their faith much more, but, in a way, I began to grow a love for it as well. While I felt no negative feelings towards the service, the most positive aspect would, most definitely, be the warmth I felt from everyone inside the Synagogue and from the presentation of the building itself. At first glance, I was not able to fully appreciate the decorations in the room, but the longer I observed I began to realize each decoration represented something significant. Overall, if I learned anything important this day it is that one thing holds true: I can still appreciate ideas and concepts even if I do not agree with them.
Judaism is one of the oldest religious practices all over the world. It literally gave a start to two the most popular religions nowadays: Islam and Christianity. It seems that everybody must be familiar with the basics of this religion, though it is not true. The majority of people know only a few attributes or ceremonies that Judaism is using until modern times, such as Menorah (the candelabrum with seven branches), Star of David (traditionally known as the symbol of Judaism) and, let’s say, the Bar Mitzvah ceremony. What people are missing (apart from the associations) is how truly symbolic all of them are in the practice of Judaism. Bar or Bat Mitzvah, for example, present practically the basis of Jewish culture and religion. The idea of how and why it became so important is what we will try to look through.
This experience was really out of my comfort zone. It was hard to be an outsider and not prepared for what was to come and not speaking one of the languages used to understand the entire service. This service learning project gave me the opportunity to try a new church and gain a deeper respect for a different religion. Everyone at the service was very educated on speaking the sacred texts and participating in the rituals practiced. I hope to have gained a better understanding for those who are new to religions and are nervous to come to a worship service. I will make more of an effort to be welcoming and accommodating to those who are new to our church.
Venturing inside, we all noticed two things very quickly: we were at once wearing entirely too much clothing to be comfortable in the sweltering heat, and entirely too little to fit in with the rest of the congregants assembled. And yet we were welcomed with open arms. We had arrived, the Reverend Rogers L. Pruitt emphasized as we filed into the sanctuary, on a very special day. As he distributed bulletins and hearty handshakes to the rest of the group, I noticed that the front of mine read "Fragment Day." As I looked around the modest sanctuary, I wondered what the service had in store for us.
This past summer, I acquired an internship at Baldwin and Lyons, an insurance company in Indianapolis. Every Wednesday during my internship, a couple of employees and I would participate in a prodigious community service project, Meals on Wheels. Throughout the three months that I worked at Baldwin and Lyons, I got acquainted with some of the individuals whom we delivered to. These inspiring individuals were so grateful and appreciative that we took time out of our day to volunteer to do such a service. One elderly woman who we delivered to would sing to us as she came to the front door “good meals, good meals, good meals.” She is one woman that I will never forget. First going into this, I was elated knowing I was I getting out of the office for a few hours. I did not comprehend the fulfillment I would receive from delivering meals to the elderly and disabled. But I am pleased and proud of the work that I have done for Meals on Wheels. There is no better feeling than doing something for someone else and seeing such gratitude for something so simple. Acts 20:35 says, “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Peterson). In an effort to revisit and make a difference in my community, I have arranged that over Thanksgiving break, I work Monday through Wednesday delivering for Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana.
At the time of our Bat Mitzvah, we as Jewish women are encouraged to look to influential and inspirational Jewish women, such as Esther, for guidance and strength. A Bat Mitzvah is a Jewish ritual in which a female immediately upon the age of 12 becomes an adult or a “daughter of the mitzvah” (Cahabad.org, 2016) (Pelaia, 2014). This ritual marks the beginning of a lifetime of devotion to the Jewish religion and with this comes the exploration of your own personal purpose that was given to you by God (Rich, 2011). Esther, a woman of the scripture, exemplifies what it means to be a Jewish woman and therefore would be an appropriate addition to my Bat Mitzvah ceremony and following this will continue to provide inspiration as I journey through life.
As many people will agree, Christ can be referred to, as Kierkegaard’s states it, “the prototype” (239). In other words, Christ lived in such an ethical and loving way that many people admire. Therefore, we can safely say that in following Christ’s “footprints” (238), we are closer to being more ethical and loving individuals. Consequently, in becoming involved with this service-learning project, I have come to realize that I, and everyone in general, do hold a moral responsibility towards complete strangers. This is most evident when regarding our religious background since I, and anyone else for that matter, cannot truly claim to being an ethical individual if we are stuck being admirers and do not alter in becoming imitators.
The morning Shabbat service began around 9 am. Upon entering the building, my friend Brandon reached out and touched the Mezuzah which was placed on the right side of the door. He explained that every door in a Jewish home or building has a Mezuzah. The lobby area displayed many intricate plaques on the wall commemorating past relatives. Before we entered the large room where the congregation was sitting, there were certain items we were required to take with us. The first was the yarmulke, which is a traditional head covering for the men. The second was a garment, which is a religious styled covering placed around the top of the members’ bodies. The garment had Hebrew letters on the rim of one side, which was the side where it laid around our shoulders and neck. Most importantly, we brought with us a leather bound book, which was a copy of the Torah in English.
Over the course of this class I feel like I have become a much better writer. When I go back and look at some of my Journal entries and assignments that I did at the beginning of the semester, I can’t help but tense up at some of the things I wrote. Sometimes the things I was writing didn’t flow well, or I might have even have missed glaring grammar mistakes.
The monotheistic religion of Judaism observes Shabbat as one of the most important holy days as it is the only one to be mentioned in the Ten Commandments. It consists of several interrelated components of rest, remembrance, commandments and expression of gratitude for creation and freedom from slavery. During this twenty-five hour gift from God, Jews are commanded to set aside their weekly concerns to emphasise a day of devotion to one’s family, God, rest and studying the Torah. As a time of spiritual enrichment, it is expected that one refrains from all work, to bring joy to the ritual and sanctify the Shabbat. Each of the dual commandments, to remember and to observe, are linked extensively to the Torah, Talmud and Commandments divinely revealed through one God. History of the story of Creation in Genesis and Exodus out of slavery in Egypt for the people of Israel is remembered to reference the Covenant, Moral Law and prohibitions as principle beliefs of Judaism. The eagerly awaited weekly rituals of Shabbat distinguish a day of rest from the working week to bring a sense of spirituality, belonging and gratitude to God in a dynamic society.
As a second language learner I have never expected myself to be a perfect writer throughout the semester. Even If English was my first language still, I would not be a perfect writer. It is not about first or second language, it is about how well I understand the learning objectives. Then organizing and writing with my own ideas and putting them in my paper. I am going to be honest, I am not good at English subject and English subject is my strongest weakness than the other subjects. In this paper I will discuss and analyze my own writing, reflecting on the ways that my writing has improved throughout the semester.
Perhaps one of the most well-known traditions of the Jewish faith is the celebration of a young man’s Bar Mitzvah. The ceremony began as a graduation for a schoolboy who had completed his religious education. The focus of study was typically the Hebrew Bible along with other Jewish literature, history, customs and ceremonies (Oxtoby and Segal 110-111). Today, the ceremony is often known as a coming of age celebration for 13-year-olds. During the festivity, the young man reads scripture from the Torah for the first time aloud and may also chant from one of the Torah scrolls (Oxtoby and Segal 61). This significant Jewish tradition is now also widely celebrated for young girls as well, known by the name as a ‘bat mitzvah’.
I arrived at the destination of where the ritual observation was to take place at 9:45 a.m. on February 23, 2014. The ritual takes place in Brockville, Ontario in a building called the New Hope Brockville Tabernacle. The tabernacle is a large building that has a tower, also known as a steeple, erected on the roof. On the steeple is the symbol of the cross. The front doors opened up to a large foyer where the majority of the people inside were gathered in various small groups. These groups were composed of members similar in age. Everyone who entered through the doors was greeted with lots of hugs and welcomes.
... curated community called, ArtSetters, that is focused on encouraging and promoting the artwork of local emerging artists to a global audience. For me, this lecture was in many ways very interesting. This type of lecture would for one never happen in a Catholic mass, but as well was very nice to see a congregation welcome back a member. Allowing Wyner to speak about her passion for art was inspiring as well an informative. It was refreshing to see a community supporting each other as the congregation welcomed Wyner and applauded her accomplishments. The service was let out after the finish of Wyner’s lecture. While some of the lay lefts shortly after, I noticed a good majority of the congregation stayed behind and talked with each other. The service at Temple Israel was an unlikely comforting and fascinating service that gave me a greater appreciation for Judaism.
The churches in the world play a huge role in the determination to access of food, clean water, and shelter. No matter what religious affiliation, people will donate money to churches to help this growing problem that has arisen. This is important because churches are a good way to give those in need the supplies they need. The churches give the money raised by the offerings that people donate. This is effective because there are so many churches around the world. If most people donate a little bit of money, a substantial amount of people will be helped. The Christ House is a p...