My Synagogue Experience Essay

I, as my application states, have the label of "Jewish" next to my name. To me "Jewish" had always been little more than just that, a label. I attended Sunday School for several years, spending the majority of my time there wishing I could be doing just about anything but sitting in that small, rundown building. My mom had always attended Sunday School as a child. Naturally, she believed I should be raised similarly.

I felt my heart hammering in my chest. I knew I was next and my anxiety was trying to get the better of me but I knew better. When I heard my name called, I slowly got up from my seat. I glanced around me and caught my brother’s eye.

Judaism; one of three Abrahamic faiths, is one of the oldest religions in the world that exists today. ("BBC - Religion: Judaism," n.d.) Followers of this religion are referred to as Jews, and their beliefs are based on the idealization that there is only one God. When pertaining to death, an essential principle of Judaism’s belief is in techiat ha-meitim, meaning the ‘resurrection of the dead’. This concept of death not being the end and the idea of the future entailing the restoration of souls, is an underlying influence on the way Jews approach death.

1) The Great Awakening originated from a man named Jonathan Edwards who wrote the famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” This sermon preached that everyone was capable of salvation. Religion started to become a more personal experience and more and more people stopped going to church. When "old lights," didn't approve of the personal spirituality that the Great Awakening was adjuring to, many members of Congregational and Presbyterian denominations simply left for other churches. The "old lights" and the "new lights" disagreed on many issues, causing two of the major denominations to become divided.

Despite vast differences in how they practice their religions, both Samuel Heilman’s and Padrey Carney’s religious experiences reflect Livingston’s concepts. Heilman’s story begins with a religious myth about Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakki, who escapes from the Temple shortly before it is destroyed and founds the ideas of modern Judaism (Comstock 263-264). The purpose of this myth is that it “serves as a foundation or charter for a communities worldview”, as it sets how the Jews are supposed to live after the destruction of the Temple (Livingston ). The Temple was the center of Judaism and as such demonstrates Livingston’s concept of axis mundi, which means the center of the world. After the destruction of the Temple, the axis mundi of the Jewish

How little the average person knows about the Jewish culture is astounding. From their history, their beliefs, to how they have been treated worldwide throughout the years remain a mystery to most. I have had the opportunity to immerse myself into their culture and learn more about how they have dealt with being looked down upon, but also some of those who have risen up from their stereotypes and been leading public figures in America and also apart of our history as a nation. There were many reasons that I read The Chosen, but some of the themes and topics of the book stuck out more than others. I chose to read The Chosen because I have always been interested in World War Two and when I read that it was from a Jewish perspective it made me

Tyler Delrow Ms. Dover English 201-3 9 March 2018 During the Holocaust, many Jews were relocated to concentration camps. Even under such horrible circumstances, their faith helped them survive. Part of the Jewish faith is centered on some key beliefs and holy days. The Jews celebrated their faith in many inventive ways, even when they didn’t know if they would survive the Holocaust.

The religion I choose to observe for my fieldwork project is Catholicism. In order to complete the fieldwork assignment required for this paper I attended St. Lawrence Church on 5225 N. Himes Avenue in Tampa, FL. One of the reasons I chose to observe Catholicism for my fieldwork project is because it is a prominent religion throughout the world. In addition to the US, Catholicism is widely supported within Europe and Latin American countries. Another reason I chose Catholicism is because I found it to be relatively different from my own religion, Hinduism.

It was a big stoned building that sat on the left side of the street it was on the same street the brown vs board had there march. The Sanctuary is a place where I can get a complete quietness. Even when I have a lot on my mind it just seems like God erases everything that I have on my mind; my last week before I committed to independence community college to play football. I had a long talk with God just to make sure I made the right decision in choosing the right school. I have a lot of memories in this church the place where my Mom and Dad got married at, where I first got my very first bible.

Growing up Iranian-American, in a predominantly conservative southern suburb, means that my whole life has been spent around people with different beliefs. At first, it was easy to feel isolated, and in all honesty, angry that I was the odd one out. These feelings are trivial when compared to the ridicule I faced when religion came up. After many years of failing to realize the gravity of my uniqueness, I was finally able to visit Iran. There, I visited the shrine of an important Islamic Imam, Imam Reza.