Religious Visit

To begin, for my religious visit, I chose to venture to Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, located on North Meridian Street in Indianapolis. The congregation started on November 2nd, 1856 when fourteen Jewish men gathered in a home belonging to a man name Julius Glaser, and they founded a congregation with an explicitly described constitution and set of by-laws in their community. Two years later, the congregation’s first consecrated home held a dedication and became the fourth synagogue to become established in the State of Indiana. The leadership consists of Senior Rabbi Brett Krichiver and Associate Rabbi Scott Fox. During the service I attended, Rabbi Scott Fox was the individual who directed the service along with the addition of Cantor
At a typical service, there are also greeters that welcome individuals and the community into the church along with passing out a program or informational pamphlets. Additionally, the seating inside the worship area or “sanctuary” was very similar to a Lutheran arrangement as well, at least in the churches I have visited. The seating was arranged with long benches in rows, comparable to the set up of pews in a church. Both Lutheran and Jewish services contain prayers, singing, and sermons; however, Lutheran services are in English while Jewish services contain varying amounts of Hebrew. Additionally, the prayer books in Jewish synagogues are read right to left while Bibles in Christian services and worship are read left to right. Moreover, at this Jewish service, Rabbi Scott encouraged people to address their neighbors with the phrase “Shabbat Shalom,” while in Lutheran churches, at least mine at home, have used the phrase “May God be with you”. Both Christian and Jewish places of worship emphasize community and a support system in addition to providing religious
Only most of the male elderly and some middle aged men wore yarmulkes, and most of the children did not wear them at all. The attire was pretty laid back, with some individuals wearing jeans and casual clothing, to others wearing business casual or business professional clothing to service. Rabbi Scott often asked individuals to speak during the service and provide names of people that needed a prayer or guidance. Overall, the importance of community shone through all the other aspects present in the synagogue and leadership. In a more broadened sense, I began to understand the ability that religion has to bond people together and to create support systems. Many people at the synagogue were so welcoming to Quinn and I even though it was quite obvious that we were not a part of the Jewish faith or regulars of the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation. While reflecting internally, I learned that I have a large tolerance for different religions, and I partially believe that to be a byproduct of the fact that I did not have an intensive religious upbringing. I had to no bias coming into this class, and in a way, I am glad that I remained open to becoming educated about all religions. This visit to a Jewish place of worship opened my eyes to the similarities that all religions have and the great power that religion plays in