The religion that I have chosen to discuss is the Jewish religion, or Judaism. In seeking information about Judaism, I conducted an interview at the Beth Israel Congregation near downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina. The synagogue is located at 2204 Morganton Rd., only a few miles from downtown Fayetteville and only a few miles from a major shopping mall in the area. Upon arriving at the synagogue in the afternoon heat of nearly 90 degrees, I was surprised to see the plush gardens to one side of the building. There is a beautiful walking path through a well-manicured lawn. The concrete path leads to a rectangular gazebo overgrown with vine. The small to medium trees and bushes on the property are perfectly maintained and are arrayed in vibrant colors. As I made my way to the front entrance, I noted the light colored brickwork and matching stonework on the front of the building. The building itself gives the appearance of a two story structure with its abstract sculpture, but upon further investigation, the highest part of the building is simple a raised inner ceiling.…
religion we see fit—a tenet of American society. After all, the established religions in our society…
He bridges Hassidic and Orthodox Jewish faiths, setting an example for teenagers today who also desire to unite those who differ. Although twenty-first century teenagers rarely encounter the scenario of opposing sects of Jewish faith, other situations where opposing races, worldviews, or politics meet, still need intelligence, bravery, and a forgiving spirit. By listening well and reasoning intelligently, bravely entering tough situations with truth, and offering the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, teenagers today can set an example just like Timothy and…
Faye Moskowitz writes about a traditional Jewish Christmas as she was taking up in Michigan in the thirties. The theme of religious tradition is reflected in this piece. She starts by saying “Jewish Christmas-that’s what my gentle friend calls Chanukah.” It indicates how as a young child she understands her religion and knows that those who are not Jewish are gentiles. Her experience of Christmas was miserable because they were the minority and everyone else celebrated it with excitement and delight.…
Satire is my element. Every conversation feels my scathing and dry tone penetrate the ranks. So, when presented with this assignment, I could not help but smile. I actualize the quote by German satirist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, “The finest satire is that in which ridicule is combined with so little malice and so much conviction that it even rouses laughter in those who are hit”, especially in regards to my list “Everything It Takes to Get Accepted to College”. Unsurprisingly, I hold infinite amounts of angst towards the college process. It has taken over my days, decimated my sleep patterns, and generally, ruined the past two years. All waking moments dedicate themselves to selling me as the person colleges want and need to have--just like…
To Pass or Not to Pass, That Is the Question: Jewish Cultural Identity in the United States…
Judaism was not always an openly free religion. During the late Middle Ages, the Inquisition expanded in Spain and Portugal due to New Christians, who were called conversos. The phrase “New Christians” refers to Sephardic Jews in Rome and Portugal who at the time converted to the Catholic Church due to multiple reasons. Many had to go against their beliefs and converted because they were forced to. At this time, Amsterdam was a safe place for Jewish participation. At the end of the 16th century, Jews from Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe emigrated to Amsterdam to finally be able to practice their beliefs.…
Obesity is a major epidemic in America. American’s are known for their obsession with food. At church last Sunday, the pastor was preaching on the topic of “fasting”. Fasting would be defined as the abstinence from eating certain or all foods in an effort to rely solely on God for inner strength. The pastor talked about how we as Americans are constantly looking for our next meal. We are always anticipating when and what we are going to eat. We even schedule our entire days around mealtime. Americans are essentially obsessed with food. In an effort to change this aspect of our culture, I have devised a three-part plan.…
Jewish dietary law maintains that the dietary laws were a means of both symbolizing and maintaining Jewish status as the chosen people, apart from the rest of society. The dietary laws in Judaism portray the sort of behavior that is expected of its people, this implies that Judaism and more importantly Judaic dietary laws have been implemented in an ‘unclean world’. “Interfaith Family”, a website in our case study which claims to be ‘Supporting Interfaith Families Exploring Jewish Lifestyle’ explains the disparity amongst practicing Kashrut and those who do…
While there are numerous extremes within this movement, the focus of this paper will be to examine the support and perpetuation of homosexuality by Reform Judaism, the devastating impact of this support on the individual and familial identity of Reform Jews, and the steps that must be taken to preserve return American Reform Jews back to their Jewish heritage.…
Through the distilled and powerful language of poetry, racism is explicitly expressed to exhibit its relevance today. Racism is the direct racial discrimination towards someone of a different race with the belief that one’s own race is superior. Through the exploration of various key and diverse poetic techniques and themes, racism is revealed to illustrate the major effects it has today. The purpose of poetry is to highlight its relevance by idealising reality and engaging the reader to help audiences understand the poet’s message. Poetry enables an unheard voice the opportunity to express their feelings through the most powerful and most distilled language accentuating racism. The Ungrateful Immigrant and Black Anzac feature ambivalent racist…
Growing up, there are an infinite amount of decisions humans make everyday without even realizing it. The ideas and thoughts we curate as humans are a definitive part of who we are, and without them, we are not our full potential. For most people, finding that one true talent, or that passion that lets you speak your mind, is what they carry as their legacy all throughout their lifespan here on earth. For me, my perspective comes from a point of view that not many people have growing up. Born and raised a Jew, I always heard the term “Jewish”, and celebrated “Jewish” holidays and read a language that went from right to left, but never really knew what it truly meant to me. Your parents tell you, “Here’s how to be Jewish, here’s how to get bar-mitzvahed” but you never know how or why, you just listen to them, and do it. After…
Throughout my life I have been told things such as this. Growing up in a predominantly white community, I encountered prejudice because of my sexuality, skin color, and religion. Even from at a young age, I remember incidents of prejudice. For example, during the first day of second grade, I remember a mother pointing at me and telling the teacher not to seat her daughter near me because I am a “Mexican”. At that age, I was ill prepared to stand up for myself and found that no one else wanted to defend me. Later in Middle School, a student began throwing pennies at me as a way of harassing me for my Jewish heritage. Jewish jokes became an accepted form of entertainment in classrooms. While the teachers remained bystanders, I began to fight. Confronting students about their bigotry, I asked, “How do you think that you are better than me? Is it because you are a racist?” The prevailing answer was silence. It is difficult to…
Not to long ago was racial and religious prejudice an act of numerous amounts of people. Being in such a civilized and highly developed society now, you would think this problem has diminished. To solve the problem of racial prejudices, we must first understand what leads people to take part in this act of violence.…
Why do we breathe? To stay alive of course. The main substance that we benefit from breathing is oxygen which is necessary for the body, the heart, the brain and the blood. Without enough oxygen, we don't live long, hence the reason behind breathing! In general, everyone has a pet peeve, some people get irritated by wearing underwear; others get bothered by taking a shower; and, many other strange irritating quirks that may seem absolutely normal to one person but be extremely infuriating to someone else. You know what irritates me?! Get ready for this.. Nothing irritates me more than people who breathe loudly, as if they just ran a 15 kilometer marathon. Breathing is not a difficult process, all you need to do is inhale and exhale oxygen again and again. It's not algebra; it's breathing! So why in the name of God do people have to breathe so loud? Like seriously!…