Synagogue Visit Essay Example for Free

Synagogue Visit Essay For me, to visit another place of worship other than a mosque was intriguing and exciting. I was curious to find out what a Jewish temple, oftentimes called synagogue, looked like and if it had any similarities to a Muslim mosque to which I am greatly accustomed to. Before going to the synagogue, I was given a few reminders or rules which I must observe while inside such as not putting the books on the floor because they are sacred, and that in the event that it did touch the floor, I must kiss it. I was also told that I did not need to recite their prayers with them and that I can politely refuse to wear a prayer shawl although men should wear a skull cap. I was also told that I cannot take pictures nor was I allowed to take out my cellular phone, which must be on silent mode. I had no problem in abiding by the rules as I was entering someone else’s sacred place and I would expect the same respect if a visitor was to come to my religion’s place of prayer. When I arrived at the synagogue, I instantly wondered if its location was also subject to the direction of a bigger temple. I cannot discount the fact that mosques are built in an angle allowing for the prayer hall to be facing the direction of the Mecca. But I was told that synagogues follow no tradition at all. But a smile crept through my face as I saw the Star of David (also known as the Megan Star) on the outside wall. I guess although their temple did not face a certain direction, they also placed a symbol of their faith outside their place of worship, just like the mosque bearing the crescent moon and star or the Catholics with the cross. As I entered the synagogue, I immediately noticed bowl-shaped cloths on the side. These are actually skull-caps for male visitors of the synagogue since Jewish men wear skull-caps everyday, but some of them only during prayers or while studying the Torah. A skull-cap is a sign of respect. I was about to take off my shoes when I realized that there was no shoe rack. And neither was there an ablution where cleansing and washing must be done. I learned that Jewish people do not take off their shoes when going inside their temple and they do not do any ceremonial washing right before prayers inside. Inside the synagogue, I keep thinking that they had so much furniture inside. I guess I am used to kneeling on the carpet for prayers, which is why the benches where the Jewish congregation sat were something new to me. There were chairs on all sides except for one side, the side wherein their altar was set-up. The Jewish altar is quite complicated for an outsider since it had many parts. On the wall was something like a closet, which is called the Ark. I learned that the Ark contains the Torah, which is like the Qur’an for the Muslims (or the Bible for the Catholics). The Torah is actually written on scrolls and these scrolls are covered by a breastplate and a mantle. The Ark is only opened during Sabbath day, wherein the community elders say a prayer before opening it. When the Torah is being read, a pointer called the Yad is used to follow the letters and words. On each side of the Ark are prayer boards written in Hebrew and right above the Ark I noticed that there is a replica of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses. Right above the Ten Commandments is a lamp called the Ner Tamid. It is a symbol that God is omnipresent and it also shows the holiness of the Torah. In front of the Ark is a reading platform which is where the rabbi preaches and where the Torah is read. It is called a Bimah and it is lighted by seven-branched candlesticks called the Menorah but more often than not, it is just plain Sabbath candlesticks that are used during the Jewish Holy Day. I learned that there are two different candlesticks in Jewish tradition. These are actually kept at the back of the synagogue. One is the Menorah and the other is the Hannukiah. A Menorah is actually the candlestick used in the original Jewish temples and oils were put to light them. The Hanukkiah is a nine-branched candlestick with a Star of David on top which commemorates the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. It has nine branches instead of seven because on the night that the Jewish temple was desecrated, the olive oil used for the Menorah was calculated to last only one night and yet it miraculously burned for an additional eight more nights. Hence, the nine branches of the Hanukkiah. For orthodox Jews, only rabbis can lead the service and only men can be rabbis, in contrast with reformed Jews were in anyone can lead the service and even women can be rabbis. However, regardless of being orthodox or reformed Jews, there is no distinction as to the sitting arrangement in the synagogues. Right in front of the Bimah is the seats for the elders of the Jewish community. Behind and around them would sit the men. Women and children are not allowed to sit with the men of the community and so they are seated away from them towards the back or at a balcony above. Also noticeable are decorations nailed on each doorway. The decorations are called mezuzah, a container containing words from the Torah. At this point, it reminded me of the prayer carpets in mosques used as decorations. It seems that the Jewish also use holy things for their decorations, to be in-keeping with respect and sanctity of their place of worship. But the mezuzah is not only for the synagogues but also for Jewish homes and it is placed on each doorway except the doorway of the bathroom or toilet. Outside the synagogue there is also called the sukkah or a hut built for harvest. This is where the Jews pray and have meals. There is also a kitchen and it is kosher or clean according to Jewish laws. Meat and milk are separate and the parts of the kitchen are actually labeled so that the people will be reminded of where to place the meat or milk, thereby in keeping with Jewish laws. Also found in the kitchen is a special cabinet for things used during the Passover. This is to make sure that things used during the Passover is not mixed nor touches anything that has yeast in it, since things for Passover cannot touch anything that has yeast in it. I realized that a synagogue is similar to a mosque. Just like the skull-caps worn inside the synagogue, a spare head covering must be worn inside a mosque. We also have something like the Ark although it does not hold the Qur’an. It is the Mihrab which shows Muslims where to face during prayer, as it faces the direction of the Mecca. And just like the prayer boards around the Ark, a mosque has its own decorations around the Mihrab too like Arabic texts from the Qur’an and a picture of the cube inside the Mecca called the Ka’aba. Just as there are similarities, of course, there are also differences. I did not have to take off my shoes when I entered the synagogue and the carpet on the floor was used for walking on and not for kneeling in prayer. Neither does a mosque have a pulpit or the Bimah where a rabbi speaks. But more important than what I saw inside and outside the synagogue is the deeper realizations I had as a result of my synagogue visit. Each religion has its own place of worship and certain rules and proper decorum must be observed when visiting someone else’s place of worship. It is okay that I felt like a stranger in a place of worship or prayer other than your own and that is because I was a stranger to the place. I was a visitor. I watched my step, my every movement to make sure that I do not do anything that may be seen as a sign of disrespect. I did choose to visit a Jewish temple on a day that there was no service. Although I was told that it would be alright to attend the service and observe the Jewish day of prayer (and that they will not force me to pray with them), I did know my limits and personally did not want to intrude or disturb a very sacred religious practice. Each religion has its own beliefs, traditions and places of worship. And though there are many religions and each one believes in something different from the other religions, each religion must be treated with respect because if there is one common thing among all religions, it is believing in something higher and more powerful than the human being.

Human Consumption and Resource Depletion :: essays research papers fc

In today’s ever growing society, we must pay special attention to the amounts and types of resources we our currently consuming and the supply of these resources that will last us for the future. In researching this topic there are many factors to take into account such as the ever growing population, use of limited and unlimited resources, destruction of resources without full utilization of them, and the planning and discovering of new resources for our future. It is a safe assumption to make that our society’s population is not one that will be slowing down anytime soon. To date, according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census the United States population is projected to be 290,634,727 people, with a net gain of one person every 11 seconds, and though this may seem quite large it is only a mere 1/25th the world population, which currently is around 6.5 billion people. With large numbers like these and an outlook for continuous growth, it must be taken into concern that at some point, the U.S. and the world as a whole is going to reach its carrying capacity, a point at which the resources in an environment can no longer support a greater population. Though this may still be hundreds of years away, by addressing energy consumption and depletions concerns now we can prolong and prepare for that date as best as possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the United States, and the world as a whole, there are three major areas in which resources can stem from; those are water, minerals, and the land. All of our resources and utilities to produce resources come from one of those three, and as our population continues to grow, those three sources are ever depleting. As stated above we are a culture who on the whole has a population that does not look like it will cease in growth anytime in the near future. Due to this, the planets limited supply of water seems to be one of the first things that would lead to destruction of our population. We already our currently experiencing global droughts that affect the production of other resources such as food, and therefore directly affect the health and stability of our population. With continued growth, it can only be expected that available water will be ever depleting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the focus on our continued growth, one must next look at its affects on the land in which live on.

Transcendentalist

A Modern Day Transcendentalist The story of Chris McCandless is an inspiring one. Transcendentalism is the act of finding inner peace and relaxing. David Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson are two authors who are transcendentalists. The idea of transcendentalism was started in America in the 1850’s. Chris McCandless is a college student who decides to become a transcendentalist. Chris McCandless is an example of a modern day transcendentalist because he fits the ideals of Walden, Self Reliance, and Civil Disobedience.One of the big ideas of Walden is that a person needs to separate himself from society to inner peace. Thoreau writes â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life. † Chris McCandless fits this idea because he goes into the woods to find inner peace after college along with other adventures in the desert and Denali National Park. Another big idea of Walden is a person only needs to live with th e essentials. Thoreau writes â€Å"†¦ to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms. Chris McCandless fits this idea because he only brings a backpack, a gun, a bag of rice, and a sleeping bag into the woods. Nature has a lot to teach is also a big idea of Walden. Thoreau writes â€Å"†¦and see if I could not learn what it had to teach. † Chris McCandless fits this idea because he learns a lot of survival techniques while in nature and he lives and dies while in nature. One of the big ideas in Self Reliance is trust yourself. Emerson writes â€Å"Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Chris McCandless fits this idea because whenever he is offered help he declines it. Another big idea of Self Reliance is do not be afraid to be different and do not conform to others standards. Emerson writes â€Å"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. † Chris McCandless fits this idea because he does not care what other people think about him and he did not conform to others expectations. For example his parents want him to go to college and he decides not to because he wants to go into the wild. Do not envy what others have is another big idea of Self Reliance.Emerson writes â€Å"There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance. † Chris McCandless fits this idea because rejects supplies, his parents, his car, and help. One of the big ideas of Civil Disobedience is laws do not have to be followed because each person should make their own laws. Thoreau writes â€Å"That government is best which governs not at all. † Chris McCandless fits this idea because he goes to Mexico without a passport, he kayaks into Mexico, he burns his money, and he train hops.Another big idea of Civil Disobedience is the majority is not always right and that people should follow their own beliefs and thoughts. Thoreau writes â€Å"When the power is once in the hand s of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule, is not because they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest. † Chris McCandless fits this idea because people may not support his way of life because it is against how the majority live.He lives differently in a lot of people’s eyes because he lives out in the woods instead of being with society. Based on his belief in the ideals of Walden, Self Reliance, and Civil Disobedience, Chris McCandless is a modern day transcendentalist. This type of lifestyle is not all that abnormal. Many people in the world live just like Chris McCandless. They all want to get away of society and live peacefully. The story of Chris McCandless gained popularity in the late 1990’s. One reason people are drawn to this story is because McCandless is a young guy and lives such a different lifestyle.

CELTA-ASSIGNMENT-2 Essay - 1276 Words

Skills Assignment Based on the text ‘Do not pass go, do not collect $151’ Dargaville The Christchurch Press 11.03.2005 Due in date: 12-04-2014 Trainee: Jesus Ferrer 00651 Receptive skill 1: reading for gist Materials Article ‘Do not pass go, do not collect $151’Dargaville The Christchurch Press 11.03.2005 Aims In this activity the students are going to focus only on covering the overall theme to catch the main idea from the text. Rationale The common approach of lower level language learners is to focus on reading every word and understanding every word of a text. The reader†¦show more content†¦A delighted Lance gave the money to his mother to look after, and they returned to Pouto. During the next couple of weeks he spent some of the money on a tape, a soft drink, and a wedding present. No-one expected the next development. Lance went off to school as usual when he was called into the principals office, where a police officer was waiting. Lance was asked where he got the note. He told them. D. At this point his mother was brought back into the picture and asked to contact the National Bank because, on sending the money to Japan, they had discovered it was Japanese Monopoly money – worthless. Now the bank would like its money back and the parents feel they should not be responsible for paying it because the boy had not intended to defraud. He had asked if the note was real. The back declined to comment. (This attachment is not taken into account for the word count). Make a backup of your instructions on the whiteboard; elicit ICQs of the instructions given, and handout the worksheet. Materials: Adapted article ‘Do not pass go, do not collect $151’ Dargaville The Christchurch Press 11.03.2005 Answer sheet for the activity. Aims: To give the students the opportunity to practice their ability to scan for specific information in a reading. 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