Shabbat

Judaism vs. Islam In this essay I will review my understanding of the major beliefs and practices of two of the great Abrahamic religions, Judaism and Islam. I will attempt to take the position of proponents of each religion, and delineate areas of agreement and disagreement. What makes this comparison so compelling, and relevant, is the great human suffering that has resulted, and continues to result, from those who cloak their aggression and hatred under the veil of each religion. Judaism is…

After 14 years in Jewish day school, I am poised to leave this sanctuary and venture out into a wide world. Next year will be the first time I will attend a secular school. On the eve of this departure, then, I ask myself, who am I? What kind of Jew am I right now, at this point in time? Where do I see myself in five years? Truthfully, there is an ongoing conflict in my mind between my secular self and my spiritual Judaic self. It is not that I feel I must prioritize one over the other;…

3. What prompted the author to present the issue on what is normal and abnormal? Who is Peter Levin Shaffer? • Early Life: Peter Shaffer was born to Orthodox Jewish parents, Jack and Reka Shaffer, in Liverpool, England, on May 15, 1926, has a twin brother, Anthony. Another brother, Brian, was born in 1929. He was studying history and a scholarship at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. Before the careen in playwriting, Shaffer was a coal miner during World War II, held various odd jobs,…

The Churchill Room A mini-ethnographic essay Introduction There is no doubt that ethnographic studies can vary in terms of scope, details presented, audience targeted, researching skills of the writer, objectives aimed at and several other associated motives. Primarily aiming at acquiring the benefits of developing what Clifford Geertz calls as “thick description” in his book The Interpretation of Cultures (1993), this essay will examine the daily activities in a public space…

Reb Saunders decided to raise his son in complete silence and to only speak to him during Shabbat conversations. Why, however, would he choose such an isolative way to raise his son? This answer is one that has roots in Europe. Specifically in a small Russian town where Reb Saunders was raised. There he lived with his father who was also an infamous…

nervous. I kept thinking of how uncomfortable I was going to feel walking into the temple being as I am not Jewish. However, it ended up not being as uncomfortable as I thought it was going to be. The service that I had attended was called the Erev Shabbat…

Judaic sacred scripture addresses various ethical concerns in relation to sexuality, thusly Judaism has formed explicit rules that govern sexual intercourse and it’s related activities and behaviours. These overarching guidelines are derived from the TANAKH, a combination of “the whole Torah”, prophetic messages and other writings. Adherents of Judaism are greatly influenced by these ethical teachings, as, living in accordance with the Judaic commandments assists in the fulfilling of the…

9. Define and explain Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, and give one example of direct and indirect family influence that you can identify in your own personal experience. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory analyzes development as resulting from both biological and environmental influences, influences that are multi-layered and complex. An example of direct family influence in my own life is that which my maternal grandmother had, and continues to have, on me. My grandmother…

I chose to rewrite Lesson 1 because I made a blatant mistake of referring to the Israelites as Israeli’s. Also, after my post, I did additional research about the plagues and found that the translation varied widely in various editions of the Bible. I felt this observation was worthy of discussion. What values are passed on in these Bible stories? Would you think of any of these values differently if you were a child? In what ways has American culture retained these Judeo-Christian roots?…

With many people, there is one big reason, one big event, which let them know that being Jewish was for them. Some people came upon Judaism after a long period of spiritual questioning and searching, and others had their interest kindled after falling in love. I am not one of those people. Rather than having any one burst of insight, jewishness has always been a sort of ambient flavor in my life, whether I picked up on it at the time or not. The area I lived in had a fairly large jewish…