For years, I've wanted to visit a synagogue. I can't really tell you why I hadn't until now...
Walking into the synagogue, I was greeted by a man just a few years younger than myself. I asked if they had a head covering I might borrow, and he showed me the bin where they lay. I put one on and followed him upstairs.
I walked into a room where a small group of people were joined together in song. The group was multi-racial when men, women and their children sitting together in the pews. A child played with toys in the aisle a bit while the older attendees sang. It reminded me of every place I'd ever been that wasn't Christian. In the mosques, in the Hindu temples, and elsewhere, they let the children be children while the adults worship. They aren't made to be quiet, they aren't sent off to nurseries. And yet the adults worship paying the children no mind.
The group sang in Hebrew. I was almost completely lost. My friend came over several times to help me relocate myself within the hymnal, which contained Hebrew, English and Hebrew transliterated into English. By the end of the service, I was almost able to follow along.
Normally, there is some kind of short homily or discussion concerning the books of Moses. I got the impression that they treated the Books of Moses much like the Christians who follow the liturgical calendar treat the Gospels. They read a portion of one each week. I'm not sure whether or not they delve into the Writings on a regular basis. Being somewhat out of practice with my writing here, I didn't think to ask.
When the service ended, we were all invited downstairs to a fellowship hall where we drank a communion cup of wine and broke bread. When I saw this, I immediately thought of the Christian's communion. How old is this tradition? How have the traditions of both communities evolved over time? How does the meaning of the breaking of bread differ for the Jews? Obviously, they aren't celebrating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. I need to understand this.
After this brief ritual, we sat down for a small vegetarian meal and chatted about religion and other things. I was told that this particular synagogue was heavily influenced by a few different Jewish traditions. I didn't know enough about them for the names to mean anything to me. The group seemed to take pride in their eclecticism and open-mindedness. For them, the Jewish tradition was a gathering place. Their canon was a conversation piece. They didn't claim that any one perspective had all the answers. Rather, they believe that in we find truth and meaning by engaging one another and the tradition. It reminded me of my friend David and Canonical Theism. More than that, it reminded me that we find truth in the difficult conversations we have with one another.
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| Isaac Agree Synagogue Sanctuary in Detroit, Mi |
Walking into the synagogue, I was greeted by a man just a few years younger than myself. I asked if they had a head covering I might borrow, and he showed me the bin where they lay. I put one on and followed him upstairs.
I walked into a room where a small group of people were joined together in song. The group was multi-racial when men, women and their children sitting together in the pews. A child played with toys in the aisle a bit while the older attendees sang. It reminded me of every place I'd ever been that wasn't Christian. In the mosques, in the Hindu temples, and elsewhere, they let the children be children while the adults worship. They aren't made to be quiet, they aren't sent off to nurseries. And yet the adults worship paying the children no mind.
The group sang in Hebrew. I was almost completely lost. My friend came over several times to help me relocate myself within the hymnal, which contained Hebrew, English and Hebrew transliterated into English. By the end of the service, I was almost able to follow along.
 |
| A woman lit these candles before the service started. |
When the service ended, we were all invited downstairs to a fellowship hall where we drank a communion cup of wine and broke bread. When I saw this, I immediately thought of the Christian's communion. How old is this tradition? How have the traditions of both communities evolved over time? How does the meaning of the breaking of bread differ for the Jews? Obviously, they aren't celebrating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. I need to understand this.
After this brief ritual, we sat down for a small vegetarian meal and chatted about religion and other things. I was told that this particular synagogue was heavily influenced by a few different Jewish traditions. I didn't know enough about them for the names to mean anything to me. The group seemed to take pride in their eclecticism and open-mindedness. For them, the Jewish tradition was a gathering place. Their canon was a conversation piece. They didn't claim that any one perspective had all the answers. Rather, they believe that in we find truth and meaning by engaging one another and the tradition. It reminded me of my friend David and Canonical Theism. More than that, it reminded me that we find truth in the difficult conversations we have with one another.