A platform that encourages healthy conversation, spiritual support, growth and fellowship
NOLACatholic Parenting Podcast
A natural progression of our weekly column in the Clarion Herald and blog
The best in Catholic news and inspiration - wherever you are!
To help students better understand their Catholic faith in the realm of other world religions, seniors from Mount Carmel Academy traveled recently to Anshe S’Fard Synagogue in New Orleans.
Rabbi David Polsky gave an overview of the Orthodox Jewish faith, pointed out different symbols present in the synagogue and answered questions about Orthodox Jewish customs that might be different from the Catholic faith the teens know.
Wearing a yarmulke on his head as a sign of reverence, he brought students under a sukkah – a temporary dwelling with a roof of tree cuttings constructed during the Jewish Harvest Feast of Sukkot that had just passed. He told them that the structure was mentioned in Leviticus and symbolized how God’s people wandered in the desert for 40 years and lived in temporary houses.
Inside the synagogue, built in 1926, Rabbi Polsky identified the Ten Commandments; the Eternal Lamp that symbolizes the commandment to keep a light burning in the tabernacle; and the Ark (a holy cabinet that holds the Torah scrolls) facing East toward the Holy Land.
He emphasized how God’s name is so special that he could not speak a prayer in Hebrew with God in it, and he read a prayer in Hebrew omitting God. Rabbi Polsky demonstrated the custom of washing hands to purify them before eating bread, and he said Jewish people say a blessing before eating.
“The Talmud (Judaism’s holiest book) says you shouldn’t benefit from anything major in this world without thanking God,” he said.
“You see girls,” religion teacher Brenda Miller said. “You thank God for everything.”
What struck the girls most was how unmarried men and women are prohibited from being alone and having serious physical contact. Because of this practice, many marriage engagements are short, Rabbi Polsky said.
One student asked if Jews had to marry other Jews. He said many do, especially in the Orthodox faith, because of the strict customs. “The marriage acts more smoothly if they have the same measure of religiosity,” he said.
Among other interesting facts, Rabbi Polsky said Orthodox Jews:
– Use separate pots, dishes and utensils for meat and dairy dishes. Milk represents life, and meat represents death. You can’t mix life and death as if we (humans) are in control. God is the only one in control of everything, he said.
– Don’t eat shellfish.
– Have separate seating areas in the synagogue for men and women, separated by a curtain. The reason for this is that prayer must be focused on God, “and we’re not supposed to socialize during that time,” Rabbi Polsky said.
Miller asked how long their worship services are. Rabbi Polsky said weekday prayers were between 30-45 minutes and require 10 men to constitute a quorum. Sabbath services are anywhere from 2 to 2 1/2 hours. In addition, Jews are instructed to pray in the afternoon and at night.
“The idea is that we remember God throughout our day,” he said.
Religion teacher Phillip Garside said Mount Carmel seniors explored Judaism as a unit in World Religion. They learned basic practices and some of the history and figures of the Jewish faith and the parallels and differences between the Jewish and Catholic faiths.
“With Judaism there will be many parallels,” Garside said. “My hope is that they get the experience of what this space (synagogue) is from the person (rabbi) who experiences it.”
Rebecca Lambert noticed similarities between the Jewish and Catholic faiths, mainly modesty in dress and weekend services.
“Today we learned about the actual customs like dating that I thought was interesting, especially the separation of men and women,” Lambert said.
Tags: Mount Carmel Academy, sukkah, synagogue, Uncategorized