Today we went on a tiyul to the Israel museum. Our main focus today was the diversity and uniformity of the different Jewish communities and the Jewish life in the Middle Ages. After the jewish people were expelled from spain, they spread out across europe, asia, and the world. One temple diagram we visited today was the Kadavumbagam Synagogue from India. This temple featured aspects of Sephardic jewish traditions, such as the bima located in the center of the temple instead of the front. It also contained Sephardic scrolls, that open like a book and then turn, instead of needing to be unrolled, such as the traditional torah scrolls. This temple also featured large windows, so women could watch the service from outside. This separation of women is also featured in the Italian Vittorio Veneto Synagogue. But in this case, women sat above men in the balcony. The Italian Synagogue was very elegant, showing signs of the christian church influence and emphasis on beauty. The Italian Synagogue also took after the Sephardic traditions by having pews turned toward the center for the torah reading and service, just as the Indian center bima was for. The third temple experience we viewed was that of Germany. This temple was very modest and easily mistaken for a barn if it was not for the elegant artwork on the inside. This Horb Synagogue was made out of wood, as was the Kadavumbagam synagogue. This has to do with the geographic differences, since wood and forests happened to be available to these temples, but not the Italian one. The Horb Synagogue was much more modest than the Italian one. It interested me to see Jerusalem depicted in the paintings on the walls of this german synagogue, which shows the jewish community in that time had not forgotten their land. The last temple diorama we visited was the Tzedek Ve-Shalom Synagogue in Suriname. This Synagogue was very different from the others, and you could see the cultural impact southern america had on the temple. The floors were made of wood but covered in sand, so that the common wooden shoes of the Surinamese people would not make unpleasant noise on the floor. It was powerful to see the ways the temples were similar, even so spread over the world, but also how the surrounding cultures had impacted the individual Synagogues.
Our traditions and styles may have differed slightly from place to place, but our Hebrew language kept us together. As we saw all the jewish books and scriptures that had been found all throughout the world, all were written in hebrew. Some of the art and the format in the books had been changed, but our language was not. Many artifacts were discovered to be not too foreign to our modern day culture as well. In Morocco, the holder of a prayer shawl was found with a prayer honoring thy mother and father in hebrew. This is very similar if not nearly the same as our modern day Talit. An ancient German stone used for breaking a glass on a wedding day was also uncovered. We still practice the tradition of breaking glass on a wedding today, to remember the destruction of the temple. No matter how dispersed we are, or how distant in time we are from each other, all jews will always continue the same general traditions, and we will always have history in common.
Kadavumbagan Synagogue from India, and the center Bima
Ceiling of the Horb Synagogue in Germany
Stone used to break glass during weddings in Germany
Bag used to carry prayer shawl in Morocco
How are american jews different and similar to jews around the world? How are we different and similar to our ancestors?
American jews are very similar to others jews around the world. First of all, we all focus our attention on the Bima during services. We also have many of the same jewish traditions, such as going to synagogue, breaking the glass at a wedding, etc. Even though we mainly do not speak the same language, we all pray in the same language (Hebrew). This is an important characteristic that has held together the jewish people for many generations. We are also very similar to our ancestors. Our ancestors used a prayer shaul that is very similar to a modern day Talit. Also, like today, they used special clothes to burry people in when they died.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most important factors that tie Jews living all over the world together is the Hebrew language. Although it is evident that we all do not speak Hebrew or are even slightly familiar with it, it gives us a sense of togetherness as well as for identification, just like how we pray in Hebrew. We can see this displayed through thousands of generations prior, not just in the modern day. Historians have uncovered and studied many ancient works depicting Hebrew writings, some of which are still vital aspects of modern Judaism. Also, many ancient traditions still have their place today. For example, many Jews keep the tradition of marriage contracts, breaking of the glass at weddings, wearing of the talit, etc.
ReplyDeleteI think that with any culture that has spread globally, you are bound to see factors of other cultures infiltrated into and broadening the idea and practices of Judaism. As we looked through the different synagogues, we saw many different designs, aspects, or structures associated with the time period and environment the synagogue was made in. However, in each synagogue an emphasis on the importance of torah was clear. Despite these being synagogues constructed in the past, their differences yet clear similarity is still present when comparing Judaism around the world in modern day. Americans or other cultures may present themselves differently, pray in different looking buildings, and even have personal systems of handling things- but the same traditional practices and devotion to the torah always remains.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, I feel that American Jews are very similar to Jews across the world, yet also different. American Jews are similar to Jews around the world because they all celebrate and observe the same Jewish holidays. No matter where an American Jew is, they will always be able to find another Jewish person with very similar customs. However, I do think American Jews are different from Jews around the world because they have adapted their own aspects into the religion. American culture has heavily influenced Judaism in America. Since Americans are immersed in a Christian culture, Americans are heavily influenced by it. We are similar to our ancestors because we still follow customs that they performed. American Jews today still pray in Hebrew similar to how our ancestors did.
ReplyDeleteI think American Jews are similar to Jews around the world and over time. In particular, Hebrew is what ties all Jews together. It's kept Jewish culture going throughout the years. We also similar as we live through the same lifecycle events and practice variations of the same traditions to celebrate them.
ReplyDeleteAlthough our temples may be different around the world, jews are very similar. We all do the same prayers, and pray in Hebrew. Hebrew is what ties us together aroud the world, and to our sncient ancestors. By comig to Israel, and learning the language of our ancestors in the place that they lived, just makes us even more similar and have more in common with out ancestors.
ReplyDeleteEven though we may have our differences in temples, I personally believe that American Jews and Jews around the world are very similar. We must not forgot the triangle in which had kept in tact the Jewish people together for thousands of years. The land, The people, and The torah is what kept us together; not the temples. A temple is a place where you can pray and should not be a place in which determines how similar Jewish people are across the world.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Jews are different from jews around the world because we are constantly immersed in so many different cultures and religions, of course mostly christianity. We get christian holidays off during the school year, and it isn’t uncommon to hear a jewish kid yelling “Jesus Christ” after a negative situation. Another difference is we have a much stronger reform movement. Our similarities are our prayer, and shared culture such as eating matzo ball soup and tikkun olam. We have changed a lot from our ancestors, but we continue to question everything just as they did. We share a passion for not just our religion, but our people. We aren’t nearly as connected to the temple as they were, but we understand its importance.
ReplyDeleteI think that the way synagogues were built are kind of reminiscent of how we build synagogues now and the way that we view the Torah, the prayer environment, etc. The clothing and the popular fashion is definitely different than now, but the ideas behind it are mostly the same as now.
ReplyDeleteAll Jews around the world practice the same prayers whether they do it in different temples or synagogues. So I'd say all Jews are pretty similar. We are pretty different from our ancestors as far as how we dress but other than that we are all Jewish back then and now.
ReplyDeleteAll around the world, jews are different and similar in many ways. Jews are similar because all jews pray towards the same god, and believe in the same prophets. Also, all jews mostly pray in hebrew. However, in different parts of the world such as india, spain or italy, the sanctuary's layout is different than our traditional ashkinazi sanctuary layout.
ReplyDeleteOne way that I am different from our ancestors is that when I pray the bimah is front and center. I think that as American Jews we are all reformed in many ways, it's just a matter of how much. We have to adapt to the lifestyle of where we are. We have used English in our prayers and have created a string reform movement which much of the word does not have.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most common things in the Jewish people around the world is the sense of community. Jews band together naturally, and we always find a way to come together and form our own community. Not only does this happen naturally, but its also crucial for when we pray, since we need at least ten men to form a minion. A way we are different is through the clothes we wear, and the way we decorate our temples.
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