Final Paper World Religion Maxwell

Final Project

Friday, December 9, 2011 I attended a Jewish service at Beth El Temple in San Mateo. That evening, as usual, I had my second cup of coffee of the day to ensure I stay awake and jumped in my car to drive a convenient distance to 1515 Alameda de las Pulgas. When I arrived at the address, I found myself in a little parking lot literally next to a freeway exit. I parked my car and made my way inside the front two doors of the synagogue where I entered a large hallway with many rooms. Confused for a moment, I followed what sounded like chatter and found the main room where the service was being held. Having found the correct place I took a seat towards the middle of the room and waited for the service to begin. Having studied Judaism in our World Religions course, I was already aware that the religion forbids any depictions of God. The temples lack of a figured God or saints was immediately noticeable. Instead of representations of God or saints, the temple had a large version of the ten commandments hanging in the top center of the synagogue, where one would usually find a representation of Jesus in a

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Christian setting. I also noticed that the members of the temple wore strange caps, which Jews refer to as Yamulkas. A member of the temple explained to me that wearing a yamulka was a way of honoring God and that it is customary to wear one during prayer. The service marked the Shabbat period, which celebrates the day God rested after creating heaven and earth. According to the Tanakh and Genesis, God created the world and heaven in 6 days and rested on the seventh day following its creation. The Shabbat is representative of the day God rested. In order to best honor this concept, Jews are forbidden from working on this day and are encouraged to rest as God did on his seventh day. The service began with an invitation to open the service book to page 253 and join in the song Shalom Alecheim. I tried to find the page and struggling to do so, I began to feel very stupid. I soon realized that the book was not like regular western books, but had a similar layout to Japanese novels, with the beginning starting where one would normally expect the conclusion of a work. The song Shalom Alecheim contained no written musical notation, but pure Hebrew text, which I could barely pronounce. Shalom Alecheim was led by the temples cantor who accompanied himself with a guitar. I asked a temple member what we were supposed to be singing about and she told me that Shalom Alecheim was a song of peace and that it translates as Peace be to you. Olmos page 3

A ceremony known as Narum Hatam followed the song, in which a boy, who I assume was fulfilling his Bhamitzva responsibilities, lit a candle and recited some Hebrew text. The service continued with the song Lchu Nranenah which lasted six verses. During Lchu Nranenah people would occasionally do a little bow while singing. On the fifth verse, however, the entire temple turned around to face the back of the room while singing. Since I was standing in the back, I was taken by surprise when everyone turned around and faced me. Trying to blend, I followed the members lead and turned to face the back of the room. Because of this awkward and late reaction, it was quite obvious that I was an outsider and not accustomed to the temples customs. The service continued with more non-musically notated singing. I observed that the words yai-lai-lai-lai was present in almost every song. I also could not help but observe that the Rabbi would always end his reciting with the phrase you, are God Adonai. I found out that Adonai has a similar purpose as the Christian statement God Almighty. The Rabbi then chanted a monotone chant, which the members attempted to follow. He then led another song titled Hashkiveinu which translates as help us sleep, help us wake and carry out your work. The Rabbi then moved on to a prayer and gave everyone a moment to pray themselves, instructing us to turn to a page in Olmos page 4

the holy book for reference or inspiration. In side the holy book a description said Pray as if everything depended on God. Act as if everything depended on you. While people were praying, the Rabbi went through the temple and spoke to certain members who gave him names of others they wanted to be included in the prayers. Once people were finished praying, they sat down and waited for the next portion of the service. The Rabbi then stood at the front again and led a prayer for the people who were in need. Next, the Rabbi went over a Torah story of Jacob. The Rabbi spoke of how four hundred men had pursued Jacob. Jacob sought help and came across a stranger. Jacob wrestled the stranger and found out he was a guardian angel. Jacob beat the angel in a wrestling match and asked that he be blessed. Having become blessed, Jacob is changed. The Rabbi used the parable to explain that how one goes about things, how one behaves towards others is important as a Jewish. The Rabbi refuted Machiavellis saying, the ends justify the means in stating that how one achieves ones means is most important. The Rabbi then said Shabbat Shalom, which the temple members repeated. The Rabbi then turned around and opened a piece of furniture that resembled a wardrobe. Inside the wardrobe like furniture were three ancient scrolls to which the Rabbi and temple members prayed and sang to. Next, the Rabbi asked those Olmos page 5

who had lost loved ones in the recent weeks to stand up. While those people who had encountered losses stayed standing, the members and Rabbi recited a mourning prayer. The service continued with the young kid fulfilling his Bha Mitzva by drinking a chardonnay like substance and chanting some Hebrew text. The kid continued his right of passage with more chanting and eating of some sort of bread. The Bha Mitzva was then fulfilled and the temple members and Rabbi sang the Shalom song again, this time putting their arms around each others shoulders and swaying side to side. The temple members then greeted each other and the service ended. After the service I went into a common area where I introduced myself to the temple members. The temple members thanked me for coming and invited me to visit again. In the common area there were a variety of snacks ranging from the traditional offerings of cheese and crackers to the bread that the Bar Mitzva kid had. Curious about the bread I took a piece and tried it. The bread was very flavorful, obviously containing an ingredient not usually found in regular bread. I asked a temple member about the special bread. The temple member explained that the bread was called Challah and that it is a traditional Jewish Holiday food, especially during the period of Shabbat. She also explained that the unique flavor was due to

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the use of egg as a primary ingredient. Satisfied with my visit, I left the temple and went home to study for finals and fulfill my other commitments. From an early age, my family incorporated religion into my life. My parents both Catholics, planned on raising me in a similar manner. Before I could utter a word, I was baptized and supposedly exonerated from the sins of Adam and Eve. From the moment I could speak, God was the answer to all my questions. Any time I would ask a questioned that made my family uncomfortable, my family would answer, thats the way God made them. If I were to ask, where do babies come from? I would have been answered with God makes them. Unfortunately, I had a non-life-threatening birth defect on my face. To put it simply, I looked strange when I was younger; I was a real life ugly duckling. Being a child, I was perplexed at why I looked alien compared to others my age and could not understand why. Whenever I would bring up the issue of my facial deformity to my parents they would simply reply, thats how God made you or God made you that way because you are special. I found no real comfort in my familys responses to my questions and became even more confused. Although my family was originally devoted Catholics, my religious upbringing was quite unconventional. When I was three or four years old, my family enrolled me in the preschool program at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center, in Belmont. At the Peninsula Jewish Community Center, I did what all young Olmos page 7

Preschoolers do: play, color, listen to someone read a story, etc. Unique to my preschool experience was participating and learning the various Jewish traditions the PJCC practiced. Every day, I learned something new about Judaism. My teachers would read child friendly versions of the Tanakh and we preschoolers would become familiar with their stories. During Passover we would eat matzo, as well as on other occasions. I soon acquired a taste for it and it became one of my favorite snacks. My fondest memories at the PJCC was Hannukah. During Hannukah we would make paper draidles and sing, Draidle, draidle, draidle/I made it out of clay/Draidel, draidle, draidle/Oh Draidle I shall play. The class would play the draidel game and eat chocolate coins while the teachers would make us delicious latkes, which we would devour. After the Latkes and Hannukah festivities, I wanted to be Jewish and celebrate Hannukah at home more than anything. However, my desire was unfulfilled as my family kept to their Catholic ways. Although my family sent me to a Jewish preschool, they taught me Catholic philosophies at home. My family would occasionally take me church on Sundays, but the Masses I remember most were the Christmas and Easter Masses. With the exception of the communion and a couple of our fathers the only thing I remember from those masses was the amount of people I usually wouldnt expect and the tiresome length of the service. I remember seeing a painting of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus and asking my parents if thats where babies come from. Not Olmos page 8

quite paying attention, my parents answered yes and resumed whatever Catholic ritual I had distracted them from. Being four or five at the time, I had then assumed that Catholics got babies by praying to the shrine of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. As I grew older, I obviously learned otherwise. When I outgrew the Peninsula Jewish Preschool, my family enrolled me in catechism, which I attended for quite some time. At catechism, me and other kids my age would learn the parables of Jesus and other kid friendly Catholic stuff. The more I attended, the more I enjoyed the catechism experience. I eventually became a more devote Catholic, believing every word my catechism teachers taught me. I would pray alone and with my family and attended catechism on a regular basis. When I was eight, I took my first step in becoming a Catholic and received communion for the first time. After being accepted into the ritual of the liturgy, I frequently participated in receiving communion at every mass I attended. Shortly following my communion, I along with other members of my catechism group, was made to attend an informal confession. Being eight and a half or nine at the time, I repented about watching television without my parents permission, to which the priest recited a few lines and sent me on my way. In retrospect, while the informal confession helped the catechism pupils grasp the idea of confession, it was pointless for us to participate in it. After all, what could a nine year old possibly confess about? Olmos page 9

As I grew older, I began to grow weary of Catholicism. I began to realize that those who attended catechism were there because they were being forced by their parents to attend. Fewer people would show up to catechism as I continued to attend. I began to disagree with some of the Catholic stances on controversial issues, for example the Vaticans stance on gays. I began to see hypocrisy with the religion, witnessing first hand, Catholics who would sin, repent in confession, only to commit the same sins later. I eventually realized Catholicism did not fulfill me or offer me the answers I was seeking. At age fourteen, I decided to not continue attending catechism and to not get confirmed. After not getting confirmed, I attended church less often, only attending masses on Christmas and Easter. By the time I had reached college, I had discontinued going to church altogether. My sophomore year, due to a freelance job, I began to attend church again. I was hired by Trinity Lutheran Church in San Mateo as a Tenor section leader. Every Sunday, I would attend the Lutheran service and sight sing all the tenor harmonies and melodies. While the congregation would receive communion, I would wait patiently or look ahead at other music. Although I enjoyed this job, I transferred universities and moved out of the area for a while and was no longer able to continue this job. Most recently, I have been working as a youth choir director at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Pacifica, since August 2011. I have enjoyed working at the congregation and participating in their services. Although I am not a Presbyterian, I Olmos page 10

much prefer their services to Catholic ones. I enjoy my job and believe music is the most powerful form of worship. After all my experiences, I am far less religious than I was as a child. I now consider myself a rainy day agnostic. When I was younger I truly believed in God, but never really gave much importance towards Jesus, even though I was Catholic. For this reason, I believe I have always been more Jewish than Christian. Although I am agnostic, and probably will be so for some time, I enjoy working for religious institutions as a freelancer and am fascinated by religious music.