Jewish Service Experience Essay

On August 18, I attended a Jewish service at Temple Emanu-El in Westfield, New Jersey. First, there was a prayer circle dedicated to the victims of the Virginia riots. Afterward, there was the weekly Friday service at seven o’clock. It was a special experience to witness the love people showed during both the prayer circle and the normal service. The events practiced during the Jewish service reminded me of my own religion, Christianity. I chose this event to attend because Judaism is the other most popular religion in my town, but I felt as if I did not truly know anything about it. I wanted to expand my knowledge of religions other than my own.
Prior to attending the service, I imagined the synagogue as a very serious environment. I had believed there would be Torahs and prayer books for everyone written only in Hebrew. When considering the actual service, I was under the impression that all words spoken and sung would be in Hebrew. I thought entering the synagogue would be similar to entering an entirely different world. My only
The majority of the congregation who attended were dressed conservatively. I had asked my Jewish neighbor what to wear, so I would not stand out too much and she instructed me to cover my shoulders. Observing the room, every woman did have their shoulders covered. Many attendees were wearing bright colors, which was surprising to me. It was a major contrast from the dark blues and gray I anticipated seeing. In addition, there were not only women wearing yamakas, but the rabbi in charge of the service was a woman. This is was a pleasant surprise to experience. Elements of the actual service opened my eyes as well. Almost the entire service was spent singing in both Hebrew and English, which most of the congregation took part in throughout. Everyone was rather cheerful and social before the service began, which happened to be my favorite surprise of