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June 14, 2003 The Jewish religion is a family and community- based one, so the home and the Jewish community center, the synagogue, are both very important. It is basically in these two places where the Jewish tradition, the Hebrew language, over 3,500 years of history, and all teachings are taught. The Rodef Sholom Temple (means "Pursuer Of Peace"), located in Youngstown, Ohio has 127 years of maintaining and perserving tradition and heritage for the Mahoning Valley's Jewish population. It's the oldest and largest Jewish congregation. The temple sanctuary was built in 1915, and is one of the largest structures in the state. There's a commitment to the entire neighborhood and the larger community as well; according to Rabbi Johnathan Brown, there are are regular meetings with pastors and other church leaders for different causes and celebrations. Rabbi Brown's particular background is Reform Jewish. (Rabbi means "teacher." It's a form of title addressed to those who've been through a seminary who've been ordained either in reform or conservative instruction. "I'm not just a teacher; I'm the temple's administrator. I run the facility, supervise many temple programs, religious and secular, set up committees,, weddings, funerals, and have done some counseling. I'm also involved with various boards and organizations both within and outside the Jewish community. I'm responsible for everything that happens here, EXCEPT for the musical area, of which the cantor's 'in charge', said Rabbi Brown. "And that's Cantor Merill Fisher." A cantor's someone who is trained in the liturgy. He prepares special musical programs, the focus being the teaching of the music of the synagogue. There are normally no choirs in a Jewish service; the cantor's it. He and the organist provide the music. If there's a major service or special program, then professional singers or musicians may be brought in. Cantors and rabbis go to the same school. Cantors study many of the same things, too: They have to know Hebrew, be familar with the Bible, and know the different melodies for the Jewish holidays. "I was in Washington, D.C. for a seminar and met Hubert Humphrey, who was Vice-President then," Rabbi Brown recalled. "Humphrey said, 'I'm in charge of everything under water and in the atomsphere. Whatever happens on land,that's what Johnson does.' So it's like that with cantors and rabbis." The temple sanctuary is where the congregation regularly worships and holds service. Its orientation's east-west so that the congregation is always facing Jerusalem. The centerpiece is always the ark, the place in the synagogue which contains the scrolls of the Torah. The scrolls are rolls of parchment or paper containing or intended for writing. The first five books of the Jewish Bible are called the Torah. This gives the basis of Jewish teaching and tells the story of the beginning of the world and the Jewish people. The scrolls are decorated woth lovely cloth embroidery. On the ceiling, above the ark, hangs the eternal light, which symbolizes the creation of the world. Two flags are displayed on both sides of the sanctuary's stage, one of Israel, one of America. There's a candlebra display shaped like a S, the first letter of Sholom, which means "peace." The sanctuary's rounded dome is thought to represent the heavens. "The traditional Jew worships in the morning, then late afternoon, then early evening. Shabbat is the special day (the Jewish Sunday) and begins at sunset on Friday, extends through sunset on Saturday. (The temple's major service is usually held on Friday at 8 pm. Saturday morning service is held twice a month.) On the Shabbat, late Friday afternoon, traditional service is finished by 5:30-5:45 pm., the it's home for dinner. A Reform Jewish service would be conducted AFTER work and dinnertime. It's a very difficult way to do it, because people are geared to going home and once they're there, STAYING home," said Rabbi Brown. There are a number of different holiday cycles in the Jewish faith; the High Holy Days are the most important and are solemn days of judgment. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year's Day and marks the "head" of the year. (Rosh means head.) It lasts two days and starts ten days of repentance for sins. Yom Kippur is the Day Of Atonement; there's a 24-hour fast which ends the ten days of repentance and gives an opportunity to make new year resolutions. Both holidays occur in the FALL of each year. The Jewish calendar is LUNAR, which means that the months start with each new moon. Each month is only 29 or 30 days long, so the whole year has only about 355 days. Seven times every 19 years a whole extra month is added, so a leap year has 13 months. The Harvest holidays are a celebration of crops and seasons. Sukkoth is similar to Thanksgiving, but lasts for seven days. It celebrates the harvest and remembers the wandering of the Jews in the desert from Egypt to Israel over 3,500 years ago. Tu B'Shevat is a one day celebration of trees. New ones are planted and everybody tries to eat 15 different kinds of fruit from trees on this day. Historical holidays are celebrations of actual events. Passover comes at springtime and commemorates the Jews' escape from slavery in Egypt and the start of the journey to the Promised Land. Shabbat is celebrated once a week; it's the day of rest. Festival holidays are just that, Hanukkah and Purim being the most notable. Hanukkah is an eight-day winter festival and celebrates the Jews winning back their Temple at Jerusalem over 2,100 years ago. The story tells that the oil used for the temple lamp had nearly all been destroyed. The little oil left lasted eight days, giving the Jews time to make more. Hanukkah's also known as the "Festival Of Lights." A candle's lighted for each day in the household. Purim comes at the end of winter, and celebrates the time when Queen Esther saved the Jews of Persia from being killed by Haman, one of the king's advisors. Modern holidays include Yom Hashoah, which means "day of the whirlwind." This day remembers the tragedy of the Holocaust. Yom Ha'atzma'ut is Israel's Fourth of July and is also celebrated by American Jews. A Bar and Bat Mitzvah is a coming-of-age for a Jewish boy when he's thirteen and a Jewish girl when she's twelve, respectively. They're taught Jewish tradition leading up to this life cycly celebration. After the mitzvahs, they're now expected to be responsible for their actions and to follow the rules and customs of Jewish life. Food is a very important part of these holidays and of Jewish religion. Every festival has something special to eat. Because of dietary restrictions in the Jewish diet, food and even dishes has to be prepared in a certain way; some are forbidden,such as pork and shellfish. When food fits all Jewish law, it is called Kosher. There are three groups of Jews: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. (Hasidic Jews are part of the Orthodox group.) "Each of them have their own religious customs and beliefs," said Rabbi Brown, "For example, yarmulkes, the little hats worn by Jewish men, is a sign of respect to God. But it's worn by way of custom, not requirement. An Orthodox Jew wears a yarmulke all the time to symbolize God's presence everywhere. A Conservative Jew wears one only at service. A Reform Jew doesn't wear one at all. But there are lots of exceptions even within these groups. Jews have lived all over the world, and one family's customs may be different from another's depending on which part of the world their ancestors lived in." Most Jews have either a Spanish and Mid-Eastern background or an Eastern European one, but there are also Chinese, Indian, and black African Jews. Most Jews are born into a Jewish family, but some are converted to the Jewish religion. The late Sammy Davis, Jr. and reportedly Whoopi Goldberg are two notable examples. ------------ Email Patricia Jacobs: Patj25@yahoo.com Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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