My Site Visit On Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, And The Jewish...

For my site visit project, I visited Kesher Israel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which is an Orthodox synagogue. I attended a worship service on Shabbat, which is the Jewish Sabbath. Upon entering the synagogue, I was directed to the women’s section of the synagogue and obtained a copy of the Torah and The Siddur. Throughout the service, I was able to follow along in both texts, since they contained English translations and the page numbers were displayed on the wall. While waiting for the service to begin, I observed the men wrapping the tallit, or prayer shawl, around themselves. I also observed the detailed design and coloring of the Parochet, which covers the Ark, where the Torah is kept. Shortly after I arrived, I was first†¦show more content†¦Since I visited Kesher Israel on Shabbat, there were a lot of rules that I had to pay attention to. For example, I was not able to take pictures for my project inside the synagogue, since the use of telephones and el ectronics is prohibited. Additionally, I could not interview Arielle in front of the congregants out of respect, since writing is also prohibited. Other restrictions on Shabbat include driving or riding in vehicles, cooking, and shopping. After the service, I was able to ask Arielle some questions pertaining to the service and Judaism in general. First, I asked about the differences between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. Arielle explained that Orthodox Judaism is the most strictly traditional of the three main branches, which are Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism. Orthodox Jews maintain that the Torah is the direct word of God, thus they uphold the commandments in it as God’s commandments, and deem that unquestionable. Rabbinic writings help humans define God’s laws as just as important, since they are explaining what God says in commandments, and are therefore the word of God. Orthodox Jews also believe that the Torah was given from God to Moses, who then gave it to humanity. Also, Orthodox Jews observe the Sabbath and other holidays by refraining from the kinds of work specified in the Torah. In addition, Orthodox Jews are strictly Kosher, men and women are seated separately, and men and women have separate