For this assignment I decided to learn more about Judaism, and witness a Shabbat Sermon. I decided to attend the Temple Israel. This synagogue is located in Orlando and was created in 1954. It was originally apart of Ohev Shalom but it separated from it “due to differences at the time mainly concerning the role of women and other issues of tradition,” (Neely, Email). The Temple Israel is proud to be a modern congregation that still holds true to Jewish tradition. It`s mission is to bring “Jewish people together to form a spiritual community that enriches the lives of each individual and the community and the broader world,” (Neely, Email). Based off of the history and mission of Temple Israel, I believe it follows Reformative Judaism. This branch of Judaism is one that is more modern and accepting compared to Orthodox Judaism. …show more content…
A sermon is essentially a lecture given by a religious leader. In this case, a Jewish religious leader is called a rabbi. Shabbat is another word for Sabbath. Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, and in Judaism it is a day “set aside for rest and worship,” (Fisher 299). With my mom, I entered the synagogue and immediately saw it looked similar to a Christian church. The main differences I observed was a wall that had Hebrew words engraved in it, and there was the flag of Israel on the main platform. My mom and I sat in the back and pretty much stayed hidden. I already get a bit nervous being in new places, and this was no different. Neither of us have ever stepped foot in a place of worship that wasn`t our own. So we patiently waited for the sermon to