Interview with the Rabbi

After attending the service, I was able to contact Arlene Nelson whom made an appointment for me to meet with Rabbi Marder. Approaching our conversation, I thanked him for allowing me to observe his way of service and for allowing a stranger in his space. Unfortunately, I met with the Rabbi on his scheduled game of Bridge. So I was only able to take up so much of his time. I figured that I would jump the gun and make my first questions one the most important:

What are the differences between Orthodox Judaism and that of a Conservative approach?
"When people hear titles before religions, they automatically think that there are vast differences. In reality, Judaism is Judaism. The way in which you interpret it is what creates a difference. The ideas and interpretations are wat build a barrier between the two view points. We are more literal with the words in the Torah."

How do you feel about having a limited eating menu?
"That is a funny question. My wife does not believe that I limit my menu being that I have some extra baggage. There is not really much of a limitation on food. It is that we choose to eat foods which are more sanctioned and worthy of eating. We eat food (kosher food) that has been prepared properly and cleansed so that our body's indulge on the many nutritional support it creates."

Are there gender issues that cause separation, such as in Islam?
"Women are more than welcome in the temple. As a matter of fact without them there would be no Rabbi's. However, women and men do have different responsibities. God bestowed them with specific duties in life. Women can not become practicing Rabbi's. Although society has changed their view of women, in the temple we specify the manner in which we practice our religion.

Father John Martin

Father John Martin is a very interesting individual. They way in which he chooses his words and how he interprets certain situations and instances are very peculiar. I think that in his message, he is trying to present an argument that although religions are based in different parts of the world, they all have a common meaning. That there is someone whom created mankind and he is the one whom will protect them. However, the religions differ amongst eachother because of the way in which they are practiced and worshipped. I do agree with Father Martin. He has a good point of view when he says that all religions stem from the same origin.

Prayers go out to family and PETS!

This is my dog Yayo. Yes he is a pitbull but he's not like the ones that the media portray. He is actually considered a family member in my house. Being that my mother is very religious, she is constantly saying prayers for my family. She is very precautious of us all and believes that we will be out of harms way with faith. She even prays before bed and might include Yayo in there at one point or another.

My parents are Catholic. Every year, when it is time to bring out the Christmas tree and ornaments, my mother sets up this depiction of Christmas being the birth day of jesus. I have relatives whom go out of the way to make theirs as presentable as possible. It can go from making a large scale model to even using water for the surround lake around the pasture.

Time Warp

If Jesus and Martin Luther king were time warped into the modern world, they would lose their minds trying to adapt to the current culture. The world has drastically changed since the time of the two ancient fellas. In my opinion, technology would be the biggest change. It has created so many things such as computers and televisions. Jesus and MLK would have to adapt to the new way in which we search for information and interpret it. There are also many eventst that have taken place, such as the war and the issue with HIV.

My trip to temple

The religion that I researched was Orthodox Judaism. I decided to attend a session at the Hebrew Institute of White Plains. It was a very interesting experience. I was under the impression that it would be a lot of reading from the bible, however it felt almost as if it was a small get together where people expressed their concerns and beliefs. Everyone was very formal in the manner in which they greated me. As I looked around, I noticed that the majority of the people there were of older ages. There were some young adults there, but for the most part it was older adults. The session that I attended had to do with the subject "Living in fear: How to cope in an unsafe world." In this service, Rabbi Chaim Marder explained the issues facing individuals today. It had to do with drugs, violence, and the negative things people do or involve in their lives. Although it seemed like a conversation that has been repeated multiple times, Rabbi Marder made it more interesting by linking the dillemmas to situations that affect us interpersonally. I broadened my view of the religion.

Christian Symbols

The bible and the cross are symbols that represent the Christian religion. Where as the bible is kept at home, many people wear the cross as an accessory and as a symbol of their faith.