During this visit you will need to pay close attention to your surroundings, be able to explain what happened during the service and how it felt during your time there. If you get a sense of the sacred at this service, try to describe what it was like. This report should be two pages, double spaced. Pay particular attention to the use of sacred books and how they are used in worship and ritual.
Visiting a Jewish Religious Service
1. Denomination of Faith - Which branch of Judaism are you exploring during this visit?
2. Architecture and Interior Organization - Where is the service taking place? Are there banners, benches, chairs, bulletin boards, artifacts, a library, a Torah Ark, ect.?
3. Style of Worship - Liturgical, order of service, bulletin, formal, informal?
4. Music - Is it classical, contemporary, or another style? Do you see a choir or instruments? Group or individual singing?
5. Sacred Texts - What translation? Which texts? Who reads the text? What language is the text in?
6. Prayer - Is it recited, personal, or silent? Who prays at this service? What is the mood of prayer?
7. Form Service was Given - Was it sermon, homily, spoken word?
8. Theology - What ideas were presented?
9. Posture in Worship - Are you standing, sitting, kneeling, touching?
10. Authority - Hermeneutics, who interprets the scripture and how? Male or Female (most denominations may not have female leaders)?
11. Intangibles - Is there a sense of the sacred?
*Keep in mind these questions: What did you expect? What was different from those expectations?
Ashlee Godwin, revised 3/28/2013
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jewish_visit.docx
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