I’m not Jewish, but I’ve always been very fascinated by the faith. Last year on the Classrooms Without Borders study seminar to Poland, I had my first Shabbat dinner. We didn’t perform the typical Jewish service beforehand, but I still took a lot away from the experience. I was amazed by the closeness of the Jewish Community surrounding me and the what this means for Jewish people. What especially astounded me was this whole idea of celebration: the celebration of life over the mourning of death. Although I loved this idea, I was too absorbed in food and conversation to truly understand what this means.
A few days ago was Friday, which meant Shabbat. I was excited to partake in the experience again as I had enjoyed it so much the first time. Yet this time, it was completely different. We attended Friday night Shabbat service at this small Synagogue in Berlin. Before the service, we had the opportunity to meet the Rabbi and talk to him about the history of the temple as well as how he himself came to be the Rabbi. His story fascinated me. He grew up in the area of town near the Synagogue and came to the very same Synagogue himself when he was a child. I enjoyed hearing this because it showed how devoted he was to the community, which represents a larger Jewish ideal overall. The service was interesting to say the least considering it was in German and Hebrew, two languages which I know nothing about, however, it was one of the most beautiful services I’ve ever been a part of. I didn’t think of it until one of peers mentioned it, but the songs that were sung during the service we attended, are the same songs that would be sung six hours later at the any of the Synagogues in Pittsburgh or across the US. After hearing this, I suddenly realized why I appreciated the Jewish community so much. The sense of community and unity is unlike any other. I have never seen a stronger bond that ties a group of people together, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience that. You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy Shabbat, as I’ve learned while traveling with Classrooms Without Borders. In fact, it’s even more interesting to participate in something that is so much bigger than yourself.