1 March 2022
Martha, Year 11
Our theology trip on Thursday 24 February began at the Jewish Museum in Central London. We talked about the Mitzvot (Jewish commandments) and how different denominations of Judaism adapt these in the modern world. This was great revision for our GCSE and very interesting, as I think Gentiles (people who are not Jewish) often underestimate the difficulty of adapting kashrut, the laws dealing with food Jews are permitted to eat, in an increasingly secular world. We learnt about ‘Tzedakah’, meaning ‘justice’ in Hebrew, and how the Mitzvot are linked to doing good, which made for an interesting discussion.
We then viewed the museum’s Holocaust gallery, which was incredibly moving. I think everyone agreed that the museum was very thought provoking and a great chance to expand our knowledge.
Next, we went to a Jewish Liberal Synagogue and had the chance to talk to a Liberal Rabbi and ask questions like ‘How significant is the Ark?’ and ‘Do you only have male Rabbis?’ To many people’s surprise, they have male, female and non-binary Rabbis. We got a chance to blow the ’shofar’, an instrument used in Jewish religious ceremonies, and write our names in Hebrew, which is as hard as you think it is!