Personal Connection To Jewish Spiritualism

Judaism, which originated in the middle east, is one of the oldest religions in the world. Judaism is the religion from where Catholicism and Islam have their roots. The main difference between Judaism and the previously mentioned religions is that Judaism is based on the old testament entirely excluding the new testaments in its teachings. Jews believe that they are the people chosen by God and that because of the covenant they have the duty, more than any other group of people, to keep the law of God. The law of God in Judaism comes in the form of the Torah. The books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, which are said to have been written by Moses, form the Torah.

The dynamic nature of Judaism offers a successful living religion as a result of its strongly withheld characteristics. Through essential characteristics such as central beliefs, sacred texts, writings, ethical teachings and rituals and ceremonies, Judaism offers a dynamic nature and liveable religion that connects an individual and society with its roots. The way this living religion advances and grows is because of its dynamic characteristics as a whole. Importantly, these characteristics combined form the true nature of the religion rather than separately.

During the Middle ages, a period of time lasting from the 5th to the 15th century, arose a strong figurehead and Jewish philosopher by the name Moshe ben Maimon. An expert on Jewish scripture and Talmud, he took on writing detailed responses to questions raised by Jews on the topics of Jewish Law and interpretations of the scriptures. Maimonides made it his purpose to make God and the Jewish faith the basis of knowledge for his Jewish followers understanding and to provide summaries and interpretations of Rabbinic text, scriptures and the Torah. Despite Maimonides being an influential figure for Jewish theology, Jewish mysticism has taken a more dramatic stance on the Torah and its teachings. Jewish mysticism holds strong in the attitude towards

According to Hutchison (2013) the biopsychosocial approach used by many social workers is an examination of the biological, psychological, and social systems; all are seen as interconnected. In recent years the spiritual dimension has also gained popularity in research and recognition as being inseparable from other dimensions of personhood. Culture is also seen as a powerful environmental dimension that demands acknowledgment to truly gain insight into a person’s worldview. The following is a brief summary of these dimensions in regards to youths experiencing bullying.

Hasidic Judaism is a branch of Orthodox Judaism established in Eastern Europe during the 1800’s that put spirituality and a connection with God through mysticism at the forefront of its beliefs. In order to understand Hasidic Judaism, one must understand that Judaism is not only a religion; it is also a philosophy and a way of life for the Jewish people. One of the oldest monotheistic religions, Judaism has evolved over the years since the time of the founding fathers. Like any culture or religion, however, Jews have never been without conflict or disagreement amongst its people. Schisms amongst Jews over long periods of time have led to a branching out of sects and Jewish institutions. What led to the separation of denominations within

One time when our synagogue was exploring a market, there was this area that our rabbi told us not to go into without adult supervision. But me and my sister being who we are decided that it would be a good idea to visit the other section because it looked more interesting than the part we were currently in. It was really strange how suddenly the market changed from safe to dangerous, it felt as if there were a line on the ground and crossing it was like crossing into another world. It was like one world was covered in light and the other in darkness. The booths didn’t look as inviting, and the people working there looked at my sister and I in a less than pleasant manner. I was ready to turn around and run back to safety, but my sister wanted

your personal interest in this trip as well as your current understanding of Israel and

As an Orthodox Jew, the concept of the Immortal Soul helps to cope with the deaths of my uncle and grandfather. The concept of our souls going to the afterlife after death is a belief of the Jewish people. This idea helps Jews cope with the loss of their loved ones. As a Jewish woman, I believe when the time comes for the soul to return to Heaven, it leaves the body and continues its eternal life in the spiritual World of Truth. During the soul’s lifetime on earth, it is in a partnership with the body; the soul is somewhat “handicapped”, by the requirements of the body, such as eating and drinking. Therefore, when the time comes for the soul to return “home,” it is in essence a release for it as it makes its ascent to the Next World, no longer

Spiritual disciplines will prepare us for our journey in Christ. I feel if understanding correctly, the classical Christian Pilgrimage remind us that we all have issues requiring regular examination. In chapter eight, the classical Christian Pilgrimage tells us we are at different stages on the path of wholeness in Christ. However, in my thoughts some areas of our Christian journey we may be doing well, but in other areas we have not touched at all. Not to mention, these are the place we are not ready or capable of handling yet, however, as we mature in God and He knows what we can handle, then we are awakened. God awakens us to our true selves which have not been completely revealed. In reality, once we reach maturity to God, he reveals all that is hidden deep inside of us (the real us/you). By the same token, he let us see the inner behaviors, attitudes, desires, in fact how we measure up in them being Christ-like. I feel the awakening stage deals with the comfort of being set free of these issues that are holding us back also causing detours on our path to wholeness in Christ. Equally, the threat is being afraid to see who we really are; also how far from Christ-like we really are. We must first be awakened from our separation also alienation from God (Mulholland 79-82).

Spirituality and religion hold different values and truths depending on your personal beliefs. Being religious is a belief or practice that contains certain values one should follow. When looking deeper into religion you can find spirituality which is the part of religion that effects our spirit and soul, it is not tangible. “The Sacred within” is spirituality and pertains to God dwelling inside of our heart and soul. When looking at “the sacred within” there are certain senses that we can tap into so, we may obtain that sort of spirituality. Through solitude, silence, imagination, and nature, we can have a better sense of spirituality.

As a Jewish student there is a program available to go to Israel for a

At this point in the experience, it could have been plausible for me to make a connection from my past experiences to my current realizations about Judaism and the practices surrounding it. There is a consistent idea regarding connections, spirituality, and tactile relationships that appear in the two phases of this mulitcomponential experience. However, it wasn’t until after my interview with an insider, Rabbi Steve, and my subsequent listening of the recording that the pieces began to come together, the clouds parted and suddenly there was a clarity that hadn’t been there previously. At the end of phase two I discuss Moran’s final stage in his cultural framework, appropriately named, “Knowing Oneself”. As it suggests, this is the point in the cultural experience where the experiencer reflects on different elements to not only include the experience but the individual feelings and opinions, and reactions that accompany it. While I engaged in some level of reflection, I can now say that this reflection was somewhat superficial as it merely penetrated the surface of a much deeper and complicated issue. I concluded the second phase saying that although the experience was new, it was still familiar as I have had previous involvements in church settings. The positive that I walked away with was this notion that perhaps we aren’t as different as we think, and that there will always be a connection. This statement, is the beginning to what I believe Moran meant by his last stage

Deeply embedded in Islam, Maimonides philosophical works engages in critical reflection and analysis of intercultural relations between Jewish and Muslim traditions and the nature of experiencing the divine. In contrast to his Muslim counterparts however, Maimonides argues against the Muslim hierarchy by stating that no one could ever surpass Moses or his prophecy. Thus Maimonides indirectly rejects the Muslim belief of Muhammad, as well as the Koran, superseding Moses and the Torah. While Judaism and Islam share a monotheist theology, their distinctions and theological overlaps of religious prophecy raises issues of superiority and supremacy in Jewish and Muslim traditions.

The journey through life is certainly not an easy one. As Madonna brilliantly sang, “Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone;” I believe we all must experience on our own. Although our family and loved ones may of tried to shelter some of us as children, facing our own obstacles was inevitable. I believe silence provides us with the tranquility we need to adhere to our beliefs; the world is filled with distractions, by eliminating the diversions in our lives, we are able to concentrate more on our spirituality. I feel people's surroundings play a big role on their perception of life, being around people is healthy, we are designed to socialize. Although, being one with nature allows us to divide ourselves from mingling with others, and appreciate the blessings God has offered us, such as the sense of sight and all of its wonders. I believe imagination and faith go hand in hand; Since God can not be physically viewed, we must imagine the Lord's presence. Through the combination of solitude, silence, imagination and nature, we are able to develop a sense of respect for our spirituality, and truly find the sacred within ourselves.

There are two instances surrounding my church and its community that I feel shaped my spiritual meaning. To me, a Godly person, especially a pastor, was the one person that could never do any unthinkable act, but I was proven wrong. I remember one day sitting in Sunday School coloring and my pastor walks in. To me, he was so friendly. I did not make friends easily, but he was easy to talk to. This formed an imaginary picture of a man that was not so friendly. Soon he was gone, but no one ever spoke of him. A few years later I had found out that he was caught cheating on his wife with a member of the congregation. This was the first instance in which my spiritual meaning was formed, because this was the first instance that the goodness of God