Latest P-day activity--visit to a Jewish temple ( or synagogue)

Here are some pictures of our P-Day trip to the Temple Emanu-el that some in our group went to today. It was so interesting!! We loved it!! 

These pics "appeared" first-- text follows below ( gotta love the 'mind of its own' temperament of this Blog somedays😩) The display in the museum were these vintage wedding dresses and then 1 room full of symbols of Judaism.

A menorah

A Jewish mezuzah  that a bride had 

"incorporated" into her wedding dress

Infants were "protected" from death with amulets-- usually surrounding the crib or infant bed

One of the many Hannukah lamps/lights on display

 Torah scrolls are kept and "protected" inside these holders/display case

A closer "

look at the Torah scrolls display

Wedding dresses that had a special meaning to the Jewish of different "eras"

Notice the "pants"

This is the inner sanctuary--full of stained glass windows and Judaic symbols

It was our privilege this morning to visit the Temple Emanu-el--located at 1 East 65th Street in Manhattan. It is the largest Reformed Jewish Temple in the US and maybe even the world. We had a lovely guide who spent quite a bit of time with us. She pointed out some differences between Orthodox and Reformed Jewish practices. She said the Orthodox Jews are waiting to build their "temple" again in Jerusalem--but the Reformed Jews have built this temple here, now. It was quite large with seating capacity of 2,000 on the main floor and boxes of seats around the main floor ( kind of like a balcony)- -which will seat an additional 500. Weekly there will be services that bring maybe 300 Jews from the area-- and there is a chapel where people can also meet. But on 2 of the " high holy days"--Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)--every seat will be taken plus overflow seating of 1,050 next to the temple--and many will "pay" for their seats to be reserved. This temple was built with monies from many wealthy Jews and many prominent Jewish people have been and continue to be members of its Congregation.  She said the Reformed Jews are very liberal and don't seem to be as tied to "tradition" as Tevia (Fiddler on the Roof) and the Orthodox groups. There is a large group of Sefardic Jews ( or at least there has been) in the Brooklyn area and they like to stick together because some of their practices are less likely to be "strayed from" unlike the Reformed Jewish practices. This Congregation of Jews have 3 Rabbis of which 2 are women. Our Guide told us that the "High" or Senior Rabbi is a younger man
who, has gotten back into the "traditional" vestiture of wearing a long black robe with a prayer shawl and a skull cap upon his head. The "Committee" make most decisions about "Reform"--the latest may be changing to a different prayer book--eliminating the use of Thee, Thy, and Thou in the language of prayer. She seemed sad about that forthcoming change.
As we waited for someone to come and take us to the Museum--she shared part of a Walt Whitman poem from "Leaves of Grass" and then asked if we had a song we sing. While deciding among us--she asked if we could sing "God Bless America"-- written by Irving Berlin ( who was Jewish and attended this Temple Congregation.)  When we finished--Sister Julie Colton asked if we could sing one of our "children songs" for her. We sang "I Am a Child of God" so sweet, we sounded like Angels. She was visibly touched and since I was sitting right in front of her--saw that tears welled up
in her eyes and she wiped them discreetly away. She thanked us--she had never heard the song--but seemed to really love it. No one came to take us to the Museum--so she lead us upstairs herself and that is where we parted from her. Such a very interesting place to have seen. I truly came away so thankful for a Prophet--to lead us in these Latter-days.!

Our group seated in the "Inner chapel" of the Temple Emanu-el. We are "facing" the "stage" which has steps leading up to it (the picture above the dialogue I have written) and this is where the meetings are conducted.  They always read from The Torah--the 5 Books of Moses--and there is a "pulpit" on each side of this stage---the Cantor uses one and the Rabbi the other one.