Synagogue Through the Eyes of a Roman Catholic

<Tab/>I walked into Congregation B'nai Jacob not knowing what to expect. My knowledge of Judaism was limited to what I had learned in school, and my knowledge of their services was virtually inexistent, being that I was exposed exclusively to Christian services throughout my life. The purpose of this service was just like that of a normal Sunday Mass in Christianity, celebration of the Sabbath. <Tab/>…

…This service really showed me what was intended by Vatican II's invitation for inter-religious discourse. I have learned that by talking with another religion, I have been able to find some common ground with a community that I believed to be completely alienated from mine. The Jewish emphasis on tradition has helped me learn that the faiths of someone else may help me to better understand my own, especially when they carry so many similarities.