SYNAGOGUE VISIT

LBST 2101-340, Tuesdays

Eric Duncan / April 19, 2016
548 Words
On Friday April 8th, I visited the Temple Israel synagogue located at 4901 Providence Road Charlotte,
NC 28226. I found the building to be very attractive on the outside and beautiful on the inside. All of
the people that I encountered were very friendly, especially Rabbi Ezring. The service was spiritual
with a lively and happy tone. I found it to be a very positive and uplifting experience.
This was an exciting and unique experience for me. I have never been to a synagogue or participated
in any Jewish activities. I wore a traditional black kip pah during my visit, which the synagogue
provided. I felt welcomed, in what was obviously a community rooted in their faith and their families.
Shortly after arriving at the synagogue, I met Rabbi Murray Ezring. I explained to him that I was a
student at UNC Charlotte and that I was a Christian. We had a warm, friendly conversation and he
pointed out a section of people and told me that they were also students from UNC Charlotte. I
remember being impressed with the size of the group. I am starting to believe that you are not the only
professor requiring a visitation paper.
The inside of the synagogue was beautiful, I was especially impressed with the stained glass
windows that surrounded the main worship area of the temple. I noticed that the glass did not seem to
arrange or depict anything as they normally do in cathedrals and Christian churches. Only colored
glass of varying colors and shades, which illuminated the worship area. There were people of all ages
in attendance, many families and a robust population of enthusiastic children.
I found the songs and recitings throughout the ceremony to be soothing, joyous and uplifting. I was
somewhat surprised by this, since I did not understand the meaning of the words. A pre-teen girl leads
the singing of a Hebrew prayer. All of the singing and reciting throughout the ceremony was in, what I

assumed was Hebrew. I did my best to sing along. There were prayer and/or song books available,
however the books, corresponding to the songs, were also in Hebrew.
I thought that this was a very valuable experience for this course and a great example of people
seeking to live the good life. Religion may be the riders best tool in trying to train the wild elephant
that, according to Buddha, is in control of us. It is certainly used in the western culture to help control
and shape the libido of young individuals, this is a subject that is discussed in Sigmund Freud's work.
Plato describes the soul as a chariot. Attendees of the service, represent the rider of the chariot
choosing to follow the noble horse on the right as opposed to the crooked horse on the left. As we have
learned, socializing that involves touching(hugs, hand shakes, etc.) can be beneficial mentally and
physically to our well being. Indeed, the benefits of attending a Jewish service in a synagogue are
many; spiritual, mental and physical. I highly recommend this experience, it gives you a look at people
that are pursuing the good life and a glimpse of an important part of that life.