Visiting the Synagogue

           Upon entering the synagogue I immediately noticed that this place of worship was very modestly decorated. The color scheme of the room was very monochromatic and bland; however I was pleased to a set of very ornate doors of some sort.  They were made of bronze and copper and they had Hebrew letters on them. Later in the session we learned that the letters on these doors represented the Ten Commandments, and that behind the doors was the torah scrolls. The Rabi was a small kind looking man who informed us that this place of worship is not church. The Congregation of the Children of Israel is either referred to as a synagogue or a temple.  According to the Rabi, calling it a temple is not a very traditional thing to, but many people who live in Augusta refer to it as a temple.  The Congregation of the Children of Israel is a place for Reform Jews to worship; if it were a place for Orthodox Jews it would never be called a temple. Orthodox Jews believe that the only temple is the Temple of Solomon, and they hope that it will one day be rebuilt; therefore they cannot call any other place of worship a temple.

                Overall I really enjoyed my visit to the temple. The Jewish religion is very interesting to me. I appreciate that believe that there is a place for all good people of any religion, or no religion at all, in heaven. They put more emphasis on this life and living it to the best of their ability. They do not worry with the afterlife too much, because it is unknown to them.  To me Jewish people seem very relaxed. They do not try to convert other people to their religion, but they are more than happy to help someone convert.  The overall impression I got was that Jewish people seem to be very accepting of all people.
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