Temple Beth Am Site Visit Jonathan Zaun

Temple Beth Am Site Visit

Jonathan Zaun

For people living in prior generations, the practice of one's religious beliefs was a private expression of faith to be shared only with fellow adherents. Christians worshipped alongside fellow Christians and seldom found either the opportunity or the desire to explore the religious beliefs of neighbors and friends who happened to be Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or any of the hundreds of creeds which are followed freely in the United States. Fortunately, this exclusionary attitude towards religion has been cast aside by today's youth, and people are now encouraged to visit places of worship with which they may not be familiar. As a practicing Roman Catholic, I have always been curious about Judaism, a faith which shares many of its influences with Christianity but has evolved throughout the ages to become the distinctly unique belief system we know today. In order to fully immerse myself in the study of Judaism, I visited Temple Beth Am in Pinecrest, Florida to meet with people who follow the Jewish faith and to observe a temple service firsthand. The goal of this visit was not to compare and contrast the various differences between Judaism and Christianity; I was seeking instead to learn about the feelings, the sounds, the words and the message which is delivered within the confines of a Jewish temple service. This exercise proved to be extremely beneficial, both in strengthening my own faith and in expanding the breadth and scope of my exposure to a religion which predates my own by hundreds of years.

My first impressions of Temple Beth Am were formed by the building's impressively modern and inviting exterior, which served as a fitting prelude to the progressive, inclusionary attitude fostered by the temple's leaders. The grounds of Temple Beth Am were located within a verdant ring of impeccably green grass, surrounded by lush palm trees and flowers, and I immediately felt welcomed and embraced before even stepping inside. Upon entering the temple, I was met by Rabbi Judith Kempler, an extremely gracious and kind young woman who joined Temple Beth Am in 2010 to serve as a Rabbinic Fellow. This position requires Kempler to specialize in what she termed "outreach and engagement with unaffiliateds in their 20s and 30s." Kempler was the unofficial emissary of Temple Beth Am, charged with the task of representing the temple's ideals and espousing them to anyone interested in learning more about Judaism. Sufficed to say, she was the perfect person to serve as my guide for the day, providing me with a tour of the facilities and explaining how everything worked.

The interior of Temple Beth Am was strikingly contemporary, with rows of beautifully constructed pews forming the sanctuary, or place of prayer in the Jewish faith. Kempler informed me that, in the style of most modern temples or synagogues in the United States, Temple Beth Am's sanctuary was designed to face in the direction of Jerusalem. Large windows on all sides allowed daylight to filter in and illuminate the proceedings, which were being led by Rabbi Terry Bookman. My attention was drawn to a recession in the wall which appeared to contain documents or relics of some sort, and at my first opportunity I inquired about this to Rabbi Kempler, who told me that this space was called the Ark. She further explained that the Ark was also called the Aron Kodesh, or Holy Cabinet, and was used to house the temple's Torah scrolls. The Ark assumes a place of great importance within the Jewish faith and during the service I attended, every congregant in the building stood to their feet whenever the Ark was opened. Situated nearby the Ark was a lamp that appeared to be very aged, and Rabbi Kempler explained that this object was called the ner tamid, or Eternal Lamp. According to Rabbi Kempler, the ner tamid symbolizes a sacred Jewish commandment to always keep a light burning to illuminate the Ark.

I visited Temple Beth Am on a Saturday morning and witnessed what is known as a Shabbat service. The Shabbat celebrates the Jewish day of rest, much in the same way Christians observe the Sabbath, and the proceedings offered me a glimpse into the ceremonies and other displays of worship which are central to Judaism. The leaders of Temple Beth Am are dedicated to providing an inviting atmosphere which is open to people from all walks of life, and in this spirit, the Shabbat service I attended was of the "come as you are" variety, with congregants coming together in a casual, joyous environment more akin to a family get-together than a stuffy, ritualistic religious service. The sanctuary was filled with the sound of guitars being strummed and congregants were encouraged to contribute their voices to the singing of traditional Jewish prayer songs. The atmosphere throughout the temple was one of joyous celebration, with each congregant genuinely encouraging their fellows to abide by their shared sense of devotion and faith.

Eventually, the attention of everyone in the room was drawn to Rabbi Bookman, who began to lead his congregants through a prayer service by reading from the Torah. The rabbi stood behind an ornately designed pedestal, called the bimah, which is used to hold the Torah whenever it is being read. The flickering of candlelight mingled with the sunlight splashing through the temple's many windows, and the entire proceedings provided a feeling of warmth. The men in attendance all wore the traditional Jewish skullcap, called a yarmulke, and those women who were married wore lace head coverings. Rabbi Kempler informed me that the ritual of covering one's head while worshipping inside a synagogue or temple is a sign of one's devotion to strictly following the tenets of Jewish Law as put forth in the Torah.