STAB 2018

The Jewish Creation Story, as Illustrated by Jack L. Today we discussed the Jewish story of the creation of the universe , which is the very beginning of the Torah . The students did a fantastic job of grappling with some of the deep questions raised by the story. A sampling of their discussions is included below: And here's a helpful image that summarizes the story:

As you ponder the Ten Commandments, here are some great questions about Judaism... Max T. : How do followers of Judaism decide where to build their synagogues ? Sophia : According to the Ten Commandments , you are not supposed to envy things that belong to other people. Are Jewish people supposed to not even feel envy, or are they just supposed to not express envy (if they do feel it)? Gus : Which commandment do Jews believe is the most important? Jake : What exactly do Jews believe about sins ? What do they think happens if a person commits a sin but doesn't confess the sin? Thanks to Elle ,  Edward ,  Ben  and  Maggie  for the fantastic artwork!! (Pop Quiz: Can you identify each item that your classmates have sketched?) Two Maps of Israel, and a Photo of Prime Minister Netanyahu

Today we discussed the Jewish belief in the  covenant  between God and Abraham.  According to the  Torah , God told Abraham that his descendants would be the Chosen People, and that they would be as plentiful as the stars in the sky,  if  they followed the one true God and  if  they obeyed his commandments. Here is a part of the story, from the  Torah : And God took Abraham outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them."  And He said to Abraham, "So shall your descendants be." A couple of students asked whether Jews believe that they have broken the covenant with God. The answer is  yes : Jews believe that all people have broken the covenant with God, and they believe that God's  messiah  will eventually come to Earth in order to save believers from their wrongdoing.

Today we discussed the idea of a  pilgrimage : a religious journey to a sacred place.  Several students pointed out that a pilgrimage is a  physical  way for religious believers to experience the long, difficult,  spiritual  struggle of religious belief. In Hinduism, many believers take a pilgrimage to the  Ganges River .  Hindus believe that the water in the Ganges helps to cleanse a person's spirit. The pilgrims bathe in the river, and they also put the ashes of the deceased into the river. Two students asked why the Ganges River, in particular , is so sacred to Hindus.  Aren't there some other rivers in India -- couldn't they be sacred, too? This is a fantastic question.  My understanding is that the Ganges River was  especially   important in the birth of Indian civilization (similar to the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Nile and the Huang He Rivers in each of their civilizations). The fertile soil along the Ganges enabled...

The students are asking some fantastic questions about the Hindu concepts of atman  and moksha : Nik K. : Hindus believe people have a soul/atman. Where  is the soul located? Edward : Wouldn't life get boring after many lives of reincarnating, especially if you never reached moksha? Jack K. : Can you reach moksha if your life is short? Taylor : How do new atmans come to be? Sophie : When you reach moksha, can you see and talk to other people? What do they/you look like? William : What kinds of help do Hindus believe their gods and goddesses provide?

Some great initial questions about Hinduism: Sean : When a person is reborn, does their atman stay the same, or does it change a little/a lot? Whitt S. : In Hinduism, where do they believe a person's soul go when it hasn't been reincarnated (yet) into another body? Lillian : Hindus believe that a person can be reincarnated as an animal. Can animals celebrate the Hindu religion? Art by Laney and Lucca