Visiting The Adas Israel Congregation - 1805 Words

Worship Site Paper While being home for Thanksgiving break, I had the opportunity of visiting the Adas Israel Congregation in Washington D.C.. The congregation is a form of Reform Judaism. An old high school friend invited me to the morning Shabbat service, which was a delight. I attended the Shabbat service on November 28th and it was a wonderful experience because the synagogue reached capacity. This was due to the high volume of Jewish students who returned home from college for Thanksgiving break. The congregation welcomed be with open arms, as if I had been a part of the congregation since the beginning of my life. Social Location On my visit to Adas Israel, I felt safe and welcomed into the Jewish community, even though I am not Jewish myself. Although, being with my Jewish friend may have caused me to not stand out as much, opposed to if I had attended morning prayers alone. Although African Americans comprise certain forms Judaism, majority of them are Black Hebrew Israelites (also called Blac k Hebrews). Black Hebrews do follow and participate in Jewish rituals. However, they are not considered by the Jewish community as being â€Å"Jewish†, unless they have undergone conversion by an official sector of Judaism. While majority of congregation members carried on throughout the service as if I didn’t exist, a few still seemed skeptical of my participation and presence in their sacred