Man’s recognition of the existence of a Supreme Being lays the foundation of the relationship the two have. It is built around the theism construct, which states that the existence and continuance of the universe are owed to and controlled by a Supreme Being who controls everything from outside the human world. The mysteries surrounding the Supreme Being and His power over human life shape how humans view Him. Recognition of the deity opens the gate for worship in which humans express their reverence and adoration. While the deity in this relationship is largely consistent across many cultures, variations of worship are a common feature manifesting in different religions. One core religion is Judaism, which has a distinctive connection to and resemblance to Christianity and Islam as they form the Abrahamic religion. With bias in Judaism, this undertaking analyzes the crucial practices and traditions that define its existence and distinction from a personal perspective, highlighting the essential Tora practices in the face of modernity and demographic changes.
As one of the core religions globally, Judaism is captivating to learn. The quest for a more comprehensive understanding of its tradition and practices led me to the Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel, 10500 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, on March 23, 2024. What was strikingly inviting about the temple was its sheer size, as it is the largest in California and one of the largest in the country. The blend of the uniqueness of its size and modernity could not escape my thirst for answers. The synagogue is modern, which conjures the literality of the conflation or perhaps friction of modernity in history and the foundation of its ancient practices and traditions. The Sephardi community of this place was established in 1920 as Jews from different areas, such as Egypt, Turkey, and other regions of the Middle East, sought to be unified upon their immigration. However, the synagogue was built much later.
The immigration of the Turks, Egyptians, and Middle Easterners, among others, defines the institution’s diversity. Currently, it is home to the Turkish, Greeks, Bulgarians, Moroccans, and a vast majority of Persians, to whom it is not only home but also fundamentally a sanctuary of spiritual cleansing and communal conventions. The rich cultural diversity of the institution, owing to the backgrounds of the founding members in the early 20th century, can also be seen in the current demographics. The composition is more than 700 units.
Besides the ethnic diversity of the institution, another striking feature that defines it, as I learnt in my two-hour engagement with the Rabbi, is that it is not affiliated with any national or international movement. Moreover, the institution does not ascribe to any specific Jewish stream or movement. At this point, the crucial distinction between modernity and historicity of the Jewish traditions is evident. While the central aim of any religious conventions and affiliations is to worship their deity (Mattuck, 1947), the arm of time has separated modern times from the past. By implication, some Jewish movements have morphed over time to form what is now Liberal Judaism. Others have, however, remained conservative, ascribing to the traditional practices that make them part of Orthodox Judaism (Fishman, 1995). The difference in adherence to the teachings and core traditions is conspicuous. Yet, the Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel stands in between, serving the thirst of those who feel disengaged from Liberal Judaism while also not fully part of Orthodox Judaism. Learning these key features and foundational elements formed the link to understanding the institution in greater detail, fundamentally regarding its core tenets and how it propagates the teachings of the Tora.
The Tora is a set of principles and commandments that define Judaism regardless of whether an institution in question is affiliated with liberal Judaism or Orthodox Judaism. At the core of these two factions is the Tora, which provides illumination about God and His centrality in human existence. The Tora, in its simplistic meaning, is the collection of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, which contain the commandments from God and what He desires from Mankind. There is also an outline of how the same can be achieved, with a crucial framework being to put God, the master of creation, at the centre of worship. According to Afterman & Hayut-man (2021), the Torah illuminates the Glory of God and His dwelling, which connotes the throne of this glory. In this case, it can be inferred, as is discussed in the subsequent section, that the teachings of institutions of Judaism, including the Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel, must be aligned with the image of God and His commandments.
In ensuring that it lives up to the expectations of the Torah’s teachings, Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel has in place core tenets to this effect. One of these is fraternity. In fraternity, the idea is to have unity of purpose in worship. The institution convenes different people from the mentioned backgrounds above and commits them to the singular vision of recognizing God and worshipping Him as the Tora demands. From the singularity of purpose, another theme is built: unity. People here are united not only by the commonality of their religion but also by their backgrounds and humanity. The institution further teaches that kindness towards each other opens doors for righteousness, as does respect for each other. The institution, in this case, is built on the core focus of worshipping God. However, this can only be achieved and defined as sensible if people maintain respect for and kindness towards each other.
The fraternity of purpose at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel is a composite of three main classes or services, with each serving a distinct purpose. The institution has Shabbat services, Torah classes, and Hebrew schools with distinctive features, but with the common purpose of teaching the congregants and the community the centrality of God as a deity in their existence and the continuance of life. The Shabbat services mainly feature the crucial elements of the traditional liturgy, with the Rabbis explaining the Tora to the congregants or worshippers. Weekly passages from the Torah are read and interpreted. Prayers for the community and the country are held. It can be understood, from my findings, that the Shabbat is a service that happens every Saturday across all synagogues. The Shabbat is a service, while the Torah is the scroll from which the readings are read, particularly about the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. During Shabbat services, a Rabbi delivers the weekly sermon about the Tora portion. As people enter the building for the service, ushers in the lobby offer prayer books, followed by wishes for a peaceful Sabbath for everyone. In some cases, the entrants are given a volume of the Tora commentary.
As described, what unites Jews as a community is the fraternity of purpose in worship. As the Rabbis explain here, this unison among the worshippers must include other crucial issues of the Jewish culture and tradition. The Hebrew school comes in handy for this effect. The school teaches about their traditions, names, ancestry, foods, dress, and other cultural observations that have been passed down through generations and that define and identify them as Jews. It is through the school that Jewish values are taught. Also, school is important in aiding people in learning about Jewish holidays such as Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret. The school is also fundamental in elucidating age groups and aiding in making distinctions between religious practices in the Jewish context and secular practices in one’s normal life. The school also teaches the Tora, as all teachings aim to advance Jewish worship.
Teachings of the Torah, as conducted during Shabbat, form the core of Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel’s existence. The institution holds that members of the Jewish community understand God and the tradition passed on to them by their forefathers. The continuity of the religion and its tradition is deeply endeared by the institution. Considering that Judaism did not originally begin in California or the US, it is possible that it was lost along the way. This is especially true considering the split that now forms Liberal Judaism from Orthodox Judaism (Mattuck, 1947; Fishman, 1995). If it can be split, then it can also be lost. The Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel holds this in high regard and has, as such, made safeguarding against loss part of its religious mission.
The language of instruction is as important as the message of the Torah at The Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel. As mentioned above, the institution and community are made up of people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. There are people from Turkey, as there are people from Morocco and the rest of the world, particularly the Middle East. With this, the institution has to find a common ground on which every group can be reached. In this regard, the institution conducts classes and Shabbat services mainly in English. Only a few people, especially the older generations, can speak Hebrew. The small representation, in this case, forms part of the institution’s concerns discussed in the demographic distribution in the subsequent section.
The Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel has regard for both adults and children. From the explanations received, the Torah is taught to all people, only that there is tenderization, as is common across many cultures, among children to ease understanding. The approach to this is based on the understanding that a Jewish practice that does not value young people will not be fulfilling Jewish practices. It is a construct Scheinberg (2016) shares as he illustrates the critical position that both the young and adults occupy in the Jewish tradition. The institution in teaching the Torah to children further holds that the continuity of its tradition and religious adherences rests in the hands and understanding of the younger generation. The Hebrew school described above is used crucially in this case to inculcate this understanding among people of all ages to create a God-fearing community now and in the future.
Rabbi Cohen, the main Rabbi who works with Cantor Hazan Mizrahi, continues to detail that while the institution teaches the Torah to both the young and adults, there is a disproportionate proportion of these two factions. They illustrate that the current membership is predominantly the older generation, with a small proportion of the youth and children. This remains a crucial issue of concern, particularly regarding the continuity of Jewish traditions that the Hebrew School is meant to teach and maintain across generations. There is fear that families may only engage with the institution through cardinal and milestone events, disregarding the routine activities, including the weekly Shabbat, which would result in disengagement that would curtail the continuity of the tradition.
During Shabbat services, as illustrated above, people are welcomed into the synagogue by ushers who issue commentary booklets on the Torah. Both men and women sit down and listen to the Rabbi’s teachings based on the tenet of fraternity. As mentioned earlier, the Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel lies between Liberal Judaism and Orthodox Judaism, in which it blends modernity and traditional adherences. One of the traditional or conservative elements is the restriction of women from the Torah. Women, as Weiss (1982) confirms in consistency with the general Jewish tradition, are not supposed to touch the Torah. From a modern angle, the institution has a kosher microphone meant for the audibility of the teachings. Using electricity and heat is a contemporary affair that conflicts with conservative practices, as Soko(2015 illustrates. The institution, therefore, lives up to the definition of non-affiliation to any Jewish movement as it serves both modern and conservative congregants.
The Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel prides itself on being an institution that is steadfast in showing the way to the community. By teaching the Torah, the institution, as the Rabbi affirms, is fulfilling its mandate of continuing the Jewish tradition. Teaching the community the word of God also paves the way for contributing towards national and societal peace and development. It is especially so considering the core tenets of kindness, unity, and respect. Through its neutrality, the institution believes that it reaches more than it otherwise would if it were affiliated with specific movements and factions. Its contribution to the community is limited to interactions with its congregants, as it does not sponsor any programs individually or in partnership with other synagogues and other faith-based organizations.
The experience at the institution was educational. Besides enabling me to expand a social network and, of course, put my interview skills into practice, it was an exciting experience that provided answers to the questions I had about Judaism. Learning first-hand from the Rabbi himself and other members was an enriching experience that, to me, towers above secondary information we read about Jewish practices. I was also impressed by the sense of community I felt in the synagogue. It was a unique experience to attend this synagogue during the Purim holiday. I was most impressed by the rich cultural heritage evident in the architecture, rituals, and music. The synagogue’s vibrant atmosphere and warm community spirit left a lasting impression on me. The Sephardic community’s ability to maintain its distinct identity while incorporating elements from various cultures reflects a dynamic and adaptable approach to Jewish life.
References
Afterman, A., & Hayut-man, A. (2021). The participation of God and the Torah in early Kabbalah. Religions, 12(7), 471.
Fishman, A. (1995). Modern Orthodox Judaism: A study in ambivalence. Social Compass, 42(1), 89-95.
Mattuck, I. (1947). The essentials of liberal Judaism. Routledge
Scheinberg, R. (2016, January 14). Who kisses the Torah: Kids? Adults? And who studies Torah? https://rabbischeinberg.blogspot.com/2016/01/who-kisses-torah-kids-adults-and-who.html
Sokol, S. (2015, May 5). Shabbat microphones are catching on among orthodox despite taboos. The Judaism Post. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/shabbat-microphones-catching-on-among-orthodox-despite-taboos-402173
Weiss, A. (1982). Women and Sifrei Torah. Tradition: Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought, 2(20).