Cranston explores modern-day role of religion

Religion is one of those topics that polite people do not discuss in public. Along with sex and politics, it is considered taboo.

However, in today’s ever-changing world, the issue of religion and how it impacts our daily lives is noteworthy.

Speaking with Rabbi Jeff Goldwasser at Temple Sinai in Cranston, he stated that people are starving for spirituality, and not necessarily structured religion.

In a survey posted on Facebook, people responded to three simple questions with interesting responses.

All the participants of the survey were members of the Jewish community in Cranston and Warwick, responses were all anonymous, helping to ensure honest answers.

The respondents covered ages from 22 to over 60 years old. Females and males, reform and conservative Jews and even a Catholic who converted to Judaism were surveyed. There were 20 participants in all.

The questions they were posed were: On a 1-10 scale how important is religion/Judaism in your daily life, do you have a temple affiliation and lastly, with everything going on in the world today, do you feel being Jewish makes you a target?

The average level of importance for all respondents was an eight.

“On a scale of 1-10, the importance of religion in my daily life is probably 8 [or] 9. That is, a large part of it is without much of a thought, really. I like to think that the way I conduct myself, my business and my relationships is based on being the best person that I can be, deep-rooted in my religion. So now that I think about it, Judaism is very important in my daily life,” said one woman.

A reform temple, Temple Beth-El in Providence, and unaffiliated were the top answers. For those who were unaffiliated, the main reason was the stands of the temple itself.

“I am not currently affiliated and the main reason is that there is too much negativity and political infighting within some congregations. Rather than all the politics the conservative temples south of Providence RI should merge to have one strong temple rather than a few struggling organizations,” said a Cranston resident.

For the question of safety, the answers were varied and personal.

“Being Jewish I believe does not make me a target. I think that the values Judaism imparts to us helps us all be better and more charitable human beings. As my late Zadie (grandfather) used to say; ‘No one knows what you neighbor or stranger is going thru, so be nice to one and all.’ Kindness is a strong tenant of Judaism. So even though we are Jewish, treating your fellow human being with kindness will eventually help the world to become a better place,” said one respondent.

Another gentleman had a more pragmatic approach to the world.

“With everything going on and all the turmoil and unrest. It is just not the Jewish population but all. I feel that the Jewish population needs to keep an eye out for any unusual issues. You never know what and where an event could occur,” he said.

Another survey taker was passionate about seeing change in the world.

“Being Jewish, you've always been a target, especially today with all of the events all over the world. Such as the bomb threats at the Jewish Community Centers, the bombings in Syria, the attacks with ISIS, the daily attacks in Jerusalem, etc. For many, many years now the Jews have always been under some attack, and I don't foresee it changing anytime in the near future. I really would like to witness what peace in the entire world would be like. Let’s start now,” he said.

“I really started to become proud and vocal of my Judaism when I become a parent. Wanting my child to be proud and confident of his heritage and culture were very important. With all the unrest in our world today, I want to see peace, I want to see people accept each other for their differences and respect that diversity is good and people really want acceptance. I am sure I am naïve, but what is wrong with hoping for a peaceful world for our children and their children,” said one mother.

According to Goldwasser, it is not a cross-culture issue. Young people just don’t feel the connection or draw to religion as their elders do/did.

“Western society is really, really busy. There are lots of demands on people’s time. There is a huge anxiety for parents to set their children up for success. And, religious school is just one more added burden,” he said.

One factor that plays into whether a family can join a synagogue is the cost of dues.

“Outside activities can cost more than a year’s membership. Most services at a temple are free. There is no charge for praying,” said the rabbi.

The rabbi touched upon the feelings of entering a synagogue for the first time and the anxiety that can come along.

“People generally are intimidated walking into strange places. They feel like they don’t belong, or shouldn’t be there. For many Jewish people, the lack of knowing or understanding the Hebrew language makes them feel stupid, or less of a Jew,” he said.

Goldwasser says the importance of a temple is to satisfy the spiritual needs and many of them fail that test.

“The temple itself is a product, and it has to be sold. The experience must speak to fundamentally who they are, the rituals have to feel inspiring, transformative and fulfilling,” he said.

People can find spiritual fulfillment in many different places and ways Goldwasser said.

Because the world is changing, and people experience so much more of the world it is imperative to keep up with the changes.

“I experiment a lot with my services. I have contemplative services, family-oriented services, visual services, lay-led services, I want to satisfy their needs,” he said. His goal is to provide spiritual meaning and comfort.

Temple Sinai runs programs for parents and adults that are concurrent while the children are in religious school.

“We have no one to blame but ourselves, if parents simply ‘drop and go’,” said Goldwasser.

Between time conflicts and more interfaith marriages, there is a decrease in Jewish behavior in homes.

“People aren’t lighting Sabbath candles, preparing a Passover Seder, reading the Torah,” he said. “We are trying to make temple and the Jewish community more welcoming and inclusive.”

Goldwasser sees a dismal future for the Jewish people if it is only about ethnicity.

“The point of Judaism was always about one’s relationship with god, biblical text and personal moral choices. The spirit of Jewish inclusion is to see the person as a human being, not a label,” he said.

“Identity is important. People need spirituality like they need air to breath, you need to be connected beyond yourself,” he said.

According to the website bestplaces.net, approximately 54 percent of the people in Cranston are religious, meaning they affiliate with a religion, and 1.21 percent residents in Cranston are Jewish.