FAITH HOPPING
Emery/Weiner School field trips bring comparative religion classes to life
On a recent Emery/Weiner School field trip, 18-year-old Noah Pacht and his classmates toured the Hare Krishna Temple and Cultural Center in Shepherd Forest and joined in a prayer service.
It was Pacht’s first time to visit the International Society for Krishna Consciousness’ temple — or any Hindu temple for that matter. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but when the singing and chanting began, he joined in.
“Everyone was singing and started dancing around,” he said. “It was so cool.”
Julia Strug, 17, also danced alongside Hindu religious leaders.
“The whole grade, teachers and leaders got into a large circle expanding as far as the room permitted, and we pretty much did the hora,” she said. “You could see on their faces how much they enjoy their religion, and they welcomed us with open arms.”
That was only the beginning. The students at Emery/Weiner devoted the entire week to visiting faith communities around Houston.
After ISKCON on Monday morning, the high school seniors headed to the Sikh Center of the Gulf Coast. Tuesday was spent at Maryam Islamic Center in Sugar Land and then the Chung Mei Buddhist Temple in Stafford.
On Wednesday, students headed to BAPS Shri Swaminarayan
Mandir, a traditional Hindu temple in Stafford, as well as the Zoroastrian Association of Houston.
On Thursday, they went to the Baha’i Center of Houston, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral and Trinity Episcopal Church.
Then they had lunch at Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston and visited the Brigitte and Bashar Kalai Plaza of Respect, which recognizes the interfaith work of three Houston faith leaders — Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza, Rabbi Samuel Karff and the Rev. William Lawson.
The students were participating in their own interfaith project, said Rabbi Michael Morgan, who organized the week’s activities. “The younger, the better,” he said.
He also teaches comparative religion and Judaica studies at Emery/Weiner.
On Friday, after the excursions were completed, the school hosted a panel, bringing together religious leaders from various faiths. The Rev. Gregory Han, director of interfaith relations and education at Interfaith Ministries, served as moderator.
The students broke into smaller group discussions to delve deeper and ask more questions about a range of topics.
Morgan has been organizing the event for a number of years.
It’s a way to bring his comparative religion classes to life.
The week also better prepares the seniors for college, Morgan added, where they will meet students of all religions and backgrounds.
“They’re going to be walking into a universe of different people,” he said. “This is a one-week intensive to listen to leaders of religious communities talking about sacred spaces. It’s really about breaking down the fear we have of the other and building understanding.”
Every year, he has students who find something they love at one of the congregations — and they’re always different. “We can’t do that in a classroom,” he said. “It’s a whole other thing to be there and see it.”
Pacht has been taking Judaica and religious studies classes since the eighth grade.
“There’s a huge difference between reading about something and actually being able to stand in the place of worship, meet the people, and see it all firsthand,” he said. “It’s great to be able to understand or put into perspective what we’ve learned and see all these people of different faiths, not just learn about it, but be a part of it.”
All of the houses of worship were a new experience for Strug. “I was meeting people outside of my bubble and connecting with them on a deeper level,” she said.
She was most impressed with how similar the religions were.
“In the news, we often see that religion separates us,” she said. “We’re all very similar. We should learn from other religions in order to build our own.”
For example, the Sikh religion impressed her with its emphasis on equality and empowerment of women, she said.
Strug hopes that other students take advantage of interfaith learning opportunities.
“As a young generation and future leaders, we need to understand who we’ll be working with,” she said. “From what we hear in the news, it’s easy to develop false assumptions. When you meet a person, you shouldn’t judge them on what you’ve heard. You judge them on who they are and their actions.”
Teaching students about other religions is part of the programming at Interfaith Ministries, Han said. He helped coordinate the week at Emery/Weiner and also offers classes, panels and seminars on religions of the world and the diversity of Houston’s faith community.
Interfaith coordinates interactive visits to houses of worship and provides curricula and workshops to educators who want to incorporate religious diversity in their lessons.
“Part of the educational experience is simply being in the space and often in the neighborhoods where the kids have not been,” Han said. “But it’s not just the space, it’s the people.
The students are welcomed and they get to ask questions.”
Students are able to integrate what they’re learning at school with the interfaith experiences.
Younger is better when it comes to understanding religious diversity, Han said.
“It’s important for a number of reasons. In Houston, it’s a part of our community. We’re the most diverse urban region in the country. Religion is part of our day-today lives, but we’ve ignored religious literacy at our own peril.”
Emery/Weiner sets a good example, Pacht said.
“I’m learning a lot,” he said. “It’s changing my perspective, my attitude, my stereotypes. I think it would be highly beneficial to others to get this exposure.”
Morgan said his students learn about the similarities of rituals, rites, traditions and festivals.
“They understand there’s nothing to fear,” he said. “It’s just opening your eyes and learning not to be afraid of other people.”
Visit emeryweiner.org for more about the Emery/Weiner School. To learn about Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, go to imgh.org.