Fifth Form Religious Studies pupils visited the North West Surrey Synagogue and Kingston and Surbiton District Synagogue. The educational visit was an invaluable experience that allowed pupils to contextualise what they have learned about the importance of synagogues, key features of synagogues, and differences between worship in Reform and Orthodox synagogues.
The visit involved various talks from Reform and Orthodox Jews who shared touching and personal stories about their faith; additionally, pupils became acquainted with a number of items used in Jewish worship.
Here Theo Mully (P) reports on the visit:
“The day started with a swift departure to our first visit, the North West Surrey Synagogue. When we arrived, we made educational posters of the features of a reform synagogue and were later treated to a tour into the inside of the synagogue.
“We learned a huge amount about the Jewish culture and its traditions, and even got to see the Torah scrolls and wear some traditional Jewish items of clothing.
“At midday, we collected lunch on the bus while heading to Kingston and Surbiton District Synagogue. This proved to be an interesting experience as we could observe the differences between a reform and orthodox synagogue, and had an opportunity to ask questions of our choice. This ended our trip as we headed back to College after a highly educational and enjoyable day.”
