Ein Kerem 

by Kayla Pressman 11th grade Fairfield, Connecticut

The Church of the Visitation in Ein Kerem

Another great day out in Jerusalem to see the Ein Kerem Churches. Everyone rolled out of bed early Friday morning ready to stand in a ח. We were all dressed modestly and respectfully preparing ourselves to see John the Baptist’s said-to-be birthplace and Mary’s spring. It was a beautiful sunny day out and we climbed up many many stairs to finally get to this beautiful church. We walked around, learning about John the Baptist and how interesting his childhood was. I have been to churches in the past but never during mass. Fortunately, our class got to witness a mass and experience another religion in its truth.

As we walked around the Church of the Visitation in Ein Kerem, I noticed on the large outside many frames with different languages on them. I had always known that Christianity was practiced on a global scale, but I had never stopped to think about just how accepting that really makes it. This was a pretty powerful and eye opening thought. All of these languages together on one wall. My friends and I slowly walked down to see how many languages we could recognize. 

 Learning about another religion that you personally do not practice is important for understanding that religion and deepening your understanding of your own. In many ways Judaism and Christianity are closely related. As I learned about Jesus and John the Baptist, I learned about Judaism and the importance of accepting religions not your own. As my classmates and I stood in the back of the Church mass, I learned about their way of having services. They spoke Latin and some prayed while resting on their knees. Learning about Christianity was fascinating and strengthened my ideals and reminded me of why I’m Jewish. As loving and accepting Christianity can be, it grew from our traditions that I look forward to pursuing, both while I’m here at Tzuba and when I return home.