Judaism: Cultural Reporter Project

For my cultural reporter project I decided to research Judaism, two of my best friends, David Nassi and Dylan Kuzelka both practice Judaism, David having been raised Jewish and Dylan converting to Judaism several years ago. During my research I decided to focus on language within Judaism, how and when and for what purposes it is used, even the specific language within a certain faith is “learned patterns of behavior and attitudes shared by a group of people”, (Martin & Nakayama, 2013).

Through my interviews with both Dylan and David, as well as my attendance at several Jewish services, I found that perhaps the most unique use of language within the Jewish faith is its use of Hebrew. Services are comprised of the Rabbi reading from the Torah (sacred texts in Judaism) as well as hymns and prayers that were also spoken in Hebrew. I found that the prevalence of Hebrew serves several purposes: to accurately study the primary sources of religious texts as well as to maintain heritage.


Both Dylan and David expressed in their interviews that learning to speak and read Hebrew allows them to authentically study the Torah, as translations between different dialects often lead to misunderstandings or inconsistencies. Additionally, the Hebrew language contains words and phrases that have no translation into English, leaving them as completely foreign concepts, which in turn warrants the study of these phrases within their Hebrew context to decipher their meanings.


While learning Hebrew allows for a close, accurate reading of sacred texts, it is also a means of preserving culture. During one of the Jewish services I attended at the South Street Temple, the Rabbi spoke about the importance of preserving these traditions. Rabbi Lewis stated that Hebrew is a medium for them to stay connected to their history. Essentially, it is an attempt to maintain their identity in a world where some individuals wish to erase that very same identity.

While the service comprised almost entirely of Hebrew was a little difficult to adjust to and intimidating to immerse myself in, I found that this was perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience, being able to participate in a practice that is so rich with meaning and history. Judaism has a long, storied and even tragic history, yet with the preservation of the Hebrew language, Judaism honors both its past, present and future. 

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2013). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.) New York, NY: McGraw Hill.