Mezuzah

A Mezuzah is hung by the front door of a Jewish home.

Every time you pass through a door with a mezuzah on it, you touch the mezuzah and then kiss the fingers that touched it, expressing love and respect for G-d and his mitzvot and reminding yourself of the mitzvot contained within them.

Description pulled from http://www.jewfaq.org/signs.htm

Yahrzeit Candle

A yahrzeit candle also spelled yahrtzeit candle or called a memorial candle is a type of candle that is lit in memory of the dead in Judaism.


A line of memorial candles that burn for 26 hours.




The use of a yahrzeit candle is a widely practiced custom, where mourners light a yahrzeit candle that burns for 24 hours, on the anniversary of the death on the Hebrew Calendar.  

Yarmulke

Yarmulke also known as a kippah or yamaka is worn by Jewish men as they enter Synagogue. Orthodox Jews wear the Yarmulke all the time.

What is the Identity


I can relate to age identity. Growing up I was always the smallest child so people thought I was younger then I really was. I had a friend in high school whose mother said I was immature for my age because of the way I acted when I watched sporting events. In my culture turning age thirteen means you become a man or a woman. To this day I sometimes get carded when I buy lottery tickets. I guess that is a good thing when I am sixty I will look like I am forty. I have to admit it sometimes bothers me that people look at me like a kid, but I am who I am.

How did you learn that having this identity was different from having another identity? When you learned this, how did you feel?

I would say that having age identity is different from having physical ability identity because though I am small for my size it never stopped by ability to do the things I wanted to do. When I was a child I played soccer for seven years and was always the smallest kid on the team, but I never let that stop me. I always held my own with the kids that were bigger and more superior then me. I might have looked younger then everybody else but played like a champ when I got on that field. In high school my freshman year we had a three week period where we played basketball. Nobody chose me because of my small stature but I nailed those three pointers when I got the ball in my hands, I was a mini Jeff Hornacek. I felt great knowing that someone my size was taking charge in the games I played. Even though my opponents tried I was not to be denied on the soccer field or the basketball court.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having this identity for you personally?

For me personally there is only one advantage to having age identity I can get things at a cheaper price because I look younger then I really am. I believe there are more disadvantages to have age identity. You get carded all the time. When I was in my twenties I had trouble meeting girls because I looked a lot younger then I really was girls shied away from me. Overall I made my disadvantages into advantages whatever I do or have done in life I do with such a confidence that except for things I have no control over I am successful.

How does this identity influence you in school or at work?



This identity always had a negative influence on me in school. When I was in the fifth grade on the first day of school the teacher walked up to me in line and told me that kindergarten through third grade met on the other playground that this area was for fourth through sixth graders. When I told her I was in the correct line and I was a fifth grader, she apologized and you can tell was really embarrassed. I was even held back in elementary school not only for my grades, but the teacher told my parents one more year of the same grade would not only help my school work but it might give me a chance to grow to look more like the kids in my age range and grade.

How does your identity influence the way you communicate with people from your own and other identities?




I communicate fine from with people from all identities. I am a people person very friendly and outgoing. When I talk to people I control the conversation and talk with such confidence. I sometimes can talk very fast and jump from one subject to another. It must be the New York in me. My age identity does not slow me down one bit.

Conclusion

I have age identity and would not have it any other way. I might be small for my age, but I am a unique individual who has a lot to give to the world. As Martin and Nakayama, (2011) states “as we age, we tap into cultural notions of how someone our age should act, look, and behave; that is, we establish an age identity.” Just because you’re a certain age does not mean you will be big or small or behave a certain way. I will be forty years old next year people take me for in my twenties. Not only do I look young I feel great. According to communicationencyclopedia.com (2008) “Communication plays a substantial role in influencing understandings and self-presentations with regard to age. While the immutable passing of time (and rising chronological age) is at the heart of life-span development issues, our age group identifications and the age groups into which we are categorized are not deterministically organized by chronological age.” Being that I look younger then I really am, I hope that means long Gevity of life. As reported by health.usnews.com, (2011) “People who look younger than their age tend to live longer than those who look older than their years, a new study suggests. The finding came from research that involved 1,826 Danish twins, aged 70 and older, who were given physical and cognitive tests and then had their faces photographed. Three groups of volunteers looked at the photos and indicated the age they perceived the participants to be. Twins were assessed individually, and on different days.”





Reference

Communicationencyclopedia.com (2008) Age identity and communication

http://www.communicationencyclopedia.com/public/tocnode?query=cognitions&widen=1&result_number=354&from=search&id=g9781405131995_yr2012_chunk_g97814051319956_ss34-1&type=std&fuzzy=0&slop=1

Health.usnews.com (2011) Looking Younger than Your Age May Mean Longer Life

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/boomer-health/articles/2009/12/14/looking-younger-than-your-age-may-mean-longer-life



Martin & Nakayama (2011) Experiencing Intercultural Communication. McGraw-Hill. New York

Jewish Cantor

In Judaism, a cantor - also known as a "chazzan" or "hazzan" - is the person who leads the congregation in prayer along with the rabbi. The position of cantor is significant because music plays a major role in Jewish prayer services.

Definition pulled from http://judaism.about.com/od/glossary/g/What-Is-A-Cantor.htm

The hebrew and Yiddish languages are composed of an alphabet different to that than the one used in english. Hebrew is also written from right to left rather than left to right. So in the below picture Alef is the first letter and Tav is the last.

Shofar

A shofar is an instrument traditonally made from the horn of a ram or another kosher animal. It was used in ancient Israel to announce the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) and to call people together. It was also blown on Rosh Hashanah, to mark the beginning of the New Year.


Information from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/shofar.html

Hebrew School

Hebrew School can be either one of two things.

• The Jewish equivilant to Sunday School.
• An educational leaning environment separated from public schools where children learn Jewish History and to read in Hebrew

Hebrew School also prepares children for their bar or bat mitzvah.

In jewish culture one popular type of bread is Challah (hal-lah) and is commonly eaten during Sabbath and and Holidays. The bread contains large numbers of eggs, white flour, water, yeast, and sugar it also does not contain any milk or butter. During preparation Challah is braided for looks and tradition.

This is an image of challah dough before it is cooked but after it is braided.


The is an image of the finished product.

Dreidel
A Tradition Game of Hannukah

The four sides of the dreidel, from right: nun, gimmel, hey, and shin

Playing with the dreidel is a traditional Hanukkah game played in Jewish homes all over the world, and rules may vary. Here's how to play the basic dreidel game:



1. Any number of people can take part in this great game.



2. Each player begins the game with an equal number of game pieces (about 10-15) such as pennies, nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, matchsticks, etc.



3. At the beginning of each round, every participant puts one game piece into the center "pot." In addition, every time the pot is empty or has only one game piece left, every player should put one in the pot.



4. Every time it's your turn, spin the dreidel once. Depending on the outcome, you give or get game pieces from the pot:



a) Nun means "nisht" or "nothing" [in Yiddish]. The player does nothing.

b) Gimmel means "gantz" or "everything" [in Yiddish]. The player gets everything in the pot.

c) Hey means "halb" or "half" [in Yiddish]. The player gets half of the pot. (If there is an odd number of pieces in the pot, the player takes half of the total plus one).

d) Shin (outside of Israel) means "shtel" or "put in" [in Yiddish]. Peh (in Israel) means "pay." The player adds a game piece to the pot.



5. If you find that you have no game pieces left, you are either "out" or may ask a fellow player for a "loan."



6. When one person has won everything, that round of the game is over!

Instructions to play Dreidel originally from http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Hanukkah/At_Home/Dreidel/How_To_Play.shtml

During the initial ceremony of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah the boy/girl turning thirteen reads passages from the Jewish scripture "Torah".

Historical Examination

1. Why would it be important to examine the role of history in Intercultural Communication?



It is important to examine the role of history of Intercultural Communication because you need to know what makes up Intercultural Communication when dealing with people from diverse backgrounds. When you are communicating with someone of a different culture you want to make sure you don’t offend them in any way. Different cultures’ have different customs so you want to make sure you study up that culture before you interact with that person of a different background. For example according to Martin & Nakayama (2011) “when President George W. Bush was about to go to war in Iraq, he referred to this War as a “crusade.” The use of this term evoked strong negative reactions in the Islamic world, due to the history of the Crusades nearly1,000 years ago. Even if the Crusades carry little or no historical weight in the United States, this may not be true among other cultural groups around the world. The Crusades are a very important historical event in the religious identity of Muslims.”

As stated by kwintessential.co.uk (nd), “as business becomes more and more international, many companies need to know how best to structure their companies, manage staff and communicate with customers. Intercultural communication gives them an insight into the areas they need to address or understand. Intercultural communication theories are now also used within the education, health care and other public services due to growing multicultural populations.” By knowing the history a person will be better prepared to deal with situations in the business world. Because there are a lot of people with different back grounds working in all sorts of different fields all over the world so if you know the history of the different cultures you will be better prepared to deal with all sorts of situations. As told by faculty.buffalostate.edu (nd) “Nations and people of the world are increasingly interconnected and mutually interdependent. Globally, most cities and countries are becoming more diverse internally, with citizens and residents of varying races, religions, ethnicities and national backgrounds.”

2. What are hidden histories and how might hidden histories affect intercultural interactions?



According to Martin & Nakayama (2011) “hidden histories are histories that typically are not conveyed in a widespread manner. These histories include gender, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, migration, colonialism, and socioeconomic class.” If someone hid their sexual orientation with the fear they wouldn’t be accepted that might affect the way they act toward other people. If a family member dates outside their religion or race with the fear that they might not be accepted by family or friends that would affect the way they interact with people.

I know people that have lived that way and it made their lives really tough, trying to hide who they really were. I have a friend who is Caucasian, and he married an African American woman. For the longest time hid this big piece of his life from his family. If there was a family gathering he either went alone or had a female friend of his race go with him because he did not know how his family would react to him dating an African American. He finally broke down and told them because he was tired of living a lie to his family. He was in love and his family needed to know. His family was fine with it and he realized he was just lying to himself and nobody else.

3. Compare and contrast family histories with national histories.



The comparisons of family and national histories are the same as when it comes to people. As reported by Martin & Nakayama (2011) “family histories occur the same as other histories but on a more personal level. Some people do not know which countries or cities their families emigrated from, or what tribes they belonged to, or where they lived in the United States. But other people place great emphasis on knowing that, say, their ancestors arrived on the Mayflower, or migrated to Utah with Brigham Young, or survived the Holocaust.” As told by Martin & Nakayama (2011) “the national history of any nation-its great events and figures-is important to the people of the nation.” They both have figures that are important to them because the people in each history are an important part of that particular history.

The contrasts are, in family history the people that are an important part are ancestors to that history. It might tell you where your family originally came from. According to Martin & Nakayama (2011) “hidden histories of families are revealed through DNA testing.” DNA testing can show who your likely descendants are. “In National histories people are expected to recognize the great events and the so called people who were influential in the development of our country.” Martin & Nakayama (2011) National history is more about people that made this country compared to people you are related to with family history. 4. How is the history of gays and lesbians relevant to intercultural communication?

4. How is the history of gays and lesbians relevant to intercultural communication?



The history of gays and lesbians date back many years. According to Martin & Nakayama (2011) “stories of the treatment of gays and lesbians during World War II promote a common history and influence intercultural communication among gays and lesbians in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and other nations. Today, a monument in Amsterdam marks that history, helping to ensure that we remember that gays and lesbians were victims of the Nazi Holocaust as well.” People have always treated gays and lesbians differently, like it is a crime. People cannot help who they are and who they are attracted to. According to Martin & Nakayama (2011) it said that President Abraham Lincoln might have been gay. If he was, who cares, it didn’t change the way he ran the country.

If it wasn’t for famous people coming out, then I think a lot of people would still be very close minded. Some beloved people have come out recently like Rosie O’Donnell, Ellen DeGeneres, and Lance Bass to name a few. I think by these beloved celebrities coming out it helped a lot more people that feel trapped come out. I do not believe that by being gay or lesbian it should make any difference, whether it is in the military or running the country. I know me personally, I want the best person doing the job and that has nothing to do with their sexual preference.

5. How can we negotiate histories in interactions?



Throughout history people of different races and religions have always been treated differently. I have a friend who is a teacher with a Masters degree in Education. She was at a conference with a colleague who also had a Masters in early childhood. My friend is Caucasian and her colleague is Native American. At the conference my friend was asked if she would like to take this book with her to share with her aide. Just because her colleague was of Native American decent she was looked down on. Years ago when a neighbor of mine found out we were Jewish through the course of a conversation, her disposition toward us changed. She really never talked to us again and when she did you can tell she was very cold. Just because of our Jewish heritage she treated us like common garbage. You would have thought we were in the holocaust.

Treating people differently because of something they have no control over is just prejudice and outright wrong. I have known African Americans and people of other races that are smarter and more intelligent than my race which is Caucasian. People need to be more aware of the way they treat people. Like I always say “treat people the way you want to be treated”. Besides hurting someone, you never know when your actions and the way you treat people might come back and bite you on the backside.



Reference page

Faculty.buffalostate.edu (nd) Intercultural Communication

http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/smithrd/UAE%20Communication/Unit5.pdf

Kwintessential.co.uk (nd) What is Intercultural Communication

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/definition-of-intercultural-communication.html

Martin & Nakayama (2011) Experiencing Intercultural Communication. McGraw-Hill. New York

This is a traditional Jewish dance that is performed at weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.

Judaism

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I chose Judaism to represent my culture because I was born into, and was raised into the Jewish faith.