On Thursday, 8 March, Year 10 Religion and Society classes gathered in the auditorium to listen to the Jewish Christian Muslim Association (JCMA) presentation. As we listened, we were able to gain an understanding of the three main monotheistic religions which are Islam, Judaism and Christianity. There were three presenters, one representing each religion. They explained the basic beliefs, history and customs of their religion. Then each presenter gave a speech about why they choose their faith and their personal religious experiences. This gave us an enhanced understanding of each religion and will assist us in our RE class assignment.
Lucia Lane
The JCMA presentations on Thursday held interactive and eye-opening discussions about different Abrahamic religions. We learnt about the similarities and differences between Islam, Christianity and Judaism, and the traditions and beliefs of each tradition. Each speaker provided an insightful and personal perspective on the religion to which they adhered, opening up the conversation about stereotypes, and welcoming questions from the audience. I found it really interesting and inspiring hearing the stories of each speaker and what led them to having a relationship with God. I believe programs like these are so important to preventing misunderstandings and ignorance in our society, as they remind us to see the humanity in our neighbour.
Emily Abrahams
The JCMA provided all Year 10 students the ability to learn and discuss the beliefs of people practising Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths. This enlightening experience has led me to become more connected with people of different religious traditions through the discussion about how their faith empowers them to be their best selves and the similarities and differences we share. Listening to the speakers was an engaging opportunity that encouraged me to link the learning of my Religion and Society classes with people giving first hand accounts on the influence and importance of their beliefs. This will be very beneficial for my studies. Through this experience of Interfaith Dialogue, I have become more informed of other religious practices through the inspiring stories of Sue, Digger and Amna.
Anna Litchen.
For the JCMA visit, students received the opportunity to meet three people from the Muslim, Jewish and Christian traditions and were able to learn about their faith. But beyond gaining a better understanding of each of the three Abrahamic religions, we were able to listen to each of their stories and experiences as part of their religions. I felt like I was able to able to connect to each of the guests through their charming and joyful personalities, which meant that I felt comfortable asking my questions. When asking questions, it was fascinating to see how the responses differed because of their religions, as well as the perspectives and stories that they could share. I was able to compare and contrast Christianity, Judaism and Islam and received an insight about how a religion can affect one’s ethics. It was interesting to learn about Jewish rituals such as Shabbat as well as being left shocked at how appallingly Muslims can be treated in today’s Australian society. The perspectives and personalities of each of the guests made learning about their religions an enjoyable and unique experience.
Lucia Litchen
Sue, Digger and Amna are part of the JCMA (Jewish Christian Muslim Association) and came to facilitate a discussion with us on the eye-opening differences and similarities revealed through Interfaith Dialogue. They spoke as representatives of their religion but, more accurately, as individuals as part of something bigger; they shared their personal experiences and beliefs as adherents of their faith. The Year 10 students sat in the auditorium and were immediately engrossed by the stories of the these three individuals who shared nothing but truth, knowledge and laughs with us. They were outspoken whilst remaining respectful; funny yet serious - all of which created an atmosphere infused with connection and solidarity. The fast facts about each religion at the beginning of the talk and our ability to ask what are usually sensitive questions freely and in a non-judgemental environment, broadened our understanding of the various faiths and opened our minds to new ideas. Because of this, the talk was highly beneficial to our learning and provided a good foundation for our upcoming work. It will personally be embedded into my mind as it was interactive learning made fun - a change from reading the textbook. The JCMA talk linked many aspects of the three different religions, corresponding the beliefs, rituals and ethics of interfaith which aided in our general knowledge. Personally, many things stood out from this talk, the major one being how the speakers came to be religious. Amna pretended to be someone completely different as she hated the colour of her skin and her culture (being Muslim) compared to her European friends. Digger liked a girl and found out she attended church every Sunday and went to Christian camps, so he started doing the same in an attempt to get closer to her. These personal experiences were what sparked the light of faith for Amna and Digger. Sue, on the other hand, seemed to be brought up with faith from the minute she could walk, it was a part of her. I have learnt from this that no matter your upbringing or your family’s background, you need to find yourself in order to discover your faith.
Caari Burton-Smith
On Thursday, 8 March, the Year 10 students listened to three people from the JCMA (the Jewish Christian Muslim Association). The reason we did this was to get a better understanding of our topic which is Interfaith Dialogue. We listened to, and wrote down facts about each faith tradition. As well as hearing each individual story and some of the traditions and rituals, we were also allowed to ask as many questions as we could about the religions. This was a great way to learn and gain a better understanding of each tradition and also understand more clearly the similarities and differences between the Abrahamic religions.
Lucy Di Camillo
