I chose the Orthodox Jews as my subculture because being that I am Jewish, I can easily relate. The Orthodox Jews adhere to common principles. They have a strong dedication to the Torah, which is their holy book. The term ?Torah? actually refers to the ?written law? as interpreted by the ?oral law?. The Orthodox Jews are extremely open and encouraged to discussing what it is that God requires. Orthodox Judaism views itself as the continuation of the beliefs and practices as accepted by the Jewish nation.
Upon discussion on participant observation, my mom elaborated on a tradition called ?yortsight?. This involves the entire synagogue joining in prayer to honor all whom passed away in the previous year. This is a very warming experience because everyone is joined together to honor eachother?s loved ones. In addition to this ceremony, you wear a black ribbon for a week on your clothing out of respect.
Jews praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur. (1878...
Pool of a medieval mikvah in Speyer, dating back t...
Shofar (by Alphonse Lévy) Caption says: "To a goo...Every year, after your family member?s death, you light a candle for their anniversary, which burns for twenty-four hours.
The strengths and weaknesses of this subculture is a matter of opinion as I see it. Somewhat of a weakness is their view on food. They have actual restrictions on what foods they can eat at certain times of the year. One aspect of the kosher law is not being allowed to eat shellfish or pork. There is also a process to be done in order to eat certain foods. The rabbi hires a ?mashgiosh? to supervise this process. For example, any animals to be slaughtered must first be checked for disease and have their blood removed. Similarly, kosher wine cannot come into gentile contact before pasteurization. All vegetables must be examined for insects. Precautions against milk-based additives even have to be taken, because meat and dairy have...