Although Mount Carmel is a Catholic school, people come here for all different kinds of reasons. Proximity, friends, sports, and parental guidance can all be factors for people to choose to pursue a religious education. Though it is not something one could tell from just looking at or even talking to them, within the student body lies a minority who practice a different faith than the one promoted by MC.. Being Jewish at a Catholic school offers unique perspectives and obstacles that one wouldn’t get by being just like everyone else.
Though both use the Old Testament, Catholicism is very different from Judaism. Many MC students already are familiar with Catholic traditions, but Jewish students are given the opportunity to learn about a new religion. Junior Jake Toman is grateful for the opportunity.
“I guess I’ve just gotten to learn more than everyone else,” he says. “I’ve been able to learn about Catholicism but also different parts of Judaism since we’ve focused on the Old Testament a lot.”
A lot of stories remain the same between Catholicism and Judaism–it’s just the perspective that’s different.
This different faith background also allows for a unique approach to Catholic schooling. Sophomore Sam Walsh found that Catholics may do some things that he’d like to do.
“In Judaism there aren’t many opportunities to get out of the country and do missionary work,” he says. “That’s something I’ve enjoyed about being here, they emphasize putting your work into helping others and spreading the good word. I think what [Carmelite intern] Brother Eduardo [Vega] does is really cool.”
With this unique perspective, though, comes a unique ability to criticize. Catholics who have been doing the traditions for as long as they have are used to it, so the possibly counterintuitive things that are done go unrecognized. Sophomore Yashua Bullock contends that maybe it’s time to question some things.
“When I came here, I didn’t talk too much at first,” he says. “Some of the things they do seemed a little weird, like the whole thing about sins. As Jews we’re more focused on other things, but Catholics are really focused on doing the right thing and asking for forgiveness and stuff like that.”
Being a religious minority at a very religious school is not all sunshine and rainbows.
“I’ve definitely gotten a lot of [grief] from people,” says Toman. “Beyond that, there’s definitely a few other things that weren’t fun, like the prayers we do. When I got here, most people already knew what to do during mass and prayer and stuff, and I felt really awkward not knowing. People kind of grew up in a certain way, and they got to continue that in high school. I had to adapt.”
In addition to the struggles posed by being in the minority, another struggle comes from a kind of washing away of religion that comes with going to a school that does not share a person’s culture/beliefs. Surrounded by the traditions of Catholicism, as well as the busy schedule that MC tends to keep students on, practicing Judaism can prove to be difficult.
“I practiced Judaism before I came to MC,” says sophomore Zion Elliott, “but as much more of a lifestyle. We had a different set of choices when I was younger. For example, we kept kosher and celebrated Shabbat. We do not keep kosher as strictly anymore, and Shabbat is difficult because I have sports on Fridays and Saturdays, and in Judaism, Saturday is supposed to be a day of rest.”
Oftentimes, religion can be a very interesting and fulfilling reason to attend a Catholic school, even for a Jew. An outside look can create a unique perspective and even help a student learn about himself, but there are certain things that can be challenging that come with it, too.
MC’s small Jewish population deals with these challenges and is mostly embracing them, but for a Jewish kid planning to attend MC, it’s definitely something to think about.
