Different religions show diversity, understanding

By Maggie Beidelman

While the large Christian majority on campus has been waiting out Ordinary Time, the Muslims and Jews of Santa Clara have been in the midst of the religious celebrations of Ramadan, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this past month.

For those unfamiliar with the Muslim tradition, Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, or the Islamic year, in which Muslims fast from any food and drink -- including water -- from sunrise to sundown every day. It is a very holy month, as it is considered one of The Five Pillars of Islam, which are like five guidelines that Muslims live by.

"You need to have faith in God to fast," said sophomore Tara Mehdipour. Mehdipour fasts during Ramadan to gain patience and understanding and to "appreciate what God has given me and appreciate that I have food."

Ramadan, which started this year on Sept. 23 and ends on Oct. 23, is celebrated as the month in which the Koran, the holy book of Islam, was revealed to the prophet Muhammad.

Like Christians, who go to church on Sundays, Muslims go to mosque every Friday night. Mehdipour also compared Ramadan to Christianity in that it is like Lent, a period of fasting to practice one's faith.

Mehdipour, who grew up in a Mulsim household, found it difficult being a Muslim when she went to a Christian high school. "You had to go to chapel and you had your Bible classes. We felt pressure sometimes to (reconsider what we wanted to do or where we wanted to go)," she said.

At Santa Clara, however, Mehdipour feels like "everyone's an individual and no one really judges you or pressures you into doing something."

She is grateful for the clubs and organizations that the university offers to support many beliefs and faiths.

"You could have fellow students or friends who are Muslim or Christian or Catholic or whatever to bond with and you don't have to feel like you're an outsider, or you're different," Mehdipour said.

Mehdipour also enjoys teaching others about her faith.

"I have Jewish friends, Christian friends -- they're all from different backgrounds, and we just talk about (my faith) a lot," she said. "That's how they understand where I come from and what I do."

Mehdipour's roommate of freshman year, sophomore Alex Blumberg-Long, is a reformed Jew who celebrates Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Rosh Hashanah, which began this year at sundown on Sept. 22, is a celebration of the Jewish New Year (it is currently the year 5767 on the Jewish lunar calendar).

It is the first of Judaism's High Holy Days, and is celebrated by several hours of prayer at synagogue, the Jewish place of worship.

The last of the High Holy Days, Yom Kippur, is a day of atonement, or repentance, for Jews.

This year, Yom Kippur began on Sunday, Oct. 1, at sundown and ended Monday, Oct. 2, at sundown.

Blumberg-Long, who considers her status as a reformed Jew the most "low-key" form of Judaism, still goes to about nine hours of services on Yom Kippur, which is not much compared to Orthodox Jews.

Jews also fast on Yom Kippur from sundown on the first day to sundown on the second day, when they have "break the fast," a celebratory meal.

"Jewish holidays for us are always synonymous to family and food," said Blumberg-Long. "It brings everyone together, and Jewish food is amazing," she insisted, adding that salmon and brisket are two of the most common dishes found at Jewish celebrations.

Blumberg-Long is a member of the Jewish Student Union, whose members celebrate every Jewish religious holiday throughout the school year.

JSU has Shabbat dinners every Friday, on the Jewish Sabbath, in either Graham basement or the Hillel House in San Jose.

JSU has student members from Santa Clara, San Jose State University, Foothill College and DeAnza College.

"JSU is primarily no people from Santa Clara, so it's an opportunity to meet people from the community and do fun things together while continuing in the spirit of modern Judaism," said Blumberg-Long. "It's not even exclusive to Jews. It's open to everyone, so it's a great opportunity to learn and meet people."

Mehdipour and Blumberg-Long have greatly enjoyed sharing their faith with each other as roommates.

Blumberg-Long remembered that Mehdipour's father had said on the first day, "Oh my God, a Jew and an Iranian -- how is that going to work?"

A year and the formation of a strong friendship later, the roommates proved that it really could work. In fact, both families participated in and enjoyed holiday celebrations.

"Tara came to Shabbat dinner with me last year, and her family came over to my house for Passover last year," Blumberg-Long said.

"It's fun to be able to include people in something I've been doing my entire life," said Blumberg-Long, who has also been to Mehdipour's home to celebrate their religion and culture. "We just had the best time because we were sharing our traditions with each other."

Contact Maggie Beidelman at (408) 551-1918 or mbeidelman@scu.edu.