Exploration 5 Christian

Leslie Kornfield and Joe Erber are two men that I read about in this profile. Kornfield and Erber are both active members of a synagogue. My first impression based on the photo was that one of the men seemed very open and welcoming, while the other seemed a bit intimidating. I also noticed that they appeared to be in some kind of house of prayer, as the men  both held up the Tenakh (Jewish Bible). My initial reaction was a feeling of sadness, it looks as though both men are upset, but still with a bit of optimism. I believe that a photo can reveal a lot about a person, I feel as though my description of Kornfield and Erber, rings true because Kornfield is the active president of the synagogue and while Erber is the acting Rabbi of the church, and is also a auxiliary poilce officer.

I think that Kornfield represents the theme of creativity because despite the fact that the Jewish community has dwindled to almost nothing in a small town of Greenwood, Mississippi he continues to keep the Orthodox Synagogue in service. It takes a lot of guts to keep his dream alive of one day replenishing the Jewish community and continuing his practice at the synagogue. Kornfield and Erber both pray that one day more Jewish families will move down there.

I believe that Kornfield and Eber are both classified as a visionaries. I think that they both are visionaries because, ever since Kornfield and Eber were children they were surrounded by the Jewish faith, and their traditions as kids lead them to become the people they are today. The Jewish community once formed the backbone of the merchant class in the 1930's, soon after young Jewish people began leaving, opting to larger cities. Despite the huge migration of the Jewish people from small towns to the more industrialized cities, Kornfield and Eber both held true to their Jewish background and stayed in Greenwood to run their own small business, and even become a auxiliary police officer. What I find to be most interesting and humbling is that, although the Jewish community has withered to nearly nothing, Kornfield decides to take charge and continue on his practices at the synagogue. I also find it brave that Eber steps up to be the Acting Rabbi. It takes a lot of bravery to step up to these positions, knowing that the Jewish community has drastically declined and faded.

I think that the theme of this profile is to always hold true to your culture and traditions despite what others may tell you to do. I think that Kornfield and Eber exemplifies this theme well because they never let go of what their beliefs and dreams. My favorite passage is "I don't lead a perfect Jewish life by any means, but the shul has always been there. It's just a part of my life. To lose it would be just like losing a member of my family-I can't put it any other way" (106). I really like this quote because it illustrates their love and passion for the shul (synagogue). It is neat to think that Kornfielf and Eber can still have so much passion for the shul even though their cultures in Greenwood has diminished.