CHAPTER EIGHT:Closing The Circle In Jewish Life Cycle: Rituals, Culture
And Us
Background
4. Community
Another feature of the system emphasised throughout the exploration of
the life cycle is the importance of community.
To a large extent, as mentioned in the introductory unit, all cultures
will endeavour to incorporate a public and community element into those
significant, transitional rituals marking a change in status for the individual
within the life cycle, because it is important for the new status to be
publicly recognised and legitimised. To do so within the private family
realm would be insufficient: it is essential to ensure public recognition
in any culture.
In the Jewish culture, the community is present, or represented, in a
very central role at every stage of the life cycle - arguably more so
than in many other cultures. This reflects an important insight and the
place of the community in Judaism can simply not be overstated: the interaction
between the individual and the community (and ultimately G-d) is right
at the centre of the Jewish outlook on life.
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