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Essay / Religion in the lives of resilient African Americans,...
I attended a religious school to have a Bat Mitzvah, all influenced and preached by my mother. Throughout my years of religious school and following Judaism, I had expressed to my mentor, my mother, that I had difficulty identifying with religion in general. Fearing the divergence between me and my mother, I was once again surprised by the response of understanding and comfort of our family's love. My mother grew up in a Jewish home, she went to synagogue on Saturdays and celebrated all the holidays. Judaism has evolved on many levels, from Hasidic Jews to Reform Jews. Spiritually, she feels connected to a God within her. To me this sounds like a “New Age” religion of Judaism. “New Age” Judaism is my interpretation of Judaism in the 2010s and takes the traditions of Judaism and applies them to today. One religion practiced and recognized is a New Age religion and is modern-day, focuses on spirituality and belief in life after death. (Cosgrove, 2006) My mother's values and teachings go beyond simple classification, her acceptance of different religious viewpoints and teachings is