Miss Hollier hosted a fantastic open evening with some excellent RE helpers. The room looked fantastic decorated in religious artefacts. The music and the scented incense added to the spiritual vibe of the room.

Lots of the students and parents were interested to know the results of our ultimate question: What does it mean to be human?

The results are:

1. Heaven and Hell
2. Reincarnation
3. Nothing
4. Other
5. Ghosts

It was really close between heaven and hell and reincarnation!

In our first unit of work in year 7, we are shipwrecked on a desert island. We study how religious people cope when they feel stressed and upset, prayer and meditation. The students made Buddhist prayer flags containing either a meditation script or prayer to God and these prayer flags are hanging up at the back of the classroom for everyone to see.

Miss Brooks

RE Department

Yom Kippur is a Jewish celebration which occurs on the final day of repentance (which lasts for ten days) and is the holiest day of the year in the Jewish calendar. It is called ‘Sabbath of Sabbaths’ by the Torah and is a marked by ‘afflicting the soul’. This is expressed through a fast which lasts for a total of 25 hours. Jews spend most of the day and all evening in the synagogue asking for forgiveness for their past wrongs to improve in the future to attempt to live a moral life. On this day, many Jews refrain from working, continue to fast and attend the synagogue services. For this one day, washing, bathing and the wearing of leather shoes and coats are also banned to those over the age of twelve. This festival is the only one of the year where the men wear their prayer shawls for evening worship. The prayer services are lengthy and involve people standing up for an hour at a time . The Kol Nidre (All vows) service the night before the festival encourages the repentance of sins such as arrogance, selfishness and gossip. The closing service (Neilah) when the period of fasting ends lasts for an hour, at which time the doors of the Ark are kept open and all must stand.  The book of Jonah is then read and a common greeting ‘G’mar Chatimah Tovah’ (which means ‘may you finally be sealed for good’) is exchanged. A long blast on the shofar concludes the main proceedings. This is followed by the Shabbat in the Havdalah (separation) ceremony and finally a shared meal. This is a time for making gifts (often for charities) in accordance with the instructions of the Torah and the Talmud.

By Hannah B and Charlotte R 

Durga Puja is the Hindu celebration of the victory of goddess Durja over the demon king, Mahishasura. It is seen by some to be the most important festival in many regions of India such as Nepal, Bangladesh, West Bengal and other north eastern  areas. It is also known as Sarbajanin, meaning that it is inclusive of all communities and everyone is welcome to celebrate the festival. It lasts 10 days in the month of Ashvini in the Hindu calendar (September-October). Celebration and worship begin on the 6th day and then the goddess is worshiped in her various forms. It also honours the divine feminine (shakti) and other major deities (four in total).

There are many offers given to the goddess, including food, water or cloth. According to tradition, the idols or Pratima of Durga is made of clay. The artist who makes the idol should collect the soil from the forbidden area or the Nishidho Polli because the soil is considered pure. Additionally, the eyes of the goddess are supposed to be the last thing painted and the third eye should be painted in the darkness . This is the most important ritual for the sculptors and they can take months creating the pratimas. It marks the beginning of the divine mothers journey in the mortal world. The idols are traditionally placed under bamboo and wood.

The first celebration of this festival was said to have occurred in the late 1500s, originating in India and is still seen as an occasion of reunion and rejuvenation. It is believed that Goddess Durga brings happiness, peace and prosperity, although this annual celebration is sometimes not seen as the real Durga Puja but is the more popular one. Others celebrate this in March and it is also known as Chaitra Basanti Puja.

Miss Brooks
RE Department