Students of the Religion and Society class taught by social studies department chair Jon Resendez listened to Rabbi Stephen Einstein lecture about the fundamental principles of Judaism and answer questions about his religion on Nov. 21 in Resendez’s classroom. The period-long lecture was the first part of a world religions lecture series scheduled throughout the rest of the semester and open for anyone without a fifth period to attend.

“The one approach that I take that I think is very important is to give the students an experience that they will not get just reading books that give facts about the religion. I want them to get more of a sense of what it is like to actually be Jewish,” Einstein said. “I am a huge believer in interfaith dialogue and cooperation. I think that we build a stronger society when we learn to understand one another and respect each other even though our beliefs and practices differ from each other.”

Einstein explained the difference between the constituting values of Judaism compared to other Abrahamic religions, as well as insight into his personal interpretation of the Torah. The informative lecture incorporated both personal stories and responses to student questions.

“The guest speakers will have their own experiences because they will have spent their lives dedicated to the religion essentially,” senior Samuel Huff said. “He has a good insight on what being a Jew is like from both being a teacher and a student, and having these guest speakers brings a whole new perspective that we can’t just get from a book.”

Einstein and Resendez continue the bond that first started over ten years ago when Resendez was assistant teaching a comparative religions class at Irvine High. Continuing the legacy of connecting students with actual practitioners of various faiths, Resendez invites religious leaders to campus every year to further students’ learning.

“As a teacher of the course, I can focus on a particular general consensus in a religion, and then I can bring in a speaker to bring in a different perspective,” Resendez said. “It’s one thing to read about a religion, to hear about a religion, to do research on a religion, but it’s a completely different thing to be of that religion… So, it’s extremely important for the understanding of the students to bring people who live that life.”