Flinders students study comparative religion

(posted 15.01.10)

Being Jewish is not just about following a religion but also a recognition of your ethnicity.

Buderim’s St Mark’s Anglican Church Associate Priest, The Reverend Dr Cathy Laufer, recently challenged Matthew Flinders Anglican College students to consider faith and religious understanding.

Dr Laufer spoke to Year 10 students at the end of last year about her family and her Jewish ethnicity. They students were studying Comparative Religion in their Religious and Values Education (RAVE) lessons and concluded 2009 with Dr Laufer as guest presenter. 

Commencing with Jewish candle lighting prayers for the Sabbath, Dr Laufer then captivated her audience with her family’s story. Images of living in concentration camps, going into hiding, the gas chambers and the Holocaust were all part of her presentation.

As a woman, Christian and an Anglican priest, Dr Laufer spoke of the Jewish faith, her knowledge of traditions, festivals and food laws.

At Flinders, RAVE is presented at every year level, promoting the Christian ethos as part of the Anglican tradition.

In Year 10, students study four of the world’s major religions, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism so that they develop understanding and respect for these different traditions.

Photo: Left to right: Stuart Nioa, Daniel Marais, The Reverend Dr Cathy Laufer and Jared Lehmann.

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