The World Is My Classroom

Three students live in this area and are scheduled for a class trip. Their entire grade will go to a few New York City sacred houses today.  Yentil is a young jewish girl. Zeke And Saaid are two boys living in the same neighborhood.

      Yentl has to travel by crosstown bus and help in the pantry before school twice a week. Today was her second day for the week and it seemed routine now. She makes snacks for the community in need before 7am.

     Zeke too was up at 5:30am. He just sat up in bed and quickly hit the snooze feature on his electronic alarm clock. He liked to always be ready by 6:30am when Saaid arrived in the lobby of his building. He thought about fixing breakfast before brushing his teeth but remembered he had to pack a lunch for the field trip today. Zeke chose to put on his clothes first and grab an apple and juice with a cold cut sandwich.

     Saaid liked Zeke's building because it had a nautilus gym in it and treadmills that inclined. They could work out most school days and most importantly before the soccer season finished. Saaid's building was only three floors from street level and without an elevator. He lived about four city blocks from his school friend Zeke.

Yentil made her way down the street from the synagogue’s delivery way door and headed straight way to her high school. She sometimes went in early and sat for tutoring in at least one subject. However today she’d be a half an hour early and wait patiently for her class trip with a few classmates.

     After the two friends had a short yet relaxing morning workout, they grabbed their totes and headed to the elevator. They weren’t aware that outside the building the streets lingered with a putrid odor. It enveloped the neighborhood this morning. There was no Wednesday morning pick up of the debris left by the buildings on the southbound side of the streets. The cars weren’t allowed to park on their side either because of a permit that posted parking restrictions this morning. It would be like this until planning crews could get certain accessories set up for the upcoming Columbus Day Parade. This caused much of the trash to flow into the curbside and onto portions of the street.

         Saaid and Zeke were exiting the building and both looked at each other as if to say, ‘Is that you with the body odor?' After a chuckle they quickly made their way to the train and eventually the high school. Their friendship was building each day and today’s commute would probably be an amusing memory by the time they finish high school.

     Most students arrived at the first house of worship with glee. The morning was cloudy but it was a day walking through the best neighborhoods of New York City. Saaid quietly sat down once inside. He saw a cross as he walked inside the building. Zeke and several others piled in next to him and soon after the Pastor opened the microphone, introduced himself, and greet them with some historical facts.  For them some of the facts were familiar from class lessons about world history. The pastor later opened the microphone for questions.

     Zeke felt comfortable and decided he would ask a question that he was already confident of the answer. The chaperone brought the microphone to him but exclaimed that this was the last question because they have to be at the synagogue very soon.  Suddenly Zeke didn’t feel so comfortable. His thoughtful question was somehow unclear now, as he felt rushed. He summoned it out regardless and said, “Do you allow women to become pastors?”

      The Pastor eloquently answered the question in the affirmative with a short timeline of women’s progression in the community or parish he serves. When he paused they graciously applauded him for extending himself to them and the exited the building.

     Yentil walked briskly to the next house because she was excited. She wanted to get as close to the front of the group as possible and acquire a front row seat when they got in. She almost ignored her friends as she got her seat. Yentil realized what she did and turned her head to see where the others were. She sat there with her head looking back for them until they made their way in the row and accompanied her.

     The Director of the School’s Curriculum at the Synagogue introduced himself and purposefully asked the students to get up and admire the history of the basilica type building. Zeke and Saaid got up together and walked through the center aisle to the leftmost wall. It had mosaics and carvings. Yentil dashed with her friend in tow and sat on the highest chair behind the podium. She encouraged her friend to bounce on the chair as their feet tiptoed on the floor. She felt like a passenger in a first class leather airline seat awaiting the steward to offer her a chilled beverage.

     They were permitted to ask questions and see an artifact of the synagogue. When they exited any student that picked up a yamaka was expected to place in back in the bin.

     The close of the day's trip would be a building called a mosque. Saaid tutored Zeke as they walked to the sacred building and told him he would have to remove his shoes or sneakers before entering the prayer area. He shared with him that his family faced Mecca five times daily because he was Islamic.

     At the door, Yentil pulled out her scarf from her tote bag and covered her hair before she entered. She was still excited about her outing today and thought of the stories she would tell when she went back to the pantry next week. Yentil felt eager to explain her traditions to her friends at the days end and couldn't wait until Yom Kippor to be with family flying in from out of state.

     Zeke now realized why his friend was a rigorous morning person and could get to his apartment early every school day. He now knew Saaid’s family started their day off early this way. Zeke felt fortunate that he had a friend that would keep him in shape each morning and shared his love of soccer. They walked home after the trip discussing how they were going to try out for the soccer team next season. By then they would be trim, fit and ready for the world.