Project Summary: Q.1: Audio Link: In Freedom Seder, Jews And African-Americans Built A Tradition Together http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/04/04/397323302/in-freedom-seder-jews-and-african-americans-built-a-tradition-together (4:49min) Description: Arthur Waskow, who has worked for the peace and civil rights movements in the United States, illustrates the similarities between the biblical story where the enslaved ancient Hebrews were freed from Pharaohs service, and the struggles African Americans have faced throughout the civil rights movement to achieve freedom from racist laws and oppression. The first Freedom Seder was celebrated on April 4, 1969, however the idea was born on April 4, 1968, the day Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. Answer: According to Arthur Waskow, 800 people gathered in the basement of Lincoln Temple, a Black church in Washington, D.C. There, Jews and Christians, rabbis and ministers, Blacks and whites held a Freedom Seder. Durkeim argued that mutual beliefs include moral values that proscribe certain kinds of behavior, but which also enforce societal norms and individual responsibilities. Does this story relate to Durkheims views of religions role in society? Explain. In the first Freedom Seder, religion was used as a tool to promote and exchange ideas. What does this audio tell you about the way religion has been socially constructed? Q. 2: Article: Religious symbolism and iconography (https://www.britannica.com/topic/religious-symbolism) Description: The article explains how religious symbols and art (through the use of colors, gestures, shapes) provide a means to transfer the essential beliefs of a religion to its followers. These images are recognized by religious devotees and associated with beliefs and experiences. 1. Reflect on your experiences when viewing art in museums. How has religious art and sculptures impacted you? Based on your experiences, what similarities did you notice between the symbols present in religious iconography at a museum and at a place of worship? 2. How do religious symbols create meaning for members and provide a way for the religion to distill and disseminate its essential myths and rituals?