First Impressions of New Orleans

One of the things that impacted me most when I set foot in New Orleans was how different the way religion is practiced compared to Peru. In my own culture religion is a huge part of people’s life – everyone makes room and finds a time to practice their religions. AS far as I’ve seen, th is not done as much in New Orleans (meaning I have not seen as many processions or second lines as I would see every day in my country), nonetheless when I do see a celebration or people gathered to celebrate something it is always a huge event. The parades here are more intense, much more dynamic and – to be honest – more fun.

Señor de los Milagros - Typical Peruvian Procession

 Catholicism is the predominant religion in Peru and it is extremely rare to find a Jew, Buddhist, etc. I was very shocked to see the variety of religions that New Orleans offered. Never would I had expected to see a person who practiced voodoo.  Also, I would see the Loyola campus’ church and just a block away there would be a synagogue. The juxtaposition of religions is amazing, and the people from different religions treat each other with respect. Back in Peru (and probably in other Latino countries) there exists some type of quiet tension between different religions.

When it comes to my own beliefs, I found it incredibly easy to fit into a local temple where I could practice my religion. I come from a Jewish family, yet since my mother is catholic I cannot be considered a Jew. I still try to practice Judaism as much as I can, regardless of the lack of label. On that note, I didn’t get  to learn much Hebrew – I can barely read a sentence slowly – and in Peru practices in temples are strictly in this language. Here, however, it seems to be a combination of both. I went to the small temple near Zimple and Broadway (Chabad, if I’m not mistaken) and there the readings and prayers were done in both languages. While it made it a bit more lengthy than in Peru, it made it much better for me to understand what was going on and not having to read two texts (original and translation)as I had to in Peru.

I would also like to say that I am really happy to have chosen this place to study as it offers many things I have truly enjoyed. I’m looking forward to exploring more of New Orleans and to learn more about the religions and how they are practiced.