Luke Perrett ’24
Sports Editor
At St. Paul’s, grade 11 students take Religion 45S where they learn about a handful of major world religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. A major part of the class is the annual “Faith Roadshow,” where all grade 11 students visit various houses of worship around the city. This year, the students visited three places: the Winnipeg South Sikh Centre, the Dr. Raj Pandey Hindu Centre, and Temple Shalom.
The morning began with the visit to the Winnipeg South Sikh Centre where students learned about Sikhism from Mr. Rajinder. Students were required to cover their hair with cloth upon entering. In the Sikh faith, covering your hair is important as it is a sign of respect for the sacred text, and the acknowledgement of a higher presence. Following the presentation, some students were able to see the sacred Sikh text, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. Before leaving for the next house of worship, students were fed the traditional food Pakora, a fritter consisting of potatoes and onion, which is seasoned in gram flour and then deep fried.
The next house of worship we visited was the Dr. Raj Pandey Hindu Centre. Unlike the Sikh centre, students did not have to cover their hair, but had to remove their shoes before entering the temple. Students were brought into a hall filled with statues of deities. Mr. Kirit Thakrar and Priest Venkat Machiraju answered many questions from students about a broad range of topics. One question that was remarkably interesting was “Why are there swastikas everywhere?” The hosts provided a particularly good response, explaining how, when a swastika lays flat, it is a symbol of prosperity and good luck. However, the Nazis used the sacred symbol in the wrong way, causing confusion about its meaning. Following the question period, students were fed an unbelievably delicious lunch, consisting of naan, Chana Aloo (potato chickpea) curry, and rice.
The final stop of the day was at Temple Shalom, just a few minutes away from St. Paul’s. Upon entry, students had the option of wearing a Kippah. Right now, the temple is home to two separate congregations, which Rabbi Allan Finkel explained very well. Having two denominations in the same synagogue prompted great discussion between Rabbi Finkel and students, as he explained the differences between the different branches of Judaism. Rabbi Finkel explained how in the past, relations between different de-nominations of Judaism (especially involving reform) have not been pleasant, and that there was a lack of respect. However, he explained that he hopes to continue repairing relations between all denominations of Judaism.
St. Paul’s High School would like to thank the Winnipeg South Sikh Centre, the Dr. Raj Pandey Hindu Centre, and Temple Shalom for welcoming us students into your places of worship and answering our questions about your faith. We would also like to extend thanks to Dr. Puchniak, Mr. Borges, Mr. Martinez, and Mr. Costa for organizing and supervising this especially import-ant St. Paul’s experience!
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