We are surrounded by symbols in our daily lives. American flag road signs; From company logos to our alphabet, they are everywhere and we unconsciously discern many of them. Directions for driving, where to eat, how to behave socially and much more flow from these symbols. Wanting to explore religion's use of symbols and how they are used to direct spiritual thoughts and actions, I decided to investigate a Jewish worship service and its surroundings. Not being familiar with the faith, I approached the situation as a participant observer, hoping to gain an emic view of the religion. The Jewish faith has many icons, symbols and furnishings that have great meaning for believers; these objects help orient them and their actions in daily life. I attended a Jewish worship service on Friday evening, April 25, 2014 at 7 p.m. in Lawrence, Kansas. The building is modest, square in appearance with steel cladding. Based on its architecture, it appears to have been built in the 60s or 70s. It sits on a double lot just off Ninth Street, surrounded by a few trees and a manicured lawn. A parking lot is located to the north and west of the building. I enter from the west side of the building through the main entrance; it was just a few steps down to the lower level and a full flight of stairs up to the second floor. I will start with the objects and furniture used for the imagery. It should be noted that Jews do not worship the icons themselves but what they represent; the incarnation of God and his messages. As I said before, Jewish belief and action are assisted by different icons and some of them are quite powerful. For people of the Jewish faith, the most sacred icon is the Torah, a scroll in the middle of a sheet of paper......and in a short time. The Jewish faith has many icons and symbols; in objects, furniture, actions and clothing, all helping them maintain their sense of kinship, ethnic identity and edge; the humble striving for piety. Regardless of the type of belief, religions rely heavily on symbols to convey their message and guide the actions of believers; they also serve as a physical outlet for worshipers to connect. Over the years, humanity has often expressed a desire to use some form of religious belief to help make sense of the mysterious and unknown, and to restore order to a chaotic world. By believing in a higher power, many people are more able to withstand difficulties and sorrow and express joy and gratitude. HTML