Fifth grade students from P.S. 22 were able to learn about other religions during six visits on two different days.
“In this day and age the unfortunate truth is that there is a great deal of misunderstanding and animosity for people who come from different places, speak and dress in different ways, and who choose to worship in different religions,” said P.S. 22 teacher Rosemary Hamel. “This project provides our fifth graders, and the family members who choose to join us, with an opportunity to explore basic similarities and differences in the area of world religions.”
Students visited Mary’s Nativity Roman Catholic Church, the Muslim Center of New York, the Sikh Center of Flushing, The Buddhist Light International Temple, Temple Gates of Prayer and Hindu Temple. All of the institutions are in Flushing, as is the school.
“New York is considered a cultural melting pot and we are part of that,” Venerable Miaozhong said during the students’ visit to The Buddhist Light International Temple. “We are proud of that.”
P.S. 22 student Wranga Carvan said that it was interesting to learn about the different religions. Nimra Shaikh added that they were able to see the religions that they had previously only read about in books up close.
Student Grace Chen said she learned how each religion has a different way of showing respect. Nicole Kuliyev said the visits taught her that she shouldn’t judge people and that everyone should work in harmony with one another.
“It is my belief that through knowledge comes understanding, respect and appreciation for others,” Hamel said. “It is my hope that through these visits, prejudices can be alleviated so that our students can grow into the thoughtful citizens that the future of our world requires.”
