Why are there only churches in boarding schools?

<p>Exeter unfortunately has no mosques or temples nearby... So if you wish to go worship your faith where do you go? I don't think there's anywhere Buddhists can go in the town of Exeter...</p>

<p>Of course they have synagogues in boarding schools. These schools are called "yeshivas." Just as BrooklynGuy, he knows, there are many near him.</p>

<p>I would say 98% (rough guess) of the schools were founded with a religious affiliation. Obviously, that means they had a chapel. Up until this century, anti-Semitic (and I can assume, anti-almost-every-religion) feelings persisted at a lot of the prep schools (School Ties, anyone?)-really, in the world at large as stupid as is it. Moreover, it would cost tons of money to erect all the different places of worship on one campus. Thus, the school's chose to build a place for the majority. The majority happened to be Christian. </p>

<p>Check with Exeter though. I know some schools have just a chapel but offer services for Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, other types of Christians, etc. Maybe they do too. I assume you're Buddhist? I don't know much about worship as a Buddhist (history, I have. worship, not so much) but I can tell you that if I was going to a school with, say, only a synagogue and no church nearby, I would bring my Bible and buy some grape juice and the ingredients for the wafers. I would invest in a song book and have my own service. It may not be perfect, but it would be the best I could do.</p>

<p>laxtaxi: I do live fairly close to many yeshivas here in Brooklyn. I think that they are all day schools. Boardingschoolreview.com shows no Jewish boarding schools. ;)</p>

<p>From the Exeter web site:</p>

<p>Phillips</a> Exeter Academy | Religious</p>

<p>It seems that schools are willing to work with students of other non-Christian faiths to accommodate them. During college, we had Jewish High Holy Day services at the school's large chapel, and here in NYC, the LGBT Jewish congregation has regular services in a church, and we hold High Holy Day services at the Jacob Javits convention center. Being a minority religion, it does help to get used to attending services in somewhat unusual places.</p>

<p>NMH celebrates a non-denominational Christian service on Sunday mornings and they also have Jewish Sabbath services (according to their website). I did notice that there is a Buddhist Center in Newmarket, NH (just a few miles from Exeter) Aryaloka</a> Buddhist Center | FWBO - meditation and Buddhism in New Hampshire (NH) I don't know if Exeter has a way for students to get there or not.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, they don't even have a Buddhist organization!! Eh, oh well, I suppose I'll just grab my meditation bracelet and mat, set up some incense, and make my own temple!! Although it'd be nice if Exeter could provide services for the smaller religions.. But then again, I suppose they can't cater to every obscure religion!</p>

<p>yay atheists? haha</p>

<p>Schools ending in "......Academy" were founded as secular institutions, whereas schools with overtly religious names ......such as St Pauls.... were founded with much more significant religious emphasis.</p>

<p>FOO.....there may be other options not on Exeter's web site. There may be an informal student group, or a faculty member of your faith who might be able to take you to worship services. Or, maybe you will find other students in a similar situation and start your own group! That would be a wonderful contribution that would allow you to meet other students, make you feel more comfortable, and benefit your school and other students as well.</p>

<p>brooklynguy, there are actually jewish schools near you? and they have services for rosh hashanah and yom kippur, thats so crazy cool! i wish it was like that where i live. we have like one jewish day school in like a 150 mile radius.</p>

<p>No, Exeter may only have a church <em>building</em> but there are all sorts of services going on in there: Hindu prayer, Buddhist meditation, Jewish services, etc.</p>

<p>Exeter is actually a very secular school - I think about half of the student body identifies themselves as either atheist or agnostic (if I remember the 2007 poll correctly).</p>

<p>This from the NMH website: NMH also hosts the following religious or spiritual groups: Chinese Christian Fellowship, Buddhist Meditation, Korean Christian Fellowship, Muslim Prayer Group, Nature-centered beliefs, and Unitarian Universalists. The office of the chaplain can assist students who wish to start new groups on campus. </p>

<p>I am sure Exeter must do something similar.</p>

<p>i live near exeter and know that new hampshire is not very diverse. but exeter is one of the "cooler" towns and close to portsmouth which is also a cool place. i bet there is a place for buddhism near exeter.</p>

<p>We found that when we were on the tours, very little was mentioned at the schools except UNTIL WE ASKED. The schools seem to be very careful about it until you bring it up.<br>
Frankly, most do not have on-site services for specific religions (a few do, obviously Canterbury does, SPS, Salisbury), but most have a non-denominational Christian service on campus and provide transportation to other services. It was important to us so we asked. All but one of the 12 we visited provided transportation.<br>
Many have specific "coordinators" for the various religions who help to "make sure" the kids attend.<br>
Give Exeter a call.</p>

<p>during revisits, most schools downplayed the religious. sps was an exception as it is the "heart" of the school. we went to chapel for revisit but they read from buddhism and islam too. the chapel at sps was interesting but i understand it may not work for everyone. after all, my family is episcopal so a bit more natural for me.</p>

<p>Although I don't know about Exeter, never visiting or looking into it, at Lawrenceville they have many services for quite a few religions, as it seemed to me when I did visit. I thought that they had a Jewish Chaplin (a reform female rabbi), and it was my impression that several religions held organized services. I would think that at a school like Exeter there will be others of your faith present, and if there were no organized group, you could get one together. Brooklynguy, there are religious Lubavitchers who send their kids from the hinterlands to Eastern Parkway to board at the Lubavitcher schools there. There are also religious jewish boarding schools in a few other places like Monsey and Elizabeth NJ; however most of the students are day students.</p>

<p>Did you miss my post above? There is a Buddhist Center in Newmarket, NH which is just a few miles from Exeter. Maybe Exeter provides some transportation?</p>

<p>keylyme, not that I know of.</p>

<p>Really? Exeter does not provide transportation for students to attend religious services? </p>

<p>As I said, I know one of the schools we looked at also didn't, I'm surprised with the size of Exeter that they don't. But for us, it was a deal breaker. We don't expect our son to attend every week, but if he had to arrange transportation himself...we know he'd never attend. Plus, the message of what kind of importance the school put on spiritual growth by not providing transportation sent also said something to us. But then, that's another topic. </p>

<p>Again, give Exeter a call.</p>

<p>Phillips</a> Exeter Academy | Parents Gateway
click on The Ebook
Page 41-42

[quote]
DaeJa Napier teaches dharma and leads Buddhist
Meditation in the tradition of Vipassana.

[/quote]

[quote]
Friday
Jummah Prayers (Muslim) 12:30p.m.: Salah Room, Basement
Shabbat Service and Dinner (Jewish) 6:00 p.m.: Basement
Christian Fellowship 7p.m.: Basement
Buddhist Meditation (long sitting) 7 p.m.: Wicks Room
Indaba – 9:00 p.m.: Phelps Sanctuary. The name, “Indaba,” speaks to a
means of arriving at community consensus traditionally used by people in
South Africa.

[/quote]
</p>