I knew nothing about Jamaica Bay before reading this weeks assignment. I did not no where it was located, why it was important, and what the practical ramifications of the Bay were on my life. But those questions were addressed in Chapter 5, when discussing the Jewish rituals that are practiced along the waters edge. As an Orthodox Jew, reading about the special services that dictate my life in a academic piece can be a little awkward. But it also shows how things that I do in my personal life affects others around me in ways that are hard to predict. It also is a great opportunity to show and explain my way of life to those who are not familiar with the Orthodox lifestyle and customs. My favorite example is that of the willows. Joseph Mitchell thought that Orthodox Jews, in preparation for the holiday of Hoshanah Rabah, would come and collect willows from the Bay. He was correct about the necessity of the willows. They are in integral part of the holiday. But as Rabbi Tomsky explains, Orthodox Jews cant collect the willows from the Bay because that would be stealing, and an item that came from bad means cant be used in the service of G-d. I loved that this article was able to show a really meaningful part of my life, but in a way that helped understand science, and the way science interacts with communities and religions.