Hi Everyone,
I have a question/story.
I work in a Temple. I work for the caterer, there is a huge kitchen in back of the social hall.
Anyway most of our events take place in the social hall.(bar and bat mitzahs) One morning
my boss and I were standing by the buffets talking. I was leaning against a round center
table and I felt and heard someone knock on it
3 times. I said "Are your kids in from services
already?" "No" "Didnt you hear that?" as I said that, the table moved a little toward me. As if
to bump me. "Tell me you didnt see that!" My boss
doesnt believe. "See what?" "The table! it moved
I bet Johnny is under there (not real name)"
So I bent down and lifted the tablecloth, and you
guessed it, no one was there!! I said "Oh okay"
I high tailed it back to the kitchen!!!
I do not feel comfortable there at all. Especially since it is my job to lock up after
parties. Which is 1 or 2am. I have walked down
halls before to hear someone walking behind me.
I especially catch something out of the corner
of my eye when I am in the kitchen alone.
I dont know what it is, or who they are, but they
like to scare me. Anyone else have this experience
in temples?

Hi, Never in a temple. I worked in a nursing home,the graveyard shift,11-7am. some nights I would feel a presence following me down the long corridor, or looking over my shoulder in the drug room. Small balls of light would bounce down the hallway coming to rest outside a residents'door.
I asked a co-worker about the girl that had my position before me. I was told the girl had loved her job very much,loved the residents(patients). The girl had been murdered by her husband, that is how the position I was hired for came open.I welcome her presence.

Did you say you was scared.
I couldent work at a place i was frightned at.No way not me. Forget that. If they werent messen with me then thats a whole diffrent story.My modoe
Im not afraid of the dark.im afraid of whats in the dark.And if freaky things were happining in the day.Then you know your dealing with a kakey one..
be careful,good luck
and dont let your guard down.
see ya on the flip side

[ August 26, 2003, 12:32 AM: Message edited by: KellKell ]

Hi Doreen! Welcome to SpiritKeep! =)

Wow... that must have been a bit of a shock to have the table move toward you!

You said you heard it knock 3 times. That's interesting, because I've heard that this is one method that spirits use to get our attention. 3 knocks - on windows, nightstands, etc.

I had this happen to me one night while trying to go to sleep. Something knocked on my bedroom window 3 times - quite rapidly & very loud! It spooked me because I thought someone had to have done this, but my bedroom window faces the block-fenced back yard. I got my nerve up and looked out the blind, but no one was there. The window is quite high and there is a light that shines into our back yard, at my window - so I should have seen some movement out there if it were a person.

How long have you worked in this Temple and have you heard any others talk about odd happenings?

Once again, welcome - it's a pleasure to have you with us. =)

Kell

Hi Doreen,
Wow, that sounds like there is perhaps a spirit or two there at the temple. I was thinking that if you knew the rabbi well enough, perhaps he would do a blessing of the area for you, to make certain that the area is cleansed of any negativity, etc. It is most likely a spirit that really intends no real harm, but they may just want to get your attention. Do you have any pictures of the social hall? It is possible that if there is a strong spirit presence there, something may have shown up in the pictures.

Being a place of worship, it isn't unusual for a spirit to linger there, especially if it was someone who was quite religious in life, they may still feel 'comfortable' in the temple.

I am assuming that they hold funerals on the premises? Sometimes, the spirits tend to stay with things they are familiar with, and just fail to cross over. This can happen, especially with persons who die suddenly and unexpectedly. They are not intending any harm, but it can cause us to be taken off guard when we see or hear something out of place that they are responsible for causing, like the table moving. =) Don't be frightened. If you are comfortable with it, say a few words to them sometime when you are alone in the room. Tell them you don't like them scaring you with these strange occurances, and that you want them to stop. That can be amazingly effective.

Let us know if anything further transpires. We are here to help in any way we can. =)

[ August 26, 2003, 01:00 AM: Message edited by: azspirit ]

You have it lucky, I can't go to my sisters elementary school at nite. There's a spirit there that will make itself known very clearley. Here's an example, 5 of us there, 6 shadows, do the math. It will follow me everywhere I go on the campus at nite pretty much telling me to get the heck out. Your spirit like azspirit posted, doesn't seem to want to cause any harm. A few old timers tell me to talk to a spirit too if it makes itself known (it really does work, I've done it). The spirit may not necesarily leave you alone entirely and sometimes the entity can be too frightening to talk to (I sure as heck didn't talk to the spirit with a noose around its neck hanging from a tree). Just remember, not all spirits mean harm and could even be asking for help. There is nothing for you to be afraid of. I would reccomend you get the placed blessed of course but really, try talk to it first. If that doesn't work, then get the place blessed.

Hi Again,
Thank you all for your posts. I have worked there
for 4 1/2 yrs. My boss knows I dont like to be
there by myself. If it's during the day, I open
all the doors and blast music. Then hurry to get
done. But at night, I refuse to be by myself.
The place is huge. They do hold funerals there,
I dont think the jewish faith believes in ghosts
or the hereafter. I know the rabbi, but I dont
feel comfortable enough to ask him. Sometimes
we do catering in other temples. and to abide with
kosher laws, we have to cook in their kitchens.
There is one other temple that none of my staff
with stay by themselves in any room. Not even the
bathroom. I have had grown men running to
find us on the other side of the building. No one
will stay in the kitchen either, You hear someone
saying hello and calling your name. I thought
maybe it was us girls being sissy at first.
I told my staff not to mention how they felt and
when the next time came for an event, two
grown men wouldnt stay by themselves. In our
temple, it's just a little freaky, This other
place is out and out scary. I'd like to think
that the ghost at our temple is of former
congregants that liked the place. I had an older
gentleman, who I sort of adopted on saturday
mornings. He was in ill health and finally died
about a year ago. I would like to think it's him.
but my heart doesnt go for that idea. So I just
keep on working, hoping I dont see anything.
Also taking pictures on the sabbath is strictly
forbidden. I'll have to try to think of it during
the week. Thanks again
Doreen

Hi Doreen......by the way nice to meet you!
My step-grandfather was Jewish and I did go with him sometimes to the Temple. I learned a bit about the Jewish faith, but there are actually a couple different ones.
When my grandfather died, according to his religion when his sister showed up from St. Louis was that no autopsy was allowed, no embalment and he was to be buried immediately?
To tell you the truth none of us questioned it because my grandmother had died 4 days earlier, she was his wife. Yep and he was married to a Catholic! LOL yet he did go to grandma's funeral and observed our traditions as did his sister.
I will have to read up on that what they beleive and what they don't, I kinda grew up with it.
I am assuming this is an Orthydox Temple when you said kosher so. I will check around for you k?
Again, nice to meet you Doreen and welcome to SpiritKeep!
Piglet the Poster!

Hi again,
things are becoming more active. This weekend
my assistant decided he wanted to set the
alarm. So we got everyone out and drove to the
bottom parking lot. It was about two or 2:30 in
the am. He goes inside and I waited in the car,
watching him. Now keep in mind, he's a non
believer in ghosts, and he's at least 6.5 and
a dad of 5 grown kids, nothing scares him!
So he goes to the keypad and just as he
is going to type his number in he looks up.
Now Im watching this from the car, so I could
see the look on his face. He heard something.
so he goes upstairs and meanwhile from the car,
Im thinking "what the heck!" So a couple of mins
later he comes downstairs and arms the building.
meanwhile he keeps shaking his head.
He gets in and says "someone is up there.
I looked but no one is here. They're making a
bunch of noise in the social hall." I just looked
at him and said "I told you, you didnt believe
me, did you?" Then he told me he almost called me
to come check the building with him.
He's the one I always bring with me! So finally
the little ghosties have let someone else know
they were there. Im glad, now they dont think
Im the crazy one.

Hi Doreen!

It sure does sound like quite an active place! I would have never been able to go back in there without having someone with me...and even then I may not have been able to go.

I'd have to go with what everyone else was suggesting and try and talk to whomever it is that is scaring you. Maybe by letting them know that they are doing more then just getting your attention will calm them down a bit. Whatever you decide to do, definitely let us know how things are going there! =)

Hi Trinity,
Yes things get active, but it's late nights and
like after midnight that they make their
self more known. Ive heard footsteps and felt
someone follow me. That was before I decided to
make someone come with me to check the building.
During the day, besides the first event with the
table, they are pretty low key. Sometimes I get
a glimpse of "someone" out of the corner of my eye, like someone walking by. or like little
"shadow" people, I call them that because they
are not tall, they maybe stand up to about my
mid thigh and usually dark but again, I only
catch this out of the corner of my eye.
I dont think I want to talk to them. they
arent harming anything. Okay, Im chicken. there
I said it. And I spend way too much time
there to begin with. So being scared out of
my panties is not an option for me.
Have a good day and I'll post more as it
happens.
Doreen

It almost sounds like they're trying to hurry you up to get your work done and get out of there so they can start their own party.

The talking does help. I don't just mean "Hey there, how ya doin?" Set some ground rules while you're talking - They want their presence acknowledged. "Good evening ladies and gents, I know you're here. I'm just here to cater the party so I'd appreciate your not scaring me and let me earn my paycheck." A lot of us believers appear to be talking to outselves but it's better than pretending to ignore something that wants your attention.