Planning for first field trip

My plan is for our class to visit Tiferet Bet Israel, a synagogue in Blue Bell, in two groups, one going this Saturday and another going the following one. So far, here are the responses I've gotten regarding which dates will and won't work for everyone.

To find out more about TBI, visit their website. To see their location on a map, have a look at the Wayfaring map for the class (or go to snurl.com/map309 and look for the link. TBI is point number eleven). Here's a copy of the map.

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Guidelines — What to Expect:

1. We will leave campus by nine a.m. on Saturday.
2. Dress code: No jeans.
3. For those of you who are Christians (or who are non-Christians but who have been to church), you will probably be surprised by what goes on. The practices will seem familiar in some ways and strange in others. For one thing, be prepared for the service to last a lot longer than what you're used to. Plan on being there for two hours. For another, there will be a great deal happening in a foreign language (i.e. Hebrew).
4. There are some rules. Mainly you can move around the sanctuary during much of the service, but not during the following times:
   • When the rabbi is speaking.
   • When the Ark is open (this will make more sense when you see it).
   • When the congregation is standing.
   Click for TBI's website
5. Thinking over our discussion from yesterday, consider what kinds of information you would want to be paying attention to -- the layout of the space, the sounds and sights of the service, the actions and words of the participants, the way the service is structured in time, etc. -- in order to feel like you could give a responsible, confident, and respectful account of what you had experienced.

That's all I can think of for now; let me know if you have particular questions about this.