In some ways, being trendy-in what we wear and what we do-is the simplest form of finding common ground with other people. I'm sure most of you have been in a conversation that began with "Nice shirt, it totally goes with your pants," or, "I love your bag." But, have you ever been in a conversation where someone's walked up to you and gone "Hey, nice religion, it matches your poodle"?Apparently, faith-once a mechanism for spiritual attainment-is now the latest fashion accessory, a convenient way to socialize. This spirituality shopping spree isn't unique to the celebrity world; it's here at Brandeis, too.

First, let's look the world of the rich and famous. Generally speaking, celebrities aren't exactly "religious." By this I mean that they have extramarital affairs, do drugs and crave money. So to attain spirituality, most join religions of a second tier-religions that were once regarded as sacred, but now, thanks to these stars, have become a buffet of strange offerings.

Here are the rules of the buffet line: When sampling, first pick a religion that is fairly trustworthy. Take Kaballah as an example. Kaballism is Jewish mysticism and in traditional Judaism, study of the Zohar-the text of Kaballah-is reserved for scholars over the age of 40 who have mastered most other Jewish texts. Kaballah is not a religion on its own, nor is it a person, a town or a type of soup-as Grace, Karen and Jack from Will and Grace believed in one episode. When celebrities were introduced to Kaballah, they decided to give it a celebrity twist; the pop version is mostly about wearing a red string bracelet and socializing. Just ask Madonna or Britney Spears.

Of course, you should pick a religion that is going to boost your career the most. Pick the religion with the most leverage, one that the paparazzi will eat up. Kaballah seems to be losing its edge, so let's look now at the Church of Scientology. The star of Scientology? Yes, indeed, Mr. Tom Cruise. Our lovable hero of Mission: Impossible has got himself into an impossible mission in real life too-trying to convert the rest of the world to Scientology. Why does he believe this is such a great accessory? He believes that psychiatrists are wrongfully prescribing drugs when the person just needs a little bit of lovin' and the magic of time. However, completely denying the benefit of drugs for medical reasons is not a good way to go.

At Brandeis, I have often noticed that the "light of religion" within us is not steady, but rather, often lit only during certain days of the year. I am not denying the fact that many students are truly religious-probably more so here than at many schools. I have seen many students in Sherman reading prayer books, but others are just following a trend. Last week, for example, Jews celebrated Sukkot, Hindus Navratri and Muslims Ramadan. But how many students truly know the religious significance of these holidays beyond the social aspects of eating in huts and meeting friends?

Of course, these holidays and the socializing they entail can serve as the introduction that sparks a student's interest and motivates him or her to learn more. This week, a student may partake in the dancing outside Usdan for Simchat Torah purely for the entertainment, but may be drawn to study the significance of the holiday. There will be some other students who may be drawn to the event out of curiosity. Here on campus, there are several opportunities for students to build community and seek out and explore other religions and interests.

Simply utilizing religion as a fashion statement and a "get-spirituality-quick" mechanism does not work. We must attain spirituality by other means-spirituality is a journey and not a trend. Looking to celebrities as "gurus of religion" is the biggest faux pas we could make as students in college.

As for me, the only accessories I need are my friends.