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magidThis past Shabbat was excellent, with some really good conversation and social time, also a thoughtful dvar Torah at Tehillah after shacharit (about the call for silence, a lack of acrimonious talk, in the wake of Tuesday's shootings in Jerusalem, which were awful).
It's been a while since I've had plans for both Shabbat meals. I hosted dinner for a good friend, and it was especially nice because it's been a while since we've had time to really catch up. The time flew by; dinner ended up being over three and a half hours.
(The menu: (bought) challah rolls, wine, turkey soup with carrots and parsnips, pickle tray with scarlet turnips and golden beets and red sauerkraut, roasted rutabaga, turkey breast with plum bbq sauce and sweet potatoes [slightly overdone from having been kept warm], green salad with orange and salt-cured olives, kohlrabi-apple slaw in mustard dressing, plus banana-walnut-chocolate bread brought by my friend (also the wine).)
In the morning, I made it to Tehillah in good time. Unfortunately, not so many women did, so we were in the awkward situation of having a minyan but not a quorum for the beginning of shacharit (ie at least 10 men but fewer than 10 women), and at this time of year, sof zman kriat shma is pretty early, so there wasn't a lot of wiggle room; the gabbai decided to continue on without a quorum, though there was one by amidah.
It was parshat Vayaitzai; it occurred to me that there's a lot of food in this parsha, tied in to power dynamics. Eating good food seems to be important to blessings and such.
It was also birkat ha-chodesh (because the following day was rosh chodesh; special haftarah for that, about David and Jonathan). It's one of my favorite prayers, being very clear, relatively easy Hebrew, and wanting things I hope for.
I had an invitation out to lunch, because of an out-of-town friend who'd arranged it. I hadn't realized just how many smalls there would be (seven in all, all big enough to play, but still at that loud stage....). Still, in between times, there was time for conversation, about the growth of volunteer organizations, the cost of day school education, the challenges of getting some kids to eat, and more.
I walked home after Shabbat, happy to have not only shared food but strengthened acquaintanceships.
It's been a while since I've had plans for both Shabbat meals. I hosted dinner for a good friend, and it was especially nice because it's been a while since we've had time to really catch up. The time flew by; dinner ended up being over three and a half hours.
(The menu: (bought) challah rolls, wine, turkey soup with carrots and parsnips, pickle tray with scarlet turnips and golden beets and red sauerkraut, roasted rutabaga, turkey breast with plum bbq sauce and sweet potatoes [slightly overdone from having been kept warm], green salad with orange and salt-cured olives, kohlrabi-apple slaw in mustard dressing, plus banana-walnut-chocolate bread brought by my friend (also the wine).)
In the morning, I made it to Tehillah in good time. Unfortunately, not so many women did, so we were in the awkward situation of having a minyan but not a quorum for the beginning of shacharit (ie at least 10 men but fewer than 10 women), and at this time of year, sof zman kriat shma is pretty early, so there wasn't a lot of wiggle room; the gabbai decided to continue on without a quorum, though there was one by amidah.
It was parshat Vayaitzai; it occurred to me that there's a lot of food in this parsha, tied in to power dynamics. Eating good food seems to be important to blessings and such.
It was also birkat ha-chodesh (because the following day was rosh chodesh; special haftarah for that, about David and Jonathan). It's one of my favorite prayers, being very clear, relatively easy Hebrew, and wanting things I hope for.
I had an invitation out to lunch, because of an out-of-town friend who'd arranged it. I hadn't realized just how many smalls there would be (seven in all, all big enough to play, but still at that loud stage....). Still, in between times, there was time for conversation, about the growth of volunteer organizations, the cost of day school education, the challenges of getting some kids to eat, and more.
I walked home after Shabbat, happy to have not only shared food but strengthened acquaintanceships.