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magidThe last weekend of Jewish Holiday Time. As usual, I am ready to have a weekend again. Sometimes I wish the holidays were more spaced out than this; I wonder how much more attention I'd have for the boothy festival if it weren't the rush rush rush to get everything done in the few days after Yom Kippur...
Warning: I got wordy in this.
A quiet dinner Friday night. The food had come out reasonably well, which was pleasing, especially the bread (always at its best when only a few hours old), soup, and chicken. An early evening, too, which was good after all the late nights of the last week.
I'd intended to go to shul in the morning (there's the annual reading of Ecclesiastes, in addition to the other holiday stuff), but woke up far too late for me to be comfortable showing up. So relaxing was the order of the day, reading a couple of books, playing some games of solitaire, lunch with Queue, a nap. Nice, but not what I'd planned.
I made it to shul for ma'ariv (evening service). The beginning of the service went well. Then the reconfiguration of the room for the hakafot (more circling of shul, this time holding the sifrei (pl. of sefer, lit. "book," here more like scroll) Torah) [1]. And the hakafot started reasonably well, too. Men dancing, women dancing, little kids dancing, or on someone's shoulders, Torahs on both sides. It was nice, though somehow not as completely compelling as when I was younger. Still, fun. There was a group doing no dancing (an attempt to have dinner at a reasonable hour), and I ducked down to hear the Torah reading with them. Then back upstairs for a bit more dancing, until my hosts for dinner decided it was time to go.
The last couple of years, I've stayed for the Torah reading of the efficient group, then headed out to see the dancing at Tremont St. (It's so cool seeing the street blocked off for a Jewish celebration.). But D&D (my hosts, not a gaming system :-) live in the other direction. We walked back to the their place, and I got to catch up with him a bit more, hear how mutual friends are doing.
When we got to their house, I discovered that they're keeping one day of the holiday, since they are Israeli now, and are here only for the year on sabbatical (him)/for grad school(her). So after I lit candles, I sat with her mom and his sister, chatting, as they made havdalah in the kitchen (their voices sounding beautiful together). And then his sister made kiddush, and I made motzi (I'd decided to bring them a bottle of wine and 2 challot, since I had them, and was glad I did; they were glad I did, too :-). Easy talk, of canning plum preserves, and old friends, and timing Pesach seders, and upcoming art events, and apple-picking, and how to get to Costco, over lasagna, roasted potatoes, ice cream cake. Comfortable, all around. She lead bircat hamazon (grace after meals), which we sang together, the two of them waiting as we did the holiday add-ins.
And I was surprised that he walked me halfway home, all the way to Harvard, and checked that I was ok with walking the rest of the way alone. I would have had no difficulties walking the whole way alone, but I appreciated the company, the time to talk with just him (I can't believe I've known him for 14 years... It can't have been that long....). To bed far too long after midnight.
[1] The mechitzah [2] in our shul is moved from down the middle of shul to more diagonal, partly to allow for bigger circles, parly because there's a big post towards the back of the men's side that is better not danced into.
[2] Divider, separator.
I made it to shul just 10 minutes late (we start an hour before the usual time on Simchat Torah). Turns out that was fine, since the gabbaim (sextons) were late, too, so services started late. Well, except that I (former gabbi that I am) really dislike when things don't happen at the appropriate time. Unfortunately, this was not the last, nor the largest, of the annoyances (warning, possibly rants ahead). We made it through shacharit (morning service) and hallel (a bunch of celebratory psalms), and then it was time for the hakafot again. Reconfigure the room again. Though it was not as critical, at the beginning, since most of the women went to the women's tefila (prayer) group, across the courtyard. Later on, there were women who came in and danced. I've been alone dancing before, but didn't feel like it this year. So I watched, and sang. And had less annoyance than usual, but still some, about all the men cutting through the back of the women's section. At one point the guys decided to go out to the parking lot to dance (getting interested glances from bleary undergrads in the dorm next door). And then back upstairs for the end of hakafot. And then chit-chat, which annoys me. If you're not ready for the next part of the service, keep on singing and dancing for a bit longer. But no. 10 minutes to sit and chat.
And then 30 minutes for something we shouldn't have done. On Simchat Torah, everyone gets called to the Torah. The way we keep this from getting too egregiously long is by having a seconds (and sometimes third) Torah being read while the hakafot are being done in the main room. People cycle in and out, and all but the guys tapped for particular aliyot have their aliyot in another room (women have them with the women's tefila group, if they want). The gabbaim said this, but apparently were too much asking, rather than saying. So we spent 30 minutes repeating the aliyot for the guys who hadn't gone out to get theirs in the library. I was annoyed.
We started getting the Torahs out with singing the 13 Midot (attributes), which is sung on most holidays, but not this one). Where the gabbaim were, no clue. I paced, not singing. And someone figured out it wasn't part of the liturgy, so didn't finish the stuff that comes after that. We made it through. The rabbi was called up for "Kol Na'arim" (lit. "all youths")(one guy having an aliya with all the pre-bar/bat mitzvah-aged kids around him, with a tallit held over all). And we sang after, and all was good. Then the elaborate calling up of chatan Torah (lit. "groom of the Torah," the guy honored with the last bit of the Torah), who was someone I was glad to see being so appreciated. The reading, and then, though I tried to start the usual singing, the gabbai started into the next thing. Feh. No singing for chatan Torah, or for chatan Breishit (lit. "groom of Genesis," the guy called up for the beginning of the Torah), either.
I decided I'd had enough, just being annoyed with the gabbaim not knowing enough to do a good job. I waited until after the haftorah, then headed to the library to daven musaf there. It was better that way: not only did I get a chance to chat after with D&D again, but I apparently missed a really annoying person lead musaf (a topic at lunch, after). Some of the annoyance is just a function of being there too long, I know, but some is at incompetence.
Services ended somewhere between 12.30 and 1. People slowly made their way out, groups coalescing for the walk to lunch. I was pleased to find that my director friend would be at lunch where I was going, with Mike and Rachel. We ambled back to their apartment near the Common, and Mike was nice enough to listen to my rants, and say what he could do to help.
More chat in the apartment, as lunch was arranged. Finally we sat down at around 2.30. I was so hungry, almost anything would've been great. As usual, she had made a beautifully arranged as well as good-tasting meal, including roasted potatoes (that was the theme of the meals this weekend), some roasted veggies over salad greens, a composed salad of all kinds of sliced red tomatoes with basil, a leek pie. Yum. Discussion included: current politics and accounting scandals; particle physics and bison ranching; the failure of the Jewish community to deal with the issue of men who refuse to give a get (Jewish divorce); funding for a variety of arts events; how much cantors cost; minyan members who have been here longest (I make it into the top 10 women... it doesn't feel like I've been here that long). At one point Mike suggested couples just live together, avoiding the issue of a get at all; I find it interesting that Nechama thinks the same thing - they are not close on other opinions... We talked about Mike and Rachel (finally) getting married, after years of not, when people had mostly given up on it. I referenced his previous suggestion that couples should just live together, and said something about how he could give a get and they could do that. He asked her if she wanted one, and she replied "Where would I put it?" We all cracked up. Mike said they could have a calligrapher put it on the back of the ketubah (wedding document), so they could just flip it over, as they wanted.
And then lunch was over, and I walked home, amazed to find it was after 5, and all I'd done was daven and eat. I'm glad the holidays are over...
r
Warning: I got wordy in this.
A quiet dinner Friday night. The food had come out reasonably well, which was pleasing, especially the bread (always at its best when only a few hours old), soup, and chicken. An early evening, too, which was good after all the late nights of the last week.
I'd intended to go to shul in the morning (there's the annual reading of Ecclesiastes, in addition to the other holiday stuff), but woke up far too late for me to be comfortable showing up. So relaxing was the order of the day, reading a couple of books, playing some games of solitaire, lunch with Queue, a nap. Nice, but not what I'd planned.
I made it to shul for ma'ariv (evening service). The beginning of the service went well. Then the reconfiguration of the room for the hakafot (more circling of shul, this time holding the sifrei (pl. of sefer, lit. "book," here more like scroll) Torah) [1]. And the hakafot started reasonably well, too. Men dancing, women dancing, little kids dancing, or on someone's shoulders, Torahs on both sides. It was nice, though somehow not as completely compelling as when I was younger. Still, fun. There was a group doing no dancing (an attempt to have dinner at a reasonable hour), and I ducked down to hear the Torah reading with them. Then back upstairs for a bit more dancing, until my hosts for dinner decided it was time to go.
The last couple of years, I've stayed for the Torah reading of the efficient group, then headed out to see the dancing at Tremont St. (It's so cool seeing the street blocked off for a Jewish celebration.). But D&D (my hosts, not a gaming system :-) live in the other direction. We walked back to the their place, and I got to catch up with him a bit more, hear how mutual friends are doing.
When we got to their house, I discovered that they're keeping one day of the holiday, since they are Israeli now, and are here only for the year on sabbatical (him)/for grad school(her). So after I lit candles, I sat with her mom and his sister, chatting, as they made havdalah in the kitchen (their voices sounding beautiful together). And then his sister made kiddush, and I made motzi (I'd decided to bring them a bottle of wine and 2 challot, since I had them, and was glad I did; they were glad I did, too :-). Easy talk, of canning plum preserves, and old friends, and timing Pesach seders, and upcoming art events, and apple-picking, and how to get to Costco, over lasagna, roasted potatoes, ice cream cake. Comfortable, all around. She lead bircat hamazon (grace after meals), which we sang together, the two of them waiting as we did the holiday add-ins.
And I was surprised that he walked me halfway home, all the way to Harvard, and checked that I was ok with walking the rest of the way alone. I would have had no difficulties walking the whole way alone, but I appreciated the company, the time to talk with just him (I can't believe I've known him for 14 years... It can't have been that long....). To bed far too long after midnight.
[1] The mechitzah [2] in our shul is moved from down the middle of shul to more diagonal, partly to allow for bigger circles, parly because there's a big post towards the back of the men's side that is better not danced into.
[2] Divider, separator.
I made it to shul just 10 minutes late (we start an hour before the usual time on Simchat Torah). Turns out that was fine, since the gabbaim (sextons) were late, too, so services started late. Well, except that I (former gabbi that I am) really dislike when things don't happen at the appropriate time. Unfortunately, this was not the last, nor the largest, of the annoyances (warning, possibly rants ahead). We made it through shacharit (morning service) and hallel (a bunch of celebratory psalms), and then it was time for the hakafot again. Reconfigure the room again. Though it was not as critical, at the beginning, since most of the women went to the women's tefila (prayer) group, across the courtyard. Later on, there were women who came in and danced. I've been alone dancing before, but didn't feel like it this year. So I watched, and sang. And had less annoyance than usual, but still some, about all the men cutting through the back of the women's section. At one point the guys decided to go out to the parking lot to dance (getting interested glances from bleary undergrads in the dorm next door). And then back upstairs for the end of hakafot. And then chit-chat, which annoys me. If you're not ready for the next part of the service, keep on singing and dancing for a bit longer. But no. 10 minutes to sit and chat.
And then 30 minutes for something we shouldn't have done. On Simchat Torah, everyone gets called to the Torah. The way we keep this from getting too egregiously long is by having a seconds (and sometimes third) Torah being read while the hakafot are being done in the main room. People cycle in and out, and all but the guys tapped for particular aliyot have their aliyot in another room (women have them with the women's tefila group, if they want). The gabbaim said this, but apparently were too much asking, rather than saying. So we spent 30 minutes repeating the aliyot for the guys who hadn't gone out to get theirs in the library. I was annoyed.
We started getting the Torahs out with singing the 13 Midot (attributes), which is sung on most holidays, but not this one). Where the gabbaim were, no clue. I paced, not singing. And someone figured out it wasn't part of the liturgy, so didn't finish the stuff that comes after that. We made it through. The rabbi was called up for "Kol Na'arim" (lit. "all youths")(one guy having an aliya with all the pre-bar/bat mitzvah-aged kids around him, with a tallit held over all). And we sang after, and all was good. Then the elaborate calling up of chatan Torah (lit. "groom of the Torah," the guy honored with the last bit of the Torah), who was someone I was glad to see being so appreciated. The reading, and then, though I tried to start the usual singing, the gabbai started into the next thing. Feh. No singing for chatan Torah, or for chatan Breishit (lit. "groom of Genesis," the guy called up for the beginning of the Torah), either.
I decided I'd had enough, just being annoyed with the gabbaim not knowing enough to do a good job. I waited until after the haftorah, then headed to the library to daven musaf there. It was better that way: not only did I get a chance to chat after with D&D again, but I apparently missed a really annoying person lead musaf (a topic at lunch, after). Some of the annoyance is just a function of being there too long, I know, but some is at incompetence.
Services ended somewhere between 12.30 and 1. People slowly made their way out, groups coalescing for the walk to lunch. I was pleased to find that my director friend would be at lunch where I was going, with Mike and Rachel. We ambled back to their apartment near the Common, and Mike was nice enough to listen to my rants, and say what he could do to help.
More chat in the apartment, as lunch was arranged. Finally we sat down at around 2.30. I was so hungry, almost anything would've been great. As usual, she had made a beautifully arranged as well as good-tasting meal, including roasted potatoes (that was the theme of the meals this weekend), some roasted veggies over salad greens, a composed salad of all kinds of sliced red tomatoes with basil, a leek pie. Yum. Discussion included: current politics and accounting scandals; particle physics and bison ranching; the failure of the Jewish community to deal with the issue of men who refuse to give a get (Jewish divorce); funding for a variety of arts events; how much cantors cost; minyan members who have been here longest (I make it into the top 10 women... it doesn't feel like I've been here that long). At one point Mike suggested couples just live together, avoiding the issue of a get at all; I find it interesting that Nechama thinks the same thing - they are not close on other opinions... We talked about Mike and Rachel (finally) getting married, after years of not, when people had mostly given up on it. I referenced his previous suggestion that couples should just live together, and said something about how he could give a get and they could do that. He asked her if she wanted one, and she replied "Where would I put it?" We all cracked up. Mike said they could have a calligrapher put it on the back of the ketubah (wedding document), so they could just flip it over, as they wanted.
And then lunch was over, and I walked home, amazed to find it was after 5, and all I'd done was daven and eat. I'm glad the holidays are over...
r
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no subject
Date: 2002-09-30 07:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-09-30 08:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-09-30 08:56 am (UTC)Yay, things are over. Now I need to start talking myself into going to shul on a slightly more regular basis again. I've kinda missed it over the past few years. It's amazing what comes back to you after going through a jewish day school education, whether or not you've been active since then (well, since hillel at college).
no subject
Date: 2002-09-30 09:07 am (UTC)I think they may be collecting the lulavim at shul. And I always think I should do something with the etrog, either cloving it, or marmalade, or something. Except that an etrog is mostly pith and seeds. It's a frustrating citrus fruit that is just lucky it's used on Sukkot, since it's almost worthless as food.
If you decide you want to come to ortho services at Harvard, I could meet you there, if it would help to have a friendly face. (I know I'm going this Shabbat morning; it's my favorite parsha of the year).
"