outings

[cellio]

The shabbaton was wonderful, and I'm finally able to articulate why: I get to spend an entire Shabbat (well, less a couple hours) with like-minded people (whom I know) doing Shabbat-appropriate activities. My typical Shabbat is effectively solitary, aside from going to services and the very occasional guest. Here we could pray together (without worrying about being done in time for the second service), linger over meals and zemirot (songs), talk theology, study together, sing, listen to Chassidic stories, and schmooze. I wish I could capture more of those elements for more of my Shabbats.

Tonight after Shabbat we went with friends to see a movie I'd never heard of, Bend It Like Beckham. All I knew was that it's a British film about a Sikh girl caught between her traditional family and her desire to play soccer. We didn't have high expectations but an evening with friends sounded like fun, so we decided to give it a shot. The movie turned out to be a great deal of fun, and it was very well-done. I don't know if this is part of the mainstream movie circuit or if you have to hunt it down, but I recommend looking for it.

Comments

Bend It Like Beckham

[lefkowitzga.livejournal.com]

According to Entertainment Weekly, the movie is playing at only 421 theaters, and still manages to be in the top 20 grossing movies. There are only 3 Pittsburgh theaters showing it right now.

[goljerp]

I noticed Beckham at a multiplex in Chelsea... dunno if that counts as "mainstream".

Re: Shabbatons... It is nice indeed. It also makes a large difference if you're with even one other person who's into Shabbat... because then you can turn things like a walk into a discussion of, say, Pirke Avot...