Rosh Hashana

[cellio]

Rosh Hashana was mostly very good. My rabbi gave an excellent sermon on Friday night and a pretty good one on Saturday morning; when he posts them on our web site (probably in a few weeks) I'll post a link. Friday night's was about strengthening our connections to God, torah, and Israel; he talked a lot about how a lot of people have children's views of torah (because that's when a lot of people stopped learning) and it's time to come look at the "adult torah" that has things to say about matters we consider important today. That resonates for me (not surprising). I can't do the sermon justice, alas.

I chanted torah Saturday morning and received many compliments, including from the associate rabbi (who's previously heard me read but not chant). We talked a bit about learning portions and I commented that knowledge of the Hebrew helps but I've got a way to go there yet. He said he's interested in doing more with teaching Hebrew, including to adults. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens. He might be a more accessible resource for Hebrew than my rabbi is (because the new guy probably isn't as over-scheduled yet); I wonder what the best way to pursue that would be. (Can I trade for Hebrew tutoring with English tutoring, I wonder?)

During the morning service yesterday it looked like a congregant collapsed; we on the bimah had a clear view as people came in with a wheelchair to take her out (to, I presume, paramedics). I hope she's ok. It was hard not to look, even though I know that if everyone on the bimah is looking at something everyone in the congregation will follow their eyes. I certainly didn't want to contribute to embarrassing that person. My rabbi addressed it rather than ignoring it, which I think is right; he paused after finishing the prayer he was leading and inserted a brief prayer for healing. Good call, I think.

Most Reform Jews don't keep a second day of Rosh Hashana (myself included), but we have enough people who do that we had our first-ever second-day service this year. It had some new English readings; the phrase "creative service" usually makes me suspicious because they can be badly done, but this one was done well and left core liturgy intact. We got lots of positive comments from the 75-100 people who showed up. It'll be interesting to see what happens next year when the second day of Rosh Hashana is on a weekday. Attendance will be down, I'm sure, but if word of today's service spreads, it might still be critical mass.

We had guests Friday night and this afternoon, one couple each time. This allowed for some pleasant conversation without Dani feeling he was too outnumbered. :-) He had previously met (and been to the homes of) both couples.

Saturday was my birthday. I know that in reality, 1000 people did not get together yesterday morning to celebrate my birthday, but it still makes for a good line. :-)

Comments

Rosh HaShanah

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Monica! I found your blog by accident, on pghbloggers. So glad to hear that RH went well, I read Torah too, at Rabbi Chuck's shul (but on Day #2, next year I should insist on reading for the Big Crowd, no?).

Robbin Steif

Re: Rosh HaShanah

[cellio]

Hi Robbin! (Wow, my world just got smaller again.) I didn't realize you were now at Rabbi Chuck's congregation; what's it like there? (Not shopping, just curious.)

The Reform movement reads the Akeidah on the first day, so we read from the same portion. What part did you read? (Last year I read the climax ("no, don't slaughter him after all!"); this year I got the "here's your reward" part.)

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday!

[cellio]

Thanks!

[dagonell.livejournal.com]

Happy Belated Birthday!
-- Dagonell
P.S. I hate it when my birthday falls on a religious holiday. How do you feel about it?
-- D

[cellio]

Thanks!

I don't really care all that much, because I don't tend to make a big deal about birthdays. Though I think I would be bummed if it fell on Yom Kippur, which is possible but hasn't happened to me yet. (Next year I miss it by one day.)

[chaos-wrangler.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday. Lovely party. *g*

[cellio]

Thank you. The singing was great, but there was a deficiency of cake. (At shul, I mean.) :-)

[cafemusique.livejournal.com]

I can certainly imagine some of what you were thinking with that congregant collapsing. This morning at church, an 81-year-old choir member who was on her way to her seat lost her balance and fell into the organ bench and I while I was playing the prelude before the service. She was OK.

And I was caught in a real catch-22. What do I do? I mean, after I figured out what had happened...I freed a hand to make sure that she wasn't going to completely fall down...and she told me she was OK...and then I heard somebody from the congregation come up and ask if she needed help...so I continued to play...because I figured the last thing she'd want would be for the music to stop abruptly and feel even more like everybody in the church was watching her.

I had one of those "what do you say moments" afterwards when she was talking about what a good thing it was I was there or she'd have fallen down...I mean, all I was doing was playing the organ and she sort of fell behind me...right place, right time, I guess.

Although I guess it was that, if I hadn't been there, she probably would have toppled the organ bench...she certainly sent a binder flying that had been sitting beside me on the bench.

[cellio]

That sounds awkward, yes.

In this case I didn't even see the collapse (people were seated at the time); my first hint that something was wrong was the wheelchair being rolled in. I imagine that the person fainted (or whatever) and someone sitting nearby went for help, but that's speculative.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday!

Sounds like a good RH.

[cellio]

Thanks!

[psu-jedi.livejournal.com]

L'Shanah Tova! And belated birthday wishes as well!

[cellio]

Thank you! And l'shana tova to you too!