fish out of water?

My synagogue has several committees that focus on various things -- adult ed, worship, fundraising, and all sorts of other things. This is pretty normal. One of these committees is the social-action committee, which focuses on activities to help the surrounding community. These are the folks who usually organize the food drives, the litter picker-uppers, the petition drives for various humanitarian causes, the building of houses with Habitat for Humanity, and so on. And once a year, this committee leads a Shabbat service, as do a couple of the other committees. And when they lead a service, they get a guest speaker.

( Read more... )

services and stuff

I got email yesterday from one of the regulars at my synagogue. She's involved in a local Jewish women's group, and they're organizing a Shabbat service in a few months for that group, and she wanted to know if I'd like to chant Torah for it. Sure, twist my arm. :-)

Tonight at minyan my rabbi asked me how the shiva minyan had gone, and I said it went ok and that it helped me overcome a fear, as it was my first shiva minyan (leading, I mean; I've attended) and I had been apprehensive. I don't think he'd realized that it was my first. There wasn't time to really talk, so we didn't get into it more than that.

The truth is that my rabbi is one of a very small number of people who can ask me to do something and, if it is within my capabilities, I will pretty-automatically do it, even if I don't want to. We might discuss it, but I'd do it. (I wonder whether knowing that would make him happy, or horrified.) I didn't especially want to do a shiva minyan, but it was a learning experience, it wasn't nearly as intimidating as I feared it would be, and it was good for me. And I'll do better next time.