kallah: (some) services

I attended a variety of services at the kallah (though I did not manage all three each day due to schedule complications). Here are some thoughts on some of them.

Shabbat morning had about six different options. I went to the service led by Rabbi Marcia Prager and Chazan Jack Kessler. I had been planning to go to one described as "standard renewal" to see what that was about, but I was in Jack's class all week, I was impressed by him, and he asked the class to help with something during the torah service, so I went there. It was an interesting service with a lot of good singing and a very unusual torah service. ( Read more... )

Friday night there were two options, one obviously "main" and one more specialized. I went to the main one, which was led by an Israeli music group named Navah Tehila. (Locals, they'll be at Rodef Shalom in a couple weeks.) The music was generally good and powerful, once I got (back) into the right frame of mind. I had been in the right frame of mind when I walked into the room, but something there threw me out of it and it took about an hour to recover. ( Read more... )

I also went to some weekday services. These were very much a mixed bag. ( Read more... )

TV: Merlin

I've been watching a new show, Merlin, which started a few weeks ago. I've seen four episodes so far (one more is waiting for me on the Tivo) and have been enjoying it.

This is a very loose adaptation of the Arthurian legend with Merlin as the focal character. Not the old, powerful, wise Merlin, mind -- this is Merlin's early days, when he hasn't necessarily learned subtlety or good sense yet. Uther Pendragon is king and has a real problem with magic; Merlin comes to Camelot to apprentice to (be fostered by?) Gaius, the royal physician, and in the process meets Prince Arthur, with whom he seems to have something of a love-hate relationship. Because of the ban on magic Merlin has to hide his budding powers, though they slip out from time to time. Nimueh is an evil sorceress who has it in for Camelot, though we haven't yet been told why.

The show is well-written and generally well-acted. Effects are mixed but get the job done. This is an import of a BBC show (on network TV, who'd've thought?); the BBC has already broadcast 13 episodes and signed up for a second run, so even if this tanks here it should be possible to watch the BBC version directly eventually. (The first series is already out on DVD.) I hope it doesn't tank here; the show has promise. (These things are hard to predict, between a summer premiere and US audiences.)