Shabbat Shalom

Yesterday I attended my first shabbat at a shul. Shul = synagogue. I've always wanted to go and experience a service, and I daresay it was nothing short of beautiful. Out of respect, I did not take any photos - all digital devices are strictly forbidden - oh and writing is also not allowed. I attended Anshe Emet - a relatively large congregation in Irving Park and on this particular Shabbat, a 13 year old girl Ariel was celebrating her bat mitzvah. The synagogue was beautiful with stained glass windows, each depicting the founding fathers of the Hebrew faith - you know Moses, Abraham, and the like. No crosses anywhere - well duh. Most of the service was the reading, or rather singing, of the Torah in Hebrew. Ariel, this cute 13 year old girl spoke with clarity and confidence up on the sanctuary, on how she has to find unique ways to relate to God in a generation where relationships are often limited or defined via facebook statuses. How do kids these days relate to the God of the Torah, God of the Bible, God of the Koran? "God prevents us from having a superficial relationship like facebook...in order to relate to God, I will continue to search for the wonder, beauty in the world..." - Ariel. I thought that was pretty deep for a 13 year old.

In the Torah reading, I couldn't help but notice the commentary section on this verse:

Exodus 33:19 "I will make all my goodness pass before you..."

"We encounter the reality of God when we experience goodness in the world, from the gift of life itself to the discovery of the capacity to do good in our own souls, and the love and generosity of people around us whom God has inspired to do good."

That resonated within me. But not sure if this means that we have to recognize and acknowledge that the goodness we experience is of God, from God, is God? Or is it enough to just experience the goodness and share the generosity?

Anyways, the service had little expository. They just keep to the word. And to their voices, no instruments for worship. It was nice, it was like - here is God's word, what else do you need? And I thought I would feel completely out of place - foreign, alien - but to my surprise I felt quite comfortable. In fact I felt even more at home then I do at many church services. We were reading verses that I am familiar with and have read many times before. They relate to God in the same ways I relate to God. Really their God, is my God. And because it was somewhat different, the setup, the style, I felt it so refreshing - a new perspective, a new place where I was able to see another side of God. After the service there was a beautiful spread for Ariel's bat mitzvah, with centerpieces of pink tulips and a delicious buffet of kosher foods. Had my fill of Matzah and macaroons before ending my first passover Shabbat.

Key Takeaways:
1) Ariel - insightful young Jewish girl with loaded parents
2) The Jewish people's reverence for God's word is beautiful
3) Don't use cell phones during shabbat service
4) At the end of the day, Jewish Shul service, not that different from a Christian Church service