Sukkot
Monday night at Sukkot services our new educator rabbi did something nifty. Monday night is a school night (for the teens), so he told them they wouldn't be skipping that for the holiday. Instead, they all gathered in the congregational sukkah for dinner before, and partway during, services. The whole group came in after the introductory prayers, and during the "sermon slot" they explained what they'd been doing.
There is a tradition during Sukkot of metaphorically inviting extra guests to meals -- the patriarchs, Moshe, King David, etc (one per night). It's sort of like how Eliyahu is invited to the Pesach seder (among other things). Egalitarian-minded Jews have added prominent women to this list. The rabbi explained that while the class knew all that (and did so), tonight they had focused not on reaching back but reaching "sideways". Groups of students then got up and talked about members of the local community who were significant in various ways -- a teacher, a leader in social justice, and so on. These people, unlike the historical guests, were actually present. It was nifty because while, yes, it did honor those people, it seemed like it was more focused on teaching the values for which those people were being honored.
My rabbi invited me and one other married-but-there-solo person onto the bimah for "candles and kiddush", though it turned out to be just candles because there's a special kiddush for the holiday and the rabbi chanted it. (I could have, but it's his prerogative.) This invitation is significant because this is usually owned by couples, and I've commented to my rabbi that this feels a little isolating to those of us who aren't. So yay! Maybe I've been heard.
Tuesday morning my rabbi asked me to be one of the readers for Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), the special reading for this holiday. (We read in English, so this can be given to anyone, so I never volunteer -- I defer to people who would be challenged by other roles.) We read from the JPS translation (which isn't online so I can't easily share), and there was some stuff at the end of chapter 7 that I found challenging (seeming to say that women are traps for men who would be wise, and stuff like that). But here's something interesting: this Jewish translation seems different in small but important ways, and tracks with another I found of unknown background. So what's up with this, I wonder? Time to see what I can glean from the Hebrew myself, it seems. I want to improve my text skills anyway.
The weather for the opening days of Sukkot has been lovely. It's supposed to get colder now, though, and it rained today (but was clear by dinner-time). So we'll see. But at least I'll have gotten a few meals in my sukkah.
I met a new neighbor while I was putting the sukkah up, by the way. The house next door apparently changed hands this spring (based on the appearance of realtors and moving vans), but I hadn't actually seen anyone yet (other than the crew doing renovations). There's a fence between the houses in the back, so usually we can't see each other, but one of the new owners happened to be walking out while I was standing on a ladder rolling out my s'chach (roof). I think she was startled to see me. :-) So at some point we'll spend more time talking; she was on her way out and, well, I was standing on a ladder putting up my sukkah. But it's nice to know that we do in fact have neighbors.
There is a tradition during Sukkot of metaphorically inviting extra guests to meals -- the patriarchs, Moshe, King David, etc (one per night). It's sort of like how Eliyahu is invited to the Pesach seder (among other things). Egalitarian-minded Jews have added prominent women to this list. The rabbi explained that while the class knew all that (and did so), tonight they had focused not on reaching back but reaching "sideways". Groups of students then got up and talked about members of the local community who were significant in various ways -- a teacher, a leader in social justice, and so on. These people, unlike the historical guests, were actually present. It was nifty because while, yes, it did honor those people, it seemed like it was more focused on teaching the values for which those people were being honored.
My rabbi invited me and one other married-but-there-solo person onto the bimah for "candles and kiddush", though it turned out to be just candles because there's a special kiddush for the holiday and the rabbi chanted it. (I could have, but it's his prerogative.) This invitation is significant because this is usually owned by couples, and I've commented to my rabbi that this feels a little isolating to those of us who aren't. So yay! Maybe I've been heard.
Tuesday morning my rabbi asked me to be one of the readers for Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), the special reading for this holiday. (We read in English, so this can be given to anyone, so I never volunteer -- I defer to people who would be challenged by other roles.) We read from the JPS translation (which isn't online so I can't easily share), and there was some stuff at the end of chapter 7 that I found challenging (seeming to say that women are traps for men who would be wise, and stuff like that). But here's something interesting: this Jewish translation seems different in small but important ways, and tracks with another I found of unknown background. So what's up with this, I wonder? Time to see what I can glean from the Hebrew myself, it seems. I want to improve my text skills anyway.
The weather for the opening days of Sukkot has been lovely. It's supposed to get colder now, though, and it rained today (but was clear by dinner-time). So we'll see. But at least I'll have gotten a few meals in my sukkah.
I met a new neighbor while I was putting the sukkah up, by the way. The house next door apparently changed hands this spring (based on the appearance of realtors and moving vans), but I hadn't actually seen anyone yet (other than the crew doing renovations). There's a fence between the houses in the back, so usually we can't see each other, but one of the new owners happened to be walking out while I was standing on a ladder rolling out my s'chach (roof). I think she was startled to see me. :-) So at some point we'll spend more time talking; she was on her way out and, well, I was standing on a ladder putting up my sukkah. But it's nice to know that we do in fact have neighbors.