High Holy Day Blues.

[nyssa23]

There's a popular stereotype--which, like all stereotypes, contains a grain of truth--of the twice-a-year Jew, only attending services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Oddly enough, it looks like this year I'll be the opposite of that stereotype, since I've been attending services faithfully every Shabbat but I'll be missing them on the High Holy

Comments

[kassrachel]

It sounds like breaking up with your sponsor was a good idea; I'm glad you were able to do that, though I imagine it was difficult in a lot of ways.

And I'm really sorry that doing to HHD services this year isn't possible for you. That's a bummer indeed. I agree with you that dues are a reasonable thing (especially if it's possible to pay on a sliding scale) -- speaking as someone who hopes to work in the rabbinate someday, I have a keen appreciation for how much work goes into running a synagogue both practically and religiously, and I know that without dues, no shul in the world could actually pay its rabbi! *g* -- but I also empathize with your frustration, a lot. If it's any consolation, I often find that I enjoy Shabbat services far more than High Holiday services; many shuls pull out all the stops for the Days of Awe, which can mean extra-formal and fancy (and long) services, which are actually difficult for many of us to access spiritually.

I feel like I've made some big progress in my life over the past year and I'm proud