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On Friday night, December 12, 2008, 21 members of our shul and families joined us in the City for a Shabbaton - an opportunity to experience something new and exciting together; a spiritual adventure. We began our Erev Shabbat (Sabbath Evening) with a unique Shabbat dinner at Darna Restaurant on the Upper West Side. This Glatt Kosher Shomer Shabbat (Sabbath observing) establishment served a pre-paid sumptuous meal featuring the cuisine of the Jewish community of Morocco. Flavors both novel and familiar, a variety of middle-eastern salads and subtle spices welcomed us into the Kingdom of Shabbat. All around us, different groups, families and couples each ushered in Shabbat with their own versions of Shalom Aleichem, Kiddush and Birkat HaBanim, the Blessing of Children. Dinner was thus very family-oriented as well as cosmopolitan, blending customs, tastes and melodies from all over the world, each affirming Jewish identity in their own way.
After dinner, we trekked a few blocks to an enormous historic synagogue, built in 1913, the legendary B'nai Jeshurun for Friday night services. Services were well attended with several hundred people joining in the singing, dancing and ruach (spirit) that makes the B'nai Jeshurun experience unique. An ensemble of instruments, including not only guitar and keyboards but also oud and dumbek (traditional middle eastern instruments), enriched the davening, led by two Rabbis. A combination of Reb Shlomo Carlebach's (Chassidic singer-songwriter) melodies with traditional Ashkenazic and Sephardic (European and Levantine) Shabbat songs created an eclectic atmosphere that celebrated Shabbat in so many different ways. During L'cha Dodi, many congregants joined hands and danced joyfully around the shul - a thrilling moment, infused with joy.
Food for the body, soul and spirit - are there aspects of the evening's experience that we can bring back to our shul and enrich Shabbat? We'll be discussing our exploration in subsequent Ritual Committee meetings as well as informal discussions. I would like to thank the Ritual Committee for making this evening possible as well as all of our participants! A special thanks to Ritual Committee member Dr. Cathy Ostroff for her support and liaison with B'nai Jeshurun, enabling the event to happen. Yeshar Ko'ach!
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