I have never been to a Synagogue. As a part of one
of my ongoing “I have never...” goals, making a visit to a Synagogue represents
the last experience in my effort to connect of the major forms of faith I have
never experienced before this year. Although I had intended to experience
Judaism for the first time much earlier in my “I have never...” year, the
timing of other one-time events and opportunities for other religious
experiences prevented me from fulfilling that objective. As a result, I made a
firm commitment to follow through on my intentions to experience Judaism during
the month of February.
With a firm deadline set for the experience, I
began searching for potential events at local Synagogues that I thought would
provide the fullest experience. At the recommendation of my friend, David, this
search ultimately led me to a Madison Synagogue, the Beth-El Temple, which
openly welcomes individuals from outside Judaism that are interested in
learning more about the faith. To my surprise, the Synagogue offered a variety
of weekly services that each offered a unique appeal; however, I ultimately
decided that the Friday evening choral Shabbat service would likely provide a
well-rounded look at the practices of Judaism. That decision made it easy to
pinpoint this evening as a perfect time to make good on my objective, which set
the course for a moving and incredibly uplifting experience that was, in many
ways, completely unexpected.
After stopping home this evening to pick up
Rachael, the two of us headed to the Beth-El Temple with plenty of time to
spare before the service began. When we arrived, we met a relatively large
group of people filing their way into the building and casually congregating in
a large open room just outside the temple’s inner hall. The jovial spirits and
welcoming nature of those in attendance was immediately apparent as Rachael and
I gathered our bearings and prepared for the forthcoming event. Moving from the
coat room to the central gathering place we were greeted with warm smiles and animate
greetings.
“Shabbat Shalom!” each person enthusiastically
stated as our paths crossed, leaving Rachael and I a bit taken by the openness
of the group. Although I knew everyone in attendance saw my face as unfamiliar,
I did my best to blend it by returning the greeting to passersby after Rachael
and I took up a position near the entrance of the meeting room. As the room
filled up around us I was stunned by the convivial essence that flowed through
each person and filled the room around us. Each glance across the room was
certain to fall on a smiling face, and the stories people shared with one
another made it feel as though Rachael and I had been welcomed into a large, happy
family gathering. The experience was already amazing and the Shabbat service
had yet to begin.
Amid the stirring crowd of happy faces a man
eventually appeared and made his way toward a table holding two massive silver
candles and a chalice. The robe draped over each of his shoulders made it
apparent he was the temple’s Rabbi, but his demeanor showed no signs of
authority among those in attendance. He was equally enthusiastic and congenial
as he interacted with all of the smiling people around him in his path toward
the table. Upon reaching his destination, he turned toward the crowd and
bellowed over the stirring crowd, “Shabbat Shalom, everyone!” The crowd
responded in kind before the Rabbi continued, “Welcome! It’s great to see all
of you here tonight. If we are ready I would like to light the candles and
begin our Shabbat service.” In response, the group around us all turned toward
the Rabbi and nodded in approval. I smiled at the sight around me in
anticipation of the experience that was just moments away. I could simply tell
it would be an evening to remember.
Against the backdrop of a guitar played by one of
the people in attendance, the crowd sang along as three members of the group
moved to the rear of the table and prepared the space. At the conclusion of the
song, the trio immediately led the group in a prayer as they lit the candles
and prepared to sip wine from the waiting chalice. Although the content of the
prayer was foreign to me, the rolling, quiet movement of the Hebrew passage was
beautiful to me in a way that is hard to describe. Unlike other forms of prayer
I have experienced, the opening prayer this evening wasn’t solemn. It didn’t
ring of obligation. It was outwardly expressive and thankful, and it seemed to
draw each of us in attendance closer together.
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| The temple |
When the prayer drew to a close, the Rabbi turned
to the crowd with a smile and lifted his arm. “Please, if everyone will join me
in the temple, we will get the service underway.” Happy to oblige, Rachael and
I moved into the temple chamber with the rest of the group and took a seat
among the benches contained therein. As we did so, the woman playing the guitar
met a small choir with an upbeat, melodic song that swelled into the space
around us.
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| The prayer book |
Joyful, the Rabbi looked on as the choir sang and
people found their seats. Eventually finding his place behind a podium at the
front of the room, the Rabbi followed the music with a welcoming message before
leading the group into a series of prayers. Balanced between passages of
recital and hymns, each prayer offered perspective on the intended message of
the evening and of the faith as a whole, but unlike the forms of prayer I have
experienced prior the prayers maintained the uplifting, celebratory theme that
was apparent since the start of the evening. With up tempo music and song
abundant, the service was bright and vibrant, and the consistent focus on
finding hope in struggle and overcoming adversity through reliance on peace and
love was powerful. I sat in awe of the spirit that came with the Shabbat
service and the warm sense of emotion it evoked.
As the Rabbi pressed deeper into the service this
focus never wavered. When leading the chamber through prayers for loved ones,
the Rabbi reminded everyone of the passage of time and our need to make the
most of each moment before he moved to the body of the passage. As he spoke, he
moved away from his podium and down into the rows of pews where he invited
members of the crowd to call out names of loved ones for prayer and
remembrance. It was unlike anything I have witnessed in a religious ceremony
before, but it was wonderful and touching. It created a feeling of togetherness
and understanding that reached deep and it gave everyone a chance to know they
had help carrying their heaviest concerns. The brilliance of it all was
astonishing, which made it impossible not to feel lifted by the happenings
around me.
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| The Torah |
The conclusion of the prayers led the group into
more traditional songs led by the choir as the Rabbi moved to prepare for the
evening’s Torah reading. Carefully removing the massive scrolled document from
a chamber at the front of the building, the Rabbi moved through a series of
rituals before carrying the document through the rows of seated worshippers. As
the document passed through the group, each person offered their respects by
grazing the scroll with a personal book of worship and then gently raising the
book to their lips. The energy still flowing through the room carried this
process with relative speed, which resulted in the Rabbi taking to the podium
at the front of the room and opening the scroll to locate the section for the
night’s reading.
In response, a small elderly woman moved from the
pews to the stage and took position in front of the Torah. As the music filling
the room fell to silence, the woman looked over the Torah carefully and raised
a small guiding stick to the scroll’s aged paper. Quietly, she began to sing
lines of text from the holy document, guiding the group through a segment of
the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments. Although the soft melody carrying
the Hebrew text was entirely foreign to me, the words held a strange sense of
meaning. As a result, I grabbed a prayer book from a small shelf on the back of
the pew in front of me and hurriedly located the translated text for the passage
the woman sang. The result was a passing moment of connection in a subdued
moment of praise, which left a resonating impact as the reading ended and the
service began to draw to a close.
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| The post-service gathering |
Following some final remarks and blessings of the
service, the Rabbi invited the congregation out to the gathering room for some
food and companionship to wrap up the night. His remarks caused me to check the
time as the temple began to empty into the adjoining room. To my surprise,
nearly two hours had passed since the start of the service when it had only
felt a brief period in time. The only conclusion I could reach from that
discovery was that the exuberance of the service and its consistent focus on strength
and will through faith were so engaging they left me unaware of the passage of
time. To me, that says a lot about the approach and the meaning of tonight’s
experience, and it makes it easy to determine I would gladly join another
Shabbat service in the future.
Before Rachael and I headed home for the evening,
we took some time to join the members of the temple in breaking bread and
carrying on in conversation. As we did so the Rabbi made a point to come and
speak to us. “Shabbat Shalom!” he said as he walked near our location. I
responded in kind, surprised by his continuing enthusiasm. Introducing himself
as Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, he welcomed Rachael and I to the temple and asked us
what brought us to the night’s service. I offered a brief explanation for our
time at the temple, which cause Rabbi Biatch to smile. “Well, we are happy you
came,” he said, “What did you think?” I paused momentarily in response to his
question. “It’s hard to describe,” I said thinking, “I guess... if I had to
describe it, I would say it bright... The brightest religious service I have
ever encountered, actually. It inspired joy and hope, and I can always use more
of both.” In response to my remarks, the Rabbi grabbed my shoulder and said
candidly, “Now, that I can gladly accept.”
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