Rosh HaShanah

THis felt like the holiday I forgot was going to happen. I was so wrapped up in preparations and logistics beforehand that I hadn't really remembered to expect the actual holiday. It worked out pretty well, but I felt not as intensely focused as I'd have liked, or as I have been some other years. I did follow and understand the liturgy much better than in the past, but I didn't get myself into that place where I could find significance in individual words as I often manage- something I missed. It wasn't actually bad davenning- it was just a sort of quieter, less intense time-with-G-d than it might have been. Not the sort of experience I associate with the High Holy Days, quite. The human side of the holiday was good though, over all: several very nice meals with good company, some good quiet time with zodiacmg. On the down side, I seem to have made my mid-to-lower back muscles cranky this afternoon. Hopefully they'll get over it soon.

But things went fairly smoothly, over all. We had a few technical glitches: we almost didn't have folding chairs on the bima for the people who lifted torahs, and we ended up with the mega-torah this year (something we usually try and foist off on the Orthodox minyan, which doesn't Seem to object), which meant a very fumbled hagbah (lifting the torah so everyone can see the part that was just read) the first day- but it didn't fall. Still, I feel guilty about not having given that particular part to someone a bit better prepared- the only thing was that I'd forgotten we had that torah: we never have before, so I forgot all about that issue. But other than that, most of my giving-out-things-to-do-in-the-service went pretty well. And I'm very happy to have given Cindy that much of an easier time with things. I hope someone picks up the role next year. Maybe I should leave a note with some tips for whomever that is.

Tashlich was a bit of a downer- I walked over to the Charles with some folks rather than sticking at Yakus, since it's a. sort of preferable and b. prettier. That in itself sounds like a good beginning, but one or two of said folks didn't really want to get into the appropriate mood and spent the time making loud jokes about throwing bread crumbs into the water and having them be fished out and made into Communion wafers (why they thought this was funny, or even how they dreamed it up, I don't know), and skipping stones unsuccessfully. We made an attempt at creative liturgy (aka, picking some Psalms to read) but I didn't really know how to direct it, and it felt sort of uninspired. I'd sort of like to give it another shot on my own or with a different crowd. On the other hand, I've done it already- don't know if it's repeatable or not. I'm not sure if it even falls into those categories- it's folk religion, really.

And now, it feels like it should be Saturday night, but instead I have homework and a fast-day tomorrow and a paper due Friday. It feels very much like cognitive dissonance after the peace of holiday time.

Rosh HaShanah

THis felt like the holiday I forgot was going to happen. I was so wrapped up in preparations and logistics beforehand that I hadn't really remembered to expect the actual holiday. It worked out pretty well, but I felt not as intensely focused as I'd have liked, or as I have been some other years. I did follow and understand the liturgy much better than in the past, but I didn't get myself into that place where I could find significance in individual words as I often manage- something I missed. It wasn't actually bad davenning- it was just a sort of quieter, less intense time-with-G-d than it might have been. Not the sort of experience I associate with the High Holy Days, quite. The human side of the holiday was good though, over all: several very nice meals with good company, some good quiet time with zodiacmg. On the down side, I seem to have made my mid-to-lower back muscles cranky this afternoon. Hopefully they'll get over it soon.

But things went fairly smoothly, over all. We had a few technical glitches: we almost didn't have folding chairs on the bima for the people who lifted torahs, and we ended up with the mega-torah this year (something we usually try and foist off on the Orthodox minyan, which doesn't Seem to object), which meant a very fumbled hagbah (lifting the torah so everyone can see the part that was just read) the first day- but it didn't fall. Still, I feel guilty about not having given that particular part to someone a bit better prepared- the only thing was that I'd forgotten we had that torah: we never have before, so I forgot all about that issue. But other than that, most of my giving-out-things-to-do-in-the-service went pretty well. And I'm very happy to have given Cindy that much of an easier time with things. I hope someone picks up the role next year. Maybe I should leave a note with some tips for whomever that is.

Tashlich was a bit of a downer- I walked over to the Charles with some folks rather than sticking at Yakus, since it's a. sort of preferable and b. prettier. That in itself sounds like a good beginning, but one or two of said folks didn't really want to get into the appropriate mood and spent the time making loud jokes about throwing bread crumbs into the water and having them be fished out and made into Communion wafers (why they thought this was funny, or even how they dreamed it up, I don't know), and skipping stones unsuccessfully. We made an attempt at creative liturgy (aka, picking some Psalms to read) but I didn't really know how to direct it, and it felt sort of uninspired. I'd sort of like to give it another shot on my own or with a different crowd. On the other hand, I've done it already- don't know if it's repeatable or not. I'm not sure if it even falls into those categories- it's folk religion, really.

And now, it feels like it should be Saturday night, but instead I have homework and a fast-day tomorrow and a paper due Friday. It feels very much like cognitive dissonance after the peace of holiday time.