![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
My parents are thinking about joining a shul again (they haven't belonged to one for about 5-7 years, longer for my dad), and this time, rather than the Reform shul where I (and my father, the appropriate amount of time earlier) grew up, they're looking into joining the Conservative shul where we held our wedding. It is, by no doubt, by reputation at least, the shul I'd want to go to in that area, if I lived close enough.
ANd this week, my mom went to shul. That's a traditional service, which goes way faster than she can read Hebrew, and she doesn't really know the structure. But she enjoyed it- because people were taking responsibility, because everyone was involved, because the singing was good (the most important thing, for my mom)... It was a big thing to do- I remember how intimidating it was to go to a shul where I couldn't follow the service or keep up, and I'm terribly proud of her for doing it, and for enjoying it.
It also makes me feel like my folks are making this movement to get to understand me and my world, and that makes me feel very special. I don't need them to meet me where I am, or do what I do. But having them check it out, build some understanding and get comfortable with some more of it? It's amazing, just the idea of it. And the notion that it felt good? Just rocks my world.
Yesterday, at shul, the rabbi praised H's grandmother for her ability to both teach her children and to learn from them, and to see how they've affected all different parts of the Jewish world. (Seeing an Orthodox rabbi praise the whole spectrum of the Jewish community is pretty lovely too, but that's off topic.) Seeing my parents work on the same things, (seeing that my sister and I are in very different places, too) is really inspiring.
ANd this week, my mom went to shul. That's a traditional service, which goes way faster than she can read Hebrew, and she doesn't really know the structure. But she enjoyed it- because people were taking responsibility, because everyone was involved, because the singing was good (the most important thing, for my mom)... It was a big thing to do- I remember how intimidating it was to go to a shul where I couldn't follow the service or keep up, and I'm terribly proud of her for doing it, and for enjoying it.
It also makes me feel like my folks are making this movement to get to understand me and my world, and that makes me feel very special. I don't need them to meet me where I am, or do what I do. But having them check it out, build some understanding and get comfortable with some more of it? It's amazing, just the idea of it. And the notion that it felt good? Just rocks my world.
Yesterday, at shul, the rabbi praised H's grandmother for her ability to both teach her children and to learn from them, and to see how they've affected all different parts of the Jewish world. (Seeing an Orthodox rabbi praise the whole spectrum of the Jewish community is pretty lovely too, but that's off topic.) Seeing my parents work on the same things, (seeing that my sister and I are in very different places, too) is really inspiring.