Shabbat at the shul

For the first time in months I had a full Shabbat for myself: no guests or visits to honor, a very quiet family life and any other social obligations or worries. Add to this a wonderful weather outside and you'll have the perfect combination - for a barbecue or a trip outside the city you might think? not at all - and motivation for spending more time at the shul. For erev Shabbat and today I spent a lot of time coming and going from and to the synagogue. A great opportunity to think a lot about what do I have to do for the New Year.

There were lots of people in the shul: from new borns to respectable elders, nicely dressed girls not tall enough to touch the mezuzah, new and old observers, from different corners of the world and different social habits and siddurs. I tried as much as possible to pray but also to observe the variety of people. With a bit of attention and imagination it was easy to create stories of life, survival and family journeys. Yesterday I attended a bat mitzvah and I add to my observation dish also some remarks about the new generational trends among modern Jewish girls.

Diversity is always the spice of life and I am always happy to enjoy the differences. One of the things I love a lot during the high holidays is how people from different and sometimes antagonistic backgrounds are turning back to their roots by attending the ceremonies, in the synagogues or in private meetings, at the reform, modern, orthodox or chassidic synagogues or gatherings. In such moments, we realize how important is to be together and to find the community that fits you, and to have around your family and all those sharing your love.

Shavua tov to you all!