Simchat Torah
Oct 14th, 2006
Warszawa, Polska
Before this island in time vanishes from my thoughts, and havdalah is done, I share this story.
This fresh experience.
This memory.
The day was grey and I felt so grey inside.
The kind of day you leave the house and just want to come back and crawl into bed, but you don’t. You wander around your home cleaning and moving things around.
I did some laundry and the dishes, swept and check e-mail a bunch.
I redid Shabbat last night and it was super. In the Sukkah with my lady friend O.
We said the blessings, sang some pretty songs together to welcome in this special moment while below us people were boarding the bus.
As we finished with “Shabbat Shalom” and a big OM from lady O, the street was silent.
The OM finished and the cars began again.
How the universal listens at little moments is truly amazing. But I also have to know to listen for it.
So our challot was Pineapple pizza pieces with peppers on top, covered with a striped napkin and our wine was a little more like piwo, but plum flavoured. So they both count!
The moment was just right. It fixed my earlier non-shabbat make-beliveland of something not familiar to me.
But, still it was in me. I was still digesting it on this very grey day today.
Was not sure I would go to Twarda but Kasia was back in town, on the same tram root and it gave me that extra reason to go.
So, a bit after 6pm I waited in the cold night , boarded the tram, found Kasia 4 stops towards the city center and we were off.
Before we reach the synagogue a jar of juice was bought and we passed the sleeping police cars and trucks just in case.
We entered, down stairs everyone together talking and moving around, pews moved back and space.
Then, upstairs or to the back.
So up we went. I took some deep breaths in and just followed and looked around. The energy was pure, noisy and spiritual.
Separate but it didn’t seem to bother me, it was actually nice.
I looked down to see tops of colourful circles on heads and some eyes reaching mine. Shhhh.
I looked a way at the ladies next to me. Some used to take the 522 or 180 south and now they come here, in the city center for prayer and community.
Could I do this? What could I do?
Afterwards Old frozen bagel one asks me If I would be interested in a women’s service.
I would. More then ever.
So, a little bit of this and that understanding some with the echoes and then we went down stairs.
The magic began. Ladies and Men separately but in the same space.
The Torah was passed to us and was held like a baby. We stared to spin and clap and sing . The men just a few meters away doing the same. Also holding each other, the torah and spinning each other around. Jews of all kinds and traditions all together praising this book of stories that is told over and over again with new wisdom to be shared all around.
We dance and sing more and more, so many times the torah returns to us and is passed around. I kept my distance for my first. Perhaps next it will reach my hands. But for this time, I enjoyed watching, dancing singing and clapping all around. I can feel it inside me, my heart and soul and mind that I have some of this energy in my blood, this tradition.
The way the dancing happens the love that is all around. The community that is created.
She returns to our hands of life again and again that I can’t keep track, was that 4x or 5,” I ask.
We then dance over to a women who will is ready to deliver twins on Wednesday. We touch the torah to her and dance by her, sing to her and watch her glow. We dance together with an American, Canadian, Israel, Polish, Jew. We are here for this moment and I’m glad I have a keeper this mind picture in my soul.
The candy comes from the sky, from all around, the songs get louder, we eat as children run around our dancing. Some might say chaos, I would say community to the fullest. Everyone believing, loving and enjoying in their own moveable ways but together. Also creating a memory that sticks.
The American about 75 yr. old said how special it was to see this a live moment after visiting all the old death around PL.
I also said her is lucky to be here.
I was lucky.
The Universe wants this.
We headed outside and danced some more, cradling this scroll book of inspiration and danced again. Singing with all.
Inside once more with so many under the Chuppah reading and prayer, how many can you fit?
Candy flies into our hands and we begin again.
We begin again with love and a new week.
Chag Sameach and Shavua Tov
Laura, Lorka, Lauraleh, lo-lo
Oct 14th, 2006
Warszawa, Polska
Before this island in time vanishes from my thoughts, and havdalah is done, I share this story.
This fresh experience.
This memory.
The day was grey and I felt so grey inside.
The kind of day you leave the house and just want to come back and crawl into bed, but you don’t. You wander around your home cleaning and moving things around.
I did some laundry and the dishes, swept and check e-mail a bunch.
I redid Shabbat last night and it was super. In the Sukkah with my lady friend O.
We said the blessings, sang some pretty songs together to welcome in this special moment while below us people were boarding the bus.
As we finished with “Shabbat Shalom” and a big OM from lady O, the street was silent.
The OM finished and the cars began again.
How the universal listens at little moments is truly amazing. But I also have to know to listen for it.
So our challot was Pineapple pizza pieces with peppers on top, covered with a striped napkin and our wine was a little more like piwo, but plum flavoured. So they both count!
The moment was just right. It fixed my earlier non-shabbat make-beliveland of something not familiar to me.
But, still it was in me. I was still digesting it on this very grey day today.
Was not sure I would go to Twarda but Kasia was back in town, on the same tram root and it gave me that extra reason to go.
So, a bit after 6pm I waited in the cold night , boarded the tram, found Kasia 4 stops towards the city center and we were off.
Before we reach the synagogue a jar of juice was bought and we passed the sleeping police cars and trucks just in case.
We entered, down stairs everyone together talking and moving around, pews moved back and space.
Then, upstairs or to the back.
So up we went. I took some deep breaths in and just followed and looked around. The energy was pure, noisy and spiritual.
Separate but it didn’t seem to bother me, it was actually nice.
I looked down to see tops of colourful circles on heads and some eyes reaching mine. Shhhh.
I looked a way at the ladies next to me. Some used to take the 522 or 180 south and now they come here, in the city center for prayer and community.
Could I do this? What could I do?
Afterwards Old frozen bagel one asks me If I would be interested in a women’s service.
I would. More then ever.
So, a little bit of this and that understanding some with the echoes and then we went down stairs.
The magic began. Ladies and Men separately but in the same space.
The Torah was passed to us and was held like a baby. We stared to spin and clap and sing . The men just a few meters away doing the same. Also holding each other, the torah and spinning each other around. Jews of all kinds and traditions all together praising this book of stories that is told over and over again with new wisdom to be shared all around.
We dance and sing more and more, so many times the torah returns to us and is passed around. I kept my distance for my first. Perhaps next it will reach my hands. But for this time, I enjoyed watching, dancing singing and clapping all around. I can feel it inside me, my heart and soul and mind that I have some of this energy in my blood, this tradition.
The way the dancing happens the love that is all around. The community that is created.
She returns to our hands of life again and again that I can’t keep track, was that 4x or 5,” I ask.
We then dance over to a women who will is ready to deliver twins on Wednesday. We touch the torah to her and dance by her, sing to her and watch her glow. We dance together with an American, Canadian, Israel, Polish, Jew. We are here for this moment and I’m glad I have a keeper this mind picture in my soul.
The candy comes from the sky, from all around, the songs get louder, we eat as children run around our dancing. Some might say chaos, I would say community to the fullest. Everyone believing, loving and enjoying in their own moveable ways but together. Also creating a memory that sticks.
The American about 75 yr. old said how special it was to see this a live moment after visiting all the old death around PL.
I also said her is lucky to be here.
I was lucky.
The Universe wants this.
We headed outside and danced some more, cradling this scroll book of inspiration and danced again. Singing with all.
Inside once more with so many under the Chuppah reading and prayer, how many can you fit?
Candy flies into our hands and we begin again.
We begin again with love and a new week.
Chag Sameach and Shavua Tov
Laura, Lorka, Lauraleh, lo-lo
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