adira5780

[adira5780]

My shul often just barely scrapes by a minyan on Shabbat, but tonight there were over 75 people there and hearing that many people recite the Shema together was so beautiful and powerful I almost started crying!!!

Also, our shul has no dedicated cantor, we fly one in from elsewhere for the high holidays. There are 2 we have used in my time here: a woman who was raised in our community and went elsewhere as an adult, and a man who is a friend of my rabbi's from a previous synagogue he worked at.

And I like the singing of the woman who grew up in our community because she uses the same melodies I'm used to, but she's a soprano and I always try to match her pitch even though I am decidedly NOT a soprano, so it's difficult to sing along. And I like the man who knows my rabbi because his singing is comfortably in my range, but he uses melodies I'm completely unfamiliar with, so it's still difficult to sing along!

[adira5780]

[adira5780]

Whenever i get stoned i get really religious. Like, normally im agnostic/atheist (jew) but weed makes me certain that G-d is real and loves me. It kinda rocks

Smoking that [JOKE PENDING]

[adira5780]

[adira5780]

now i want you to toot long and hard about what you've done

[adira5780]

This is a friendly heads up that the Oxford School of Rare Jewish Languages has opened applications for their language classes beginning in Michaelmas term (October) 2023. They offer classes in 18 Jewish languages, including Old Yiddish. Classes are on Zoom, so applicants can live anywhere in the world. The deadline to apply is September 5, 2023.

[adira5780]

[adira5780]

I made challah today for the first time in foreverrrrrrr (like I think it's been a year?) and I'm so excited!

It's scallion pancake flavoured at my wife's enthusiastic request! I use this recipe for the dough (minus the garlic powder and rosemary) and then fill it as described in this recipe.

(If you do make the scallion pancake challah, be careful not to overdo it with the sesame oil. Don't coat the entire piece, leave room on either edge so you can properly pinch them together. If they're oily they won't stick together and then everything will fall out as you braid it or as it bakes. I learned this the hard way).

The green onions are fresh cut from our garden too! 😁

I'm excited to try them!!! I worry I may have over-kneaded the dough because I haven't made it in so long, but it rose well and seems to be very light and fluffy, so I think I'm ok?

Gut Shabbes everyone!

[adira5780]

[adira5780]

one of the replies on the "please don't plan events on rosh hashanah and yom kippur" post was like "i don't understand, how does it interfere? is it because events would be noisy and disturb people in synagogue?"

it didn't occur to them that we would want to attend the events

[adira5780]

Reading reviews for havdalah candles written by unsuspecting Christian housewives who bought them to use for dinner candles is my new passion. I’ll be laughing for an eternity.

[adira5780]

I haven't listened to it for a long time but when I was really into podcasts I really enjoyed Response Radio.

Trying to find some good podcasts to listen to and a general search for Judaism pulls up entirely too much Christianity in the Podcasts app. 🫠

Anyway, if anyone has any recommendations for podcasts for someone just beginning their conversion to Judaism, please let me know! I kind of ended up overwhelmed with the amount of fun-looking podcasts but most of them are a bit more in depth than beginners level. 😓

[adira5780]

The funeral was this morning. It was very nice, but it was... Off? The man the funeral was for was always such a fixture at shul, I kept looking for him while there and it was so strange that he wasn't sitting with everyone. His absence was everywhere.

I'm very glad my wife reminded me to bring tissues because I was very teary for it.

There were a lot of beautiful, touching things said. He'll be sorely missed.

[adira5780]

Someone who converted in my conversion group with me passed away last night and I am completely stunned by it. I don't have any details about what happened, just what his wife posted on Facebook this morning.

He was in his 40s I think with 2 kids under 12 and I'm just so heartbroken for his family.

[adira5780]

I attended shul for the first time since pesach for a kabshab service and it was a big event (there was a Purpose but it's fairly identifiable if I say what it is I think)

And it was so amazing to be there with hundreds of people (when my shul often struggles to make a minyan) all singing the same songs together and I felt so warm and peaceful being there ❤️

[adira5780]

"But remember that an "angel" is anything that carries out a mission for God. This includes forces of nature. An angel doesn't have to be an intimidating, fiery being... Photosynthesis? That's an angel. Gravity? An angel. Magnetism? Angel. The Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah (chapter 1) says than an angel only performs one job. That job doesn't have to be destroying Sodom; it could be peristalsis, centripetal force or condensation."

- Rabbi Jack Abramowitz, The God Papers

[adira5780]

Whether you can/should go without calling first is really dependent on where you are and the culture of the individual synagogue too. Some places are totally fine with strangers coming to services but a lot of places are a bit uncomfortable with it and some places (I think especially in Europe from what I've heard) won't let you in if they don't know you.

So to be safe, I'd suggest reaching out in advance just to make sure everyone is on the same page and you won't have any unfortunate experiences.

Be aware that some synagogues can be painfully slow to get back to you by email, so a phone call might be more efficient!

Good luck!

question for jumblr (converts I am looking at you for any personal stories/advice/anecdotes on this)

I’m the kind of person that acts like I need to ask for permission to exist and idk Where exactly that comes from but it’s an issue nonetheless.

I’ve been wanting to go to Shabbat services at one of my local synagogues for a while, and the rabbi I’m going to be taking classes from (in another city) thinks I should start attending before the class actually starts, and I agree.

This is where my aforementioned issue comes into play.

Should I call or email them to ask if they’d be okay with me coming by for a service sometime (with the context of me working on converting)? My friend, who’s not Jewish, thinks I should just Go To A Service and not overthink it, but. This isn’t a church. I know you can do that with churches but obviously I have far less experience with synagogues. How should I go about this in a way that makes everyone feel safe and respected? Or am I, in fact, overthinking this?