My dear Friends
Last Saturday (Shabbat) some friends and i had a beautiful and moving experience. We went to Beth Shalom, the Reform Synagogue in Cambridge, to hear a young girl coming of age in the community-this is called in Hebrew a Bat Mitzvah, literally a 'Daughter of the commandment.' (Perhaps you have heard of a Bar Mizvah).
During the course of the joyful service, which consisted of various prayers, songs and hymns, Sofia explained the verses that she was to chant from the Torah. These included the special Aaronic Blessing, and verses about sacrifices and the use of vessels in the Tabernacle. Not an easy choice, but the parasha, or series of verses, was alloted around Sofia's birthday.
She chanted beautifully and confidently and in the Sephardic Jewish mode, that is how the Jews of Spain, Portugal and Morocco chant. (It was quite different to my own debut at a much later age in the Ashkenazi, or Russian and Polish Jewish mode.)
As we listened, it was as if we went back thousands of years in Jewish history, right back to the Children of israel in the desert. Sofia's voice, my friend said, stretched right up to the Creator Himself.
I leave you with the Aaronic Blessing:
My the Lord bless you and keep you
May The Lord shine His face upon you and give you favour
May The Lord lift up His face to you and grant you Peace.
Shalom from Gila
Last Saturday (Shabbat) some friends and i had a beautiful and moving experience. We went to Beth Shalom, the Reform Synagogue in Cambridge, to hear a young girl coming of age in the community-this is called in Hebrew a Bat Mitzvah, literally a 'Daughter of the commandment.' (Perhaps you have heard of a Bar Mizvah).
During the course of the joyful service, which consisted of various prayers, songs and hymns, Sofia explained the verses that she was to chant from the Torah. These included the special Aaronic Blessing, and verses about sacrifices and the use of vessels in the Tabernacle. Not an easy choice, but the parasha, or series of verses, was alloted around Sofia's birthday.
She chanted beautifully and confidently and in the Sephardic Jewish mode, that is how the Jews of Spain, Portugal and Morocco chant. (It was quite different to my own debut at a much later age in the Ashkenazi, or Russian and Polish Jewish mode.)
As we listened, it was as if we went back thousands of years in Jewish history, right back to the Children of israel in the desert. Sofia's voice, my friend said, stretched right up to the Creator Himself.
I leave you with the Aaronic Blessing:
My the Lord bless you and keep you
May The Lord shine His face upon you and give you favour
May The Lord lift up His face to you and grant you Peace.
Shalom from Gila
1 comment:
Sounds a wonderful experience. B
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