Shalom L’Kulam – Hey Everybody,
So often, when speaking with congregants about their service attendance (or lack thereof), I immediately sense their embarrassment. It seems many assume that I expect everyone to attend services weekly and, if you don’t, then I am disappointed in you. This is simply not true. And, if I’m talking about you, rest assured, a lack of connection to traditional worship is not a new phenomenon. There are volumes of textual material from our tradition which express the importance of worship. And, as often is the case with our historic literature, these texts advocating for worship attendance would not exist unless people were not attending services. Throughout the generations, there have been those who connect with formal worship and those who do not. But, one institution has proved invaluable to us Jews for millennia: Shabbat.
The Jewish author, Ahad Ha’am, famously penned the words, “more than the Jewish People has kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jewish People.” The instruction to rest on the seventh day, to pause from our weekday routines, has bound us together as a people, and has gifted us a deep understanding of who we are as individuals and as a community. After each Shabbat, we are then able to reenter our “regular” life with renewed strength and spirit. To this end, coming together on Shabbat to engage with your temple community in activities that are enjoyable (even if it’s not prayer!) can be a wonderful way to honor Shabbat and sanctify time.
So, as we move forward together, I recognize that not every prayer-experience, or service will speak to each and every one of you. What some of us might enjoy in a “traditionally” davened, uplifting, service others might find tedious, un-engaging , spiritually void, and disconcertingly uncomfortable. Equally so, what some of us might find “progressive,” uplifting, musically engaging with instruments, and spiritual others might find repugnant, halachicly nonsensical, and void of any connection to God even further “not Conservative”. Thus, is the way of our God given free will of choice. The one good thing in all of this is that if you are reading this article I would hope you recognize yourself somewhere in here as a positive thing.
Ultimately, Shabbat is what Shabbat is. Simply, the seventh day, given to us by God to rest, to keep, to make Holy, to separate, to observe, and to rejuvenate our souls in connection with God, our history, our community, our family, and most importantly with ourselves. Regardless of how you pray or how you think we should pray, I encourage you to just come and join us for a service or two or three every now and again. I think you might find it….well…I think you might just find what Shabbat could really mean for you and what you could find meaningful in Shabbat.
And for those “regular” shul attendees, who already have found the observance of Shabbat to be meaningful at some level or another, please take a moment and send me an email as to why Shabbat is meaningful to you. Send it to me at cantorfriedman@trz.org. I’d love to hear from you. Your positive communication enhances my level of observance and inspires me as your sheliach. Oh heck, even if you don’t like Shabbat, send me an email as to why. As always, I look forward to seeing you at temple.
L’Shalom, In Peace, Cantor Friedman
