First of all, school has been so crazy! I can't believe it's been two weeks since I last blogged. Second of all, I'm making some pretty great progress on my Jewish New Year's resolutions.
Do you remember what it was like when you first learned how to read? Maybe you've been around a little kid the first time he or she put all the letters together and realized they make a word. It is so terribly exciting for little kids when they first read. They go around reading everything and on some level, they know that the world just opened up to them so much. Maybe I'm just a huge nerd, but that feeling doesn't go away as an adult. Of course I am referring to reading in Hebrew. For the last two Shabbat services at Hillel, I've been able to read the prayers in Hebrew. I was so excited and proud of my self that I was reading everything, even the stuff I know by heart.
Most things in a Reform prayer book are transliterated, but not everything. So last week, we get to a prayer/song that is one of the few we do that doesn't have a transliteration. And I could finally sing it! I knew a few words here and there from listening for so long, but now I have access to this prayer because my awesome friend taught me to read Hebrew. I thought I wouldn't be able to follow along for a long time, but following along with something you're already familiar with actually helps a lot.
Almost nothing in a Conservative prayer book is transliterated. Tonight I went to the Conservative service, and it wasn't closed off to me the way the High Holiday services were. Yes, there were more prayers that I didn't know how to chant, but at least I could follow along. Don't get me wrong, I got lost a lot. But I wasn't nearly as lost as I was during the combined Torah service on Rosh HaShanah. To say the least, I was very happy with how tonight went.
After going to tonight's Conservative minyan, I have been to all three of the main movements' services. It's safe to say, I am more comfortable in the liberal movements (Reform and Conservative). Granted, one of the best d'vars or sermons I've ever heard (that includes any Christian sermon) came from the Orthodox Rabbi in Alabama, but the prayers are all but impossible to follow if you haven't grown up that way. The men mumble... a lot. Even though they tell you what page number you're on, you don't know what they're saying so you can't follow in the book easily. Reform I like because it's super easy to follow along and, at least at Hillel, the services are more upbeat and fun. I like singing along with the guitar (because I suck at singing but in prayer it's fine to suck), but most of the time my favorite prayers are the traditional chants. Enter Conservative service. The leader of tonight's Conservative service didn't call out page numbers very often so I had to watch the girl next to me. I enjoyed chanting the prayers I know and listening and following along with the ones I don't. My head hurt from working so hard to read during the service, but I think the next steps in this journey are to learn more of the prayers in a Conservative service.
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