Kehilla Kedosha

..in Houston , this past few days.  I will say that I feel as though, despite essentially seeing only the hotel and convention center, I've walked the length and breadth of Texas in 5 days.  Through some perverse luck on my part, every workshop, lecture, service, concert etc. that I attended was located as far from the previous event as possible.  All that aside, it was an amazing experience and despite the large spaces and 4000+ attendees a true community. 

I did not knit anywhere near as much as I though I would (about 3-4 inches on one gift sock), read as  much as I thought (why I brought the 600+ page, The Historian with me is anyone's guess) or even relax much.  There was so much happening from 7:30am-after midnight that I was always hobbling from one thing to another. 

Highlights:

The services first and foremost: Every one I attended was moving and inspiring.  The Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat was beautiful and the music used so perfectly that I felt at all points engaged in prayer.  The Thursday evening Maariv Minyan was subtitled, Worship with a Latin Beat and was led by two cantors and a rabbi from Argentina.  The service, held in three languages with music played throughout was lovely and seamless, no awkwardness in any of the transitions despite the trilingualness.  Cantor Sheila Nesis voice was so lovely.  Saturday morning, also had amazing music but I was most moved by the piece used for the healing prayer (Leon Sher's, Heal Us Now).  I hope we can use this at our services sometime, it's not that I don't like Debby Friedman's Mishaberiach, but this other song/prayer felt much more in the spirit of the offering of a healing prayer.  On Saturday night, the Nifty youth were on stage to do Havdallah and their music and infectious exuberance were great and served to keep Havdallah as one of my favorite rituals in Judaism.

The workshops and panels were on the most part helpful, even when the actual presentation wasn't what I expected or even fell flat, the conversations with others from different congregations generated some many ideas about Congregational Learning (my main focus), Music and general synagogue organizational stuff that was invaluable. 

The speakers were great but my two favorite were Madeline Albright and the Shabbat morning talk from Rabbi Yoffie (please read it here).  He touched on so many issues that I feel strongly about and I think it's about time these were addressed in the open and in front of such a large group of leaders in our. movement (who will one hopes bring these initiatives back to their own communities).

Oh let's see, what else?  Our rabbi (Larry Milder) opened the Biennial with his song, Wherever You Go, There's Always Someone Jewish.  Now, note the jumbo tron.  There is nothing like worshipping with 4 large jumbo tron screens giving you a better view.  In fact, for all I know there was a feed to our hotel room and we could have watched and prayed from our beds....

My fellow congregants and I did get out for a few meals. Wednesday night we went to the original Ninfa's in Houston.  The food was great-I would never forgiven myself if I went to Texas and didn't have at least one Mexican or Tex-Mex meal.  Saturday night we descended (10 of us) on a lovely Italian place called Patranella's, which was yummy and because of Rabbi Yoffie's sermon earlier in the day was filled with good talk about the issues he touched on.

OK, this post is getting unwieldy and I am exhausted and want a nap before I resume my daily responsibilities and the kids get home.  By the way, Velveteen Rabbi as blogged 18 posts about the Biennial and they are worth reading and much more eloquent than mine.  I didn't see her, but did run into a fellow knitter and spinner, whose husband, a Torah Scribe, had a booth in the exhibit hall.  I'm thinking Rabbi Milder needs to write a new song: Wherever You Go There's Always a Knitting Blogger.

Comments

[mamacate]

Rock on, Rabbi Yoffie! I loved V. even before I got to the gay marriage part. As a liberal religious person of a different tradition, I'm with y'all, and I think if our strands stood together and started talking about what a faithful approach to public policy would REALLY look like (yeah, family values=ACTUALLY TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES????), we could really make a difference. I'm hopeful. When I'm not discouraged. :)

It sounds like a wonderful, energizing, and exciting time. I hope your re-entry goes well.

[Mozemen]

I'm thinking, given the mess politics is in the US and Israel, we knitting bloggers ought to form our own party. I mean, hey, we're articulate, intelligent, great looking, handy, organized, and *we* *are* *everywhere*!

[Rachel]

I'm sorry we didn't cross paths at the convention! :-)

I really liked the Latin Beat maariv service, too...