I just got back from the NFTY-MAR and PAR's Gesher's Kallah
The theme? Pluralism.
The programs? Fantastic.
We talked a lot about different ideas of Judiasm and what would you do and that whole thing. The RCVPs of both regions are very good friends of mine who have the same idea on pluralism and refrom Judiasm, just one of them wants to make a change and one of them just isn't in the mood to care.
I led a bunch of different services at Gesh.
The first service I led was an optional shacharit service on Wednesday morning with NFTY-MAR's RCVP. We had more than a minyan which was really nice. What surprised me more though, was the fact that we didn't do weekday nusach. Especially with a smaller group of people that came because they wanted to have a service, you would think that they would know it, but we didn't do it. And I was upset by it, and wanted to make a change, which I did later that night. I was stuck with the women's service. When we got to the Amidah section of the ma'ariv, I decided to go on an adventure and do weekday nusach. Even though that should not be an adventure. Soon as we dove into the G'vurot, I soon realized that my praying was a solo thing, and no one was probably connecting. I was in a pickle, should I keep on doing weekday nusach even though no one is chanting along with me, or should I do the shabbat nusach because thats what everyone knows and can connect to? And even though it hurt me, I went with Shabbat nusach only because I feel is better to have more then just one person connecting to a service.
Even though I went agasnt my own ideas of a great service, I still found a way to connect to it. But what does that tell us about pluralism and the reform movement? That we don't pray enough? That we should know weekday nusach?
I'm not sure, but maybe you will know.
Shavua Tov
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2 comments:
Nusach is nice, but it's not like you're skipping barchu or something by doing the wrong nusach. The melodies are just so unimportant. Remember the lesson from Mark Bloom: It's the words that count.
or you can teach em the nusach? Ask lauralus maximus.
There are so many things that we screw up daily in services. Here's my take on it. Who gives a damn as long as you connect to each other and connect to God. How pissed off is God REALLY gonna be that you did the wrong melody for a man-made prayer?
Quite frankly, there is no REAL right and wrong way to do most of the ritualistic things in judaism because man came up with most of the rituals (and of course, man is imperfect). So I've come to the conclusion that it's not what you do in ritualistic settings, but why you do it that matters. Did the people who came out for the morning service do the "right" thing during the amidah? I guess you could say no. Does it REALLY matter, seeing as they still made a commitment to God by doing it?
It also begs the question. What defines a "Great" service? Is there a difference between a "great" service and a "correct" service?
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