Georgia day 5

September 30

Today was the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Because we had to sit where we could find available chairs yesterday, Razelle and I were determined to get to services earlier today so we could pick where we wanted to sit rather than have chance determine that for us. The large hall set up for services had so many chairs that there ended up being four different kinds of these. I studied them yesterday and considered which type of chair looked most comfortable to me and I also considered where I'd be most comfortably positioned among the congregants. Razelle and I left ahead of Uncle Sandy and Aunt Joan and by doing so we reached the gate to find no line of cars waiting to get in and after I dropped Razelle off at the entrance I found a place to park the van in the primary parking lot. We were not encumbered today with prayer books because we knew from yesterday's experience that there were plenty of these available inside.

Razelle and I met in the lobby and she let me lead her to the chairs of my choice along the central aisle, far enough back that I could see a large part of the congregation. Razelle knows from experience that I have an obsession about where I sit in theaters and auditoriums and restaurants and at dinner tables. I don't have a good name for this syndrome, so I just call it claustrophobia. Some find this endearing about me; others, I suppose, find it exasperating. A short while later Uncle Sandy and Aunt Joan arrived and I motioned them over to where we were saving seats for them. Yesterday, Uncle Sandy had been eying the cane-bottomed chairs in the section closest to the stage. He mentioned to me that those were where he had hoped to sit today if he had the chance. Today he indicated to me that there were still several available seats up there and he wanted all of us to follow him to those seats. I was happy where I was and would not have been happy that close to the stage with the congregation at my back, so I stayed put. In the end, Uncle Sandy chose to sit where he wanted and Aunt Joan followed him, and I sat where I wanted and Razelle stayed with me.

Today's service ran as smoothly as yesterday's service. The second day of a two-day holiday is usually a bit more relaxed than the first one. From my vantage point I could watch the congregants coming and going and I felt very comfortable being among them. I noticed how they dressed, who greeted whom, who sat with whom; I noticed that I was one of very few men without a suit and tie, but this didn't make me feel at all self-conscious. There was very little ostentation in the way either gender dressed.

Across the aisle from me sat a woman with a stroller and a young toddler of 14 months (so I was told by her mother). This little girl was extremely charming and sociable. She crawled and stood, and even walked a few steps before plopping onto her bottom and grinning. She offered what she was holding in her hand when she saw I was watching her, then withdrew it with a smile and crawled off to flirt with someone else. I couldn't help but realize as I watched this little one and her mother how much of our granddaughter's development we were missing during this protracted trip of ours around the world, and how much I looked forward to seeing our children and grandchild again when we reached home. That will be in 20 more days. Could it be that soon? Yes, that soon.

The sermon was delivered today by Rabbi Mario Karpuj. He and his co-rabbi/wife both have a synergism between them that is inspiring to watch. One of the first things he said before getting down to the sermon itself was that he promised it wouldn't be too long and that today the service would end at a reasonable time so that people could stay to the end without worrying about the guests they had invited to their homes. I found this very refreshing. This rabbi and his co-rabbi/wife understand their congregation on a human level that is endearing. He and she both have a charisma that is beyond anything we had seen so far. It was a joy to watch them in action. This was Razelle's first real exposure to the power of Rabbi Karpuj's oratory. We glanced at each other as he spoke and understood that both of us were equally moved by his words.

The shofar blowing today was an exact replica of yesterday. The man who blew the shofar was so consistent that one had to marvel at that very aspect of his execution. I would guess that he plays a musical instrument in "civilian life." His long blasts today matched his times for yesterday. At the end of the last long blast he returned to his family, who met him with congratulatory handshakes and hugs. I identified with his sigh of accomplishment at a task completed. I know that moment. I didn't have that moment this year. I wonder who blew the shofar in my absence, back in Beer Sheva.

When services were over today, in the timely manner the rabbi had promised, most of the congregants were still there. We flooded into the lobby and mingled a bit before heading out of the building. An alert policeman in a smart uniform stood at a convenient vantage point and watched over us all as we milled around. I walked up to him and thanked him for keeping us safe. He actually smiled to hear this from me. Uncle Sandy and Aunt Joan introduced us to a few of the well-wishers who came up to them. Kids with pent up energy chased each other in the courtyard near the fountain. We stepped into sunlight and basked in the warmth it provided. This was another bright and clear autumn day.

We all returned to Aunt Joan and Uncle Sandy's home, kicked off our dress shoes and changed into more comfortable leisure clothes. Lunch today was just the four of us. Rosh Hashanah segued into Shabbat and we continued to relax. Razelle, who has been perennially starved for news had her pick of cable news channels to surf among (CNN actually broadcasts its domestic version from right here in Atlanta). She hasn't had such a luxury anywhere else we've been on this trip … until now. This was a special treat for her; I wonder if Aunt Joan and Uncle Sandy realize how special it was. We got to watch a rebroadcast of Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" with a face-to-face interview he did with Bill O'Reilly of Fox News. Oh, the sparks that flew between them during that one!

Not being as easily hypnotized by the boob-tube, I eventually returned to my laptop to work on my blog some more and post one more entry before I called it a day.