On Ritual

The CDT newsletter includes an occasional column about Jewish ritual and practice in the Dorshei Tzedek community and beyond, by the CDT Ritual Committee. Those articles are collected here.

On the bimah a member of the congregation holds the Eitz Chayim, (the wooden handles of the Torah scroll), one in each hand, pushes down on the handles raising the Torah off the table, and with knees bent s/he brings the scroll to an upright position and lifts it high.

Off the Bimah, I breathe in, expectantly.

The person lifting the...Read more...

As a twelve year old I loved my thrice weekly Hebrew School experience that was associated with the conservative synagogue my family belonged to. However, when given a choice as to whether or not I wanted to have a Bat Mitzvah (yes, an unusually progressive conservative shul to offer Bat Mitzvah in the 1960’s) I emphatically said “no!” The reason for that response was clear in my mind. I was terrified to stand up and “sing” in front...Read more...

Think about it: from the beginning to the end of our Shabbat morning service we are engaged in a fair amount of standing and sitting, bending and bowing, touching and kissing (and not just because our friend is sitting next to us!). At a certain point, we even go up on our toes three times in succession.

These are moments when the physical meets the spiritual, and we are given a special “choreographed” enhancement which we...Read more...