This review is for a Bat Mitzvah. My coworker sent me an invitation to her daughter's Bat Mitzvah…read morewhich was held at this conservative synagogue. I sped here with my guest, arrived at 9:25 with the service scheduled to begin at 9:30. As we pulled into the parking lot, there were only a handful of cars, the parking lot had plenty of space. The service started a little late.
My first impression inside a Jewish synagogue, was that the interior was beautiful and spacious. A high vaulted ceiling, long, dark wooden beams. At the front of the synagogue a humongous arched marble slab. It was shaped like an upside down U. Colored curtains with a painting on it in the middle. It made me curious, what was behind those curtains? Small, stained glass windows with bright lights around the synagogue.
My guest looked at his finest in his suit. A lady with a blue green colored yarmulke greeted us in the foyer. She handed my guest a black yarmulke (skull cap) and he was informed this was a requirement. He also donned a white tallis or tallit (prayer shawl) in a manner that a man in a locker room would put a towel around his neck.
I noticed that some men wore purple satin yarmulkes that were provided on site. The rabbis upfront wore a different type of prayer shawls, bigger blankets, at least it looked that way to me. They flipped it around their shoulders, draped in a specific manner.
The women wore folded up yarmulkes, that looked to me a bit like part of a French maid's outfit. Some wore them folded up in a fan shape, attached with bobby pins at the back of their head. Others wore lace yarmulkes. Most were white, some were glittery.
I was entertained the first hour. I didn't understand a word of Hebrew. It certainly kept me awake, as it was fast paced with lots of sitting, standing, clapping. The seating was varied. There were rows of pews, then other rows of seating, similar to movie theater type of chairs, all connected together.
The service consisted of mostly men reading from a book and simultaneously the congregation also read along . It was more like a combination of reading and singing. I did not see any musical notes which left me somewhat puzzled. Sometimes it seemed like they mumbled to themselves a little before and after reading a passage. They would also do a curtsy type of bow to the curtained area.
The 2nd hour revealed what was behind the curtain. I thought maybe a statue of some sort. No, it looked like 4 finely decorated creme colored bags with doll's legs that stuck out at the bottom. Maybe a fancy short golf or laundry bag. At the top it looked like the headstock of a guitar. It looked awkward to carry, as they passed it around to the girl who was honored in this Bat Mitzvah. She carried it through the aisles of the synagogue. Members of the congregation stood outside their pews and touched it as she led a procession. Quite a fanfare, a jubilant time.
Finally the cover was lifted off that mysterious embellished bag. It was the Torah, which is scripture. They rolled out the scroll on the podium. Men and women gathered around this Torah, plus the Bat Mitzvah girl read from it too. It looked as though they were gathered around a huge map laid out. In fact, from a kitchen perspective, more like gigantic rolling pins with parchment paper in between.
The 3rd hour came, the novelty started to wear off. As part of the service, the Bat Mitzvah girl read/sang long passages in Hebrew. The children threw candy at the Bat Mitzvah girl, a woman sang as she played the guitar. More prayers and we stepped out. I have to say I admire the stamina and endurance of this congregation. More blessings to them Shabbat Shalom.
Part 2 of Bat Mitzvah to be continued tomorrow - the party.
