Orthodox Shabbat services in Jerusalem have become all too dry for my liking. The endless mechanic recitation of psalms and piyutim makes me feel like a devout Christian ordered to say a thousand Hail Marys until he is absolved.
I live in Jerusalem so the variety of places of worship are by no means limited. So recently I’ve taken myself shule-shopping, it is fitting as this week we read the section of the Torah where God commands Abram to leave his comfort zone.
I don’t have a top 10 list as yet, but I have experience based reactions.
The first, is ‘Raz’ minyan, in the heart of nest of the hairy hippy organic cotton wearing suburb of Nachlaot you will find a small room with a mauve vibe turned into a shule. The minyan is for those who like to sing and is only recommended if you are in the mood. I have a friend who used to take a book and get through a good chunk of it during the service. The community is dedicated, there is a gender separation, and the Rabbi who leads the service sometimes creates the tune to the prayers as he goes along.
A favourite of mine is the infamous Shira Chadasha of who the Melbourne minyan of the same name is based.
Here you can feel an educated orthodox community who have struggled with Halakha and have found a way to make room for a solid female role in the service. They try to have a 10 and 10 minyan (men and women). They have great after-service treats and the singing is very spiritual.
At Shira Chdasha the community really is the choir, which actually means you have to be careful where you sit. I sat in front of an enthusiastic youth once and have been hard of hearing in my left ear ever since.
Lately I have been getting an itch in this service caused either by the length or the nagging question of “why did they stop there with halakhic leniencies when they could be doing so much more to incorporate both genders?”
Baqa Shivyoni (Egalitarian), is a new favourite of mine, it is similar to Shira Chadasha but the congregation is built of more Israelis. Also, where Shira Chadasha stopped pushing the halakhic boundaries, Baqa Shivyoni continued but they have still kept the prayers the same, and the Berlin mekhitza still remains.
The one I went to last Shabbat was by far the most exhilarating. It was Renewal Minyan called Nava Tehila and was a real step out for even the most liberal of Jews. This minyan only happens once a month, before the new moon makes its debut and it the product of Woodstock survivors and hippy rabbi’s .
The Rabbanit (female Rabbi) walks amongst the concentric circles or seats relating each upcoming prayer to love and peace with a loose link to the week’s Torah portion. The inner most circle is filled with guitarists, two people packing African drums, a harpist, a clarinet player for that traditional shtetl feel and a woman jamming on a Chinese Erhu.
The congregants have glazed grins pained on their faces and sway to the songs with their eyes closed and hands in the air, one woman displaying her arm pit fuzz.
