last week ended on an absolute peak with a spiritually uplifting Shabbat service at a shule in nachlaot (suburb in Jerusalem) where I was greater with an array of head coverings from knitted kippot, to classic strimel (Chassidic fur hat), to tie-dyed kippot. There were about 60 men party cramped into a room which fit 20 comfortably, and the rest were singing their praises outside the shule, and this was only on the male side. I was dumbfounded when the bearded hippies started maneuvering themselves into a circle in this intensely crowded space to dance. I wouldn't exactly call it dancing, rather a sweaty stroll around the room in circular formation rubbing the rest of the congregation platonically as you pass them. Its was great, I think I was standing next to a guy wearing a kimono, another guy at the front was crying as he prayed, and the rest clapped and bounced on their toes sporadically throughout their service as an expression of their soul leaping within their bodies.
I just get so into it when the congregation is the choir in a shule, I find it really empowering whilst feeling a sense of unity with the smiling strangers standing well into my personal space.
The greatest thing about those experience was that after 2.5 hours of singing and praying, the well fed Chassids in their black kippotas (traditional eastern european trench coat) were dishing out 'good shabbos hugs'! this is great for me because I'm always that guy who goes in for the hug too early, before you've even met the person I'm up for the hug. Its just the way I am..
Huge shout out to my host for Shabbat, simply divine!
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