We had a briefing session for about half an hour beforehand
where we were given a booklet with the English translations and some Hebrew
which explained the process of the Shabbat synagogue service. It eventuated
that most of the time we had no clue which part of the service we were part of,
so the booklet ended up being fairly ineffectual.
The synagogue was basically around the corner so we walked
there. It needs to be stated that we were attending the Great Synagogue of
Jerusalem so a comparison with a church environment should be more St Andrews
Cathedral of St James than Oak Flats. Additionally we were not permitted to
bring phones or writing materials so there are no visual records from the
occasion. The men and women were segregated so the men walked up one flight of
stairs (all donning their kippahs) and the women took another flight. The
stalls where we positioned ourselves had a good view of the central chandelier,
the front section where the choir of men moved to during the service and where
the Torah scroll was located. The seats where the men were sitting were
somewhat visible but only on one side. They were dressed according to their
different groups within orthodoxy. Some had kippahs, others the black hats,
others the Polish muff type head coverings and the rabbi was the only one with
a prayer shawl. He sang through most of the service but during some of the
parts involving Psalms and blessings the choir of about fifteen men (of a
variety of ages) would sing too, led by a conductor within them.
At about a third of the way through the service a round
circle of dancing men started and there was a bit of clapping and excitement.
There were numerous prayers throughout and in the same fashion as you would see
at the Western Wall, many (especially men) would be pivoting as they prayed.
Both men and women were following in their prayer books. Occasionally there
appeared to be a communal singing time, but not in the sense of church worship.
These might have been blessings or the Kiddush, but as I stated earlier it was
really difficult to work out what was happening at what time.
What was incredibly different was how much movement occurred
during the service. We were told in advance that children would be moving
around at their own inclination (which they did) but it surprised me how many
adults were coming and going. When the service commenced the seats were mostly
empty and people would arrive and others would leave at different times,
without returning. It seemed as though the service was just a come for as long
or as little as you like sort of scenario.
The other differences of note were the lack of material not
covered in the books. By this I mean it was very prescribed, and apart from a
brief announcement time, there was no discernible sermon, there was no prayer
time beyond the traditional prayers, and it felt highly ritualistic. We were
standing and sitting more frequently than Catholic services would and at one
point everyone faced away from the ark to welcome the Shabbat.
I did not really feel like a participant in a service which
held personal meaning to me. It felt more like a concert that occasionally we
stood or sat for. The singers themselves were accomplished and it was an
enjoyable experience. I think the concert effect was also attributable to the
women being cloistered away in the upper levels. The seats were upholstered and
smelt a little musty. It was quite an isolating experience.
When the service was over we essentially hurried out back to
the hotel where there was a Shabbat meal prepared for us. There was a ritual
washing of hands followed by a sung blessing over the wine and the challah
bread. The array of foods prepared for this meal was more sumptuous than what
we had experienced to date and was quite stunning.
The next day was a trip to the Galilee and to Nazareth. It
was optional but I reasoned it was raining in Jerusalem and if I remained
behind I wouldn’t achieve much. So I napped on the bus for a bit, stitched and
walked around the sites as we came to them. We revisited Nazareth (and there
was a service on at the time so we weren’t particularly welcome in the church)
and headed into the shores of the Galilee.
Oh, hey there Megiddo!
Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth. Third visit.
Fave stained glass.
A new site for me was the
archaeological remains at Magdala, which were uncovered in 2009 around the time
of my last visit. http://www.magdala.org/ There was a first century synagogue there,
and a lovely set of ruins.
Looks familiar to the synagogues I've seen in Capernaum and Masada.
This 'altar' box has a menorah on the back.
The Mexican pilgrim church which was built next to
the site was an architectural beauty, and the altar was unlike I have ever
experienced before. The green stone simulated the waters and the boat
construction was rather self-explanatory. The prominence of the cross and the
views to the sea outside established a beautiful visual experience. I would
love to have attended a service there.
Downstairs there was a simulated ancient
synagogue which had an enormous image of sandaled feet. The weather was
becoming less pleasant so dinner was well timed. The afternoon included visits back to Tabgha (which was just
as lovely as it was for Christmas 2009) whose portico was damaged by arson in
2015,
Capernaum and the Mount of the Beatitudes. Because I’d visited each
before I wasn’t particularly engaged by the renditions of the tour guide, but
the weather had become pleasant again so I enjoyed flitting around and taking
photos.
In the synagogue at Capernaum
Galilee
At the sea of Galilee
Note the irony
The next day trip was to Tel Aviv and the weather was even
worse. We started at Memorial House where the State of Israel was proclaimed.
Our guide Zohar was rather bouncy and energetic so I was more interested than I
might have been otherwise, but really we just viewed a brief doco, looked at
some maps and listened to a recording of the declaration in the room where it
occurred.
There had been a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv earlier in the week so
our guides were apprehensive about security and alternative plans were made for
where we would be and at what times. The afternoon was spent either in traffic
or at the Palmuch Museum which was a strange experience. People were describing
it as a hybrid of things – a Neighbours-style re-enactment, a Movie World type
ride without a ride or a propagandist exercise. Regardless, the actors were
definitely on the dodgy side, the exhibition scenario rooms were incredibly
stagelike and the highlight for me was the memorial room at the beginning which
lacked the artifice of the exhibition rooms. We agreed the students would
probably enjoy the simulation aspect of the museum but there were points of
incredulity and giggles from a few of us.
A somewhat earlier return than anticipated because of the
changed plans meant I had some time to catch up with things rather than running
the seminar-eat-sleep-repeat cycle I’ve been running for the past week.
I’m devoutly hopeful I can keep it up until the end.
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