[HANASHIR:11626] Hava Nirvana 2002

[Wendy Goldberg <wendy.goldberg...>]

Hello, all!  What a fabulous week at OSRUI!  Thanks to everyone who made it
a special time!!!!!

There were many highlights of our time together, but I have to share the one
that has become my ultimate synthesis highlight.

I was driving home listening to the music on my cool new mini disc player,
singing along, and I was envisioning beginning the "Twin Cities Jewish
Gospel Chorus", which is going to start in about three weeks.  I was taking
some notes "very carefully) every once in a while, and finally decided to
pull over and write out my plan while the ideas where just flowing.  I
stopped in Osseo, WI, a tiny town, and chose the family restaurant over the
big chain restaurants, since I'm always trying to support small businesses
over corporations.

Well, this turned out to be a great choice.  Everyone in there was eating
Sunday dinner with their families.  Lots of roasted chicken, pot roast,
pork, etc.  I really wasn't hungry but felt that sitting and drinking water
might be a bit rude, so I ordered the only vegetarian thing on the menu,
mozarella sticks, and sat with all of my papers, notebook, journal, and cell
phone (I noticed that NO ONE else had a cell phone).  I was taking notes and
talking with the wait staff when a family of two couples and four children
were being seated next to me.  One of the women was staring curiously at my
notes, so in my post-HN effusiveness, I asked her if she wanted to see what
I was writing.  WOuldn't you know, she could see my effusiveness and raise
me one, so we began talking about my idea to begin a gospel chorus (without
mentioning that it was Jewish--this was small town wisconsin).  She
immediately asks, starry-eyed, "Do you believe?" and I realize I'm dealing
with very religious Christians from small town Indiana (Bible-thumping
country). So, I respond, well, no, but my friend, ____, does, only he thinks
you've got it all wrong.

Pretty soon I have joined them at their table and they are eating my
mozarella sticks, and we're talking about Hava Nashira, Jesus, and how it's
not a great idea to ask a post-Holocaust people to try to believe in Jesus.
We're a bit defensive when it comes to that.  She was great and we had a lot
of fun talking, and I told them I was going to be in big trouble if I made
even more friends on this trip.  I called Dan to say that I would be just a
little later, since now I was in the lap of this fun Christian family and we
were yakking a mile a minute.   He replied simply, "Would you just be a
little careful?"


The pinnacle was when I sang "G-d is In" to them at their table.  I asked
them that if I started crying hard or climbed under the table in complete
embarrassment, would they please just help me to the car and send me home,
to which they agreed.  They also agreed to pay for the mozarella sticks in
exchange for the song, which was fair, since they ate them.

I also warned them that there might be some offensive ideas or words, and
would it be okay to use the word "hell" in front of the children.  Karen (my
latest new best friend) responded, "Honey, we believe in hell, so it's just
fine!"

We sang G-d is in and they LOVED it, and had already copied down Billy's
website info so they could get his CD by the time I finished singing.  My
advice was to buy 100 and give them as gifts to everyone.  They asked if
they could be in touch and I gave them my email saying, "As long as you
don't try to get me to believe in Jesus, it's fine."  I repeated that again
before I left and they were quite cool.

I laughed for a good half hour about this experience on the way home and
felt like it was quite the icing on the cake!

Be in touch.  thanks for everything!  If you are interested in joining my
gospel chorus, rehearsals will be on Wednesday nights in July and August!

Wendy Goldberg
Minneapolis



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