[HANASHIR:14811] Amazing Shabbat!

[Steve and Audrey Katz <sk42...>]

Hi everyone.

I think I've only written one post on Hanashir before, so I hope you'll
indulge me this time.  This may be a bit long, but I had to share a bit of
my Shabbat experience with you all tonight!

Tonight, I led the music for a Shabbat healing service with Rabbi Sue
Shankman.   This service was the closest in both ruach and emotion to HN
that I've had since coming home.  Three things stood out.  Debbie's "One
People",  Lisa Baydush's "Listen".  (new song and writer) and a beautiful
sermon delivered by Rabbi Shankman.

A few details first.
1)  It is July 4th in Washington D.C.  Not a lot of members attending.
2)  Bat mitzvah family with some non-Jewish friends
3)  Pastor and some members of a Methodist church visiting and sharing
Shabbat with us.
4)  I was subbing for the cantor who was out of town.
5)   I arrived late due to rushing from one service in Virginia, and
repeatedly readjusting my routes through detours around the Pentagon, White
House and Capitol to even GET there at all!  Grrrr!   By the time I  DID get
there, Rabbi Shankman had already begun and was about to chant Shema.

Okay.  I join the service and begin chanting V'ahavta while holding my
guitar.  You should have seen the faces.  I think most of the people had NO
IDEA what to expect from a Jewish service, much less me and my guitar!
I saw the smiles and "head dancing" during Michamocha.  I decided to add in
Craig's "Adonai S'fatai" before Avot V'imahot and they were so eager and
receptive!  It didn't matter that most of them didn't know the words, they
enjoyed the rhythm and clapped along with the increasing tempo.  I was
getting so charged from their energy.  For V'shamru, I invited them to clap
during the chorus.  They did happily.

I next led Jeff's "Shalom Rav" and Debbie's "Mishebeirach".  The energy
level during these songs was still high, but shifted and became so soft,
prayerful.

Rabbi Shankman then read a sermon her grandfather wrote.  I remembered
reading it on the computer somewhere, perhaps you've read it too.  It is
just beautiful and perfect for the 4th of July.  She was so eloquent in her
delivery and was choked up at times, for instance, when she repeated her
grandfather's words: "Yankee Doodle Dandy".  When I heard her say this with
a bit of a laugh and a sentimental hitch in her voice, I both knew I had
read these words before and became very moved that these were HER
grandfather's words and she was not just *reading* them to us, but *sharing*
something very personal and close to her heart.  Wow.
After she read this,  I taught Debbie's One People.  I think that after her
reading and sharing something so powerful, this song just pushed everyone
over the top.  Everyone was singing and when we were done, the energy and
ruach was so overflowing that people just began to clap. (!)

Before Kaddish, I sang a song called "Listen".  I explained that my dear
friend wrote it for me when my grandmother passed on and I asked everyone to
think of their loved ones who have passed on as well.  I asked them to
please join me in the chorus as they got to know it.
This was just incredible.  There was a *buzz* around the room.  I felt it at
HN during silent prayers and other powerful moments there of which there
were many...but, here at home, the sense of community and "freedom to let
go" is just not always there.  There was such silence, tears and,
finally...voices!  What a peaceful, comforting, amazing moment in time!  We
were singing this song together, with such feeling that I felt I was either
going to cry myself or fly!

We ended with a reprise of Debbie's One People and it was better than
before!

We crossed invisible lines of religion tonight and all prayed as one.  We
touched eachother and everyone I saw afterward had either a smile on their
face or a bounce in their step or both!

No, there were no harmonies, but there was that intangible *something* that
was so "Hava Nashira" to me. I just pray that intangible *something* follows
everyone who was in that room tonight for a long time to come, and by my
sharing this with you now, it finds and follows you too!

Shabbat Shalom!
Audrey Katz






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