This week Hanukkah ended, and like magic, all the amazing soufganiot (doughnuts) disappeared from the shelves of the bakeries. When I first arrived in November, there were lots of doughnuts around, but only the jelly-filled ones…this was apparently just a lead-up to the explosion of fanciful doughnuts that appeared during the actual holiday of Hanukkah. (See example below). Now, however, there is not a doughnut to be seen anywhere. Probably just as well. Not exactly health food.
Most of the Hanukkiot also came down…they were everywhere in town; at the Shuk (below), on the streets, and in virtually every store window, apartment lobby, office etc. And unless you are in Jaffa, which has several churches, there is no indication whatsoever of Christmas. On the one hand it is refreshing not to be surrounded by endless ads and harried shoppers in the shops; on the other hand, I have to confess, I miss the carols.
On the Friday during Hanukkah, Mike and I joined a friend for a Kabbalat Shabbat service at the International Synagogue (housed at Beit El). It is the only congregation, close to us, that includes some English. It is, however, Orthodox and I had some reservations about this since, among other things, men and women are separated, to which in principle, I object. I was assured it was a very welcoming and open-minded congregation, (and modern), so off we went.
When we arrived at the designated time…(always a mistake), they were still chanting Mincha (the afternoon service), and even Mike, who leads this service at Holy Blossom, could not figure out where they were in the prayer book. (So I had no hope.) There was almost no one there either, especially on the women’s side, but this was, of course, because they knew better than to come too early. Not a promising start.
However, a little while later, in came the young cantor…in full Breslover attire, black silk coat, shtreimel, (large fur hat)..etc. With him, was his lovely young wife carrying a very large hat box. The fur hat was removed to the hatbox, the cantorial headgear affixed, and then…(just as I was thoroughly doubting the notion that this would be “modern orthodox” ), he took his place, began to sing, and a most joyful and uplifting Kabbalat Shabbat service ensued.
It was the full “Carlebach”; the cantor’s voice was outstanding, and the congregation joined in with gusto. I was quite startled at the volume of sound. I was also relieved that even I could participate, since we sing many of the Carlebach melodies at HBT. Except for the Torah commentary the entire service was in song, in Hebrew, start to finish. It was abetted by a very participatory, and more or less in tune, congregation, with an occasional pause for extravagant cantorial improvisation, some of which definitely drew its melodic line from some well known opera arias. (This, I did not expect.) Early in the service, about half the congregation got up and danced a hora, through the aisles. It was standing room only throughout…and the large crowd filled the lobby, spilling out into the street. And everyone was young! Well… almost everyone. Mike and I did our bit to bring the average age up.
Since this was an enhanced (i.e. longer) Kabbalat Shabbat Service for Hanukkah, there was another cantorial soloist to provide harmony, and a guest appearance by a boy soloist, who had the powerful vocal quality of a young Edith Piaf.
In honour of Hanukkah, the champagne Kiddush, (a weekly event, which can be attributed to the French influence, and which might possibly also contribute to the outstanding attendance), featured a extravagant 30 foot table of soufganiot the likes of which I have never seen. Had it not been Shabbat, I would have taken a picture. It was impossible for us polite Canadians to get near the table, or the champagne.
We went back again a week later, and it was even more crowded than last week. This time, it was a regular, shorter service., The cantor was on his own, but the congregation sang out even louder to ensure he had a good base with which to harmonize. The joyful atmosphere and the dancing were the same, and at the end, there was still no getting near the champagne.
I subsequently learned that the cantor, Israel Nachman, who is only 24, is well known and has sung in a number of concert venues around Europe. I am not surprised.
So, it looks like I will be compromising my egalitarian principles, because we’ll be going back! Not exactly how we expected to fill the Holy Blossom gap, but Tel Aviv is full of surprises.
