Day 74: Aliyah

Today I was honored to be called up for an aliyah at the synagogue where I attended a baby naming ceremony for 4-month-old Norah. For the uninitiated, an aliyah is part of the Shabbat services. On Shabbat (Saturday) mornings, a weekly section of the Torah (bible) is read, selected so that the entire Pentateuch is read consecutively each year. First, the Magbiah lifts and displays the Torah's Hebrew text for all to see. A synagogue official, called a gabbai, then calls up several people, in turn, to be honored with an aliyah wherein the honoree recites a blessing over the Torah, between each verse.

In front of the Torah scrolls reciting the traditional blessing

Being afforded this honor was a mitzvah (act of human kindness) in more ways than one and I am both happy and grateful to Norah's parents for thinking of me. I am not in the least bit religious and have not set foot in a synagogue for Shabbat services in more years than I care to remember. It was touching and surprising to me that I remembered a number of the blessings and prayers that are part of the ritual. They reside somewhere deep inside me, in an ancient ancient part of my soul. They trigger a sense of belonging and authenticity in a way that few other experiences do. It's not really about their content...although I do know the language and can tell you what they mean. For me, it's about the sounds and rhythms and melodies all of which feel organic. They resonate throughout my body and evoke a spirituality that goes beyond believing, beyond faith.

I am happy to have this inner place to return to again and again, despite the long lapses of time in between.