May 2, 2014  / 2 Iyyar,  5774

It was the perfect opportunity to stay in and relax in a quiet house, with only the echoes of a Passover filled with family, friends, and many late nights of celebration.  Of course, there were still plenty of leftovers!

Instead, I used my Shabbat of solitude (wife visiting and conferencing on the East Coast, two kids returned to college) to undertake an itinerary of three Denver synagogues, which led me to discover a world of spiritual energy. 

First up:  Friday evening services at Congregation Emanuel. It would be my first encounter with the popular Shabbat Unplugged musical experience, which had been a staple of their spiritual engagement for 15 years, under the leadership of Steve Brodsky.  I was warmly welcomed by the greeting team, and settled into what was at the time the last row of temporary seats in the back end of the Social Hall (two additional rows appeared later).  After a few moments of acclimation, I found myself invested in the spiritual endeavor of welcoming Shabbat, utlizing the words on the slides projected above the musical ensemble and sensing the energy of the folks around me, some of whom swayed, others of whom clapped, and a few of whom got up to dance in the outer margins of the seating area.  While no siddur was employed, the service took a direction that was parallel in course to the traditional matbe'ah of tefillah, so I could anticipate what would come next. I especially enjoyed listening to my colleague Rabbi Brian Immerman preach on the poetry of the cycle known as Sefirat HaOmer, and I was moved by the pastoral skill of Senior Rabbi Joe Black during the prayers for healing and the lead-up to the recitation of Mourners Kaddish.

Next:  Congregation Rodef Shalom, where I have spent some or all of nearly every Shabbat for the past 21 years.  The Shabbat Morning Service, co-officiated by Cantor Saul Rosenthal and myself has seen some renovations over the past two-year period, enabling participants to enjoy a coffee hour at 9:00, tefillah from 9:30-10:15, and – around our Torah reading that is fulifilled by a rotating corps of volunteer readers and Gabbayim – a four-week cycle of learning that includes sermons, a haftarah substitute entitled Prophetic Inspiration, and this particular week's offering of Interactive Torah Study.  We spent a solid 15-20 minutes in discussion about the Holiness Code in the Book of Leviticus, the importance of creating boundaries in our lives, and the comparative merits of being "moral introverts" vs. "moral extroverts" with our behaviors.  The Services then continued toward completion as Shira Cohen, one of our five teen Musaf leaders, led us.

Acharon Acharon Chaviv (the Hebrew equivalent of “Last but not least ...”):  Denver Academy of Torah, the home of the DAT Minyan, where many of my friends from the Orthodox community pray on a daily basis.  Several weeks ago, Rabbi Asher Klein had called to invite me personally, along with my chavruta (study partner) Dr. Mervyn Lifschitz, to participate in a new endeavor – an hour of learning each Shabbat afternoon before the Mincha prayers, to be populated by those on Denver's East Side who wish to pursue or continue in their small-group studies.  While Mervyn and I had enjoyed weekly Shabbat afternoon study of Chumash with Rashi for seven years running in the comfort of our respective homes, this new environment would compel us to focus even more diligently, as we had “audial competition” from the 8-10 other groups who were learning simultaneously with us.  Rabbi Klein's warm greeting to me, and our brief schmooze about my two visits for davening experiences during the recently completed Chag suggested to me that the forces of Jewish kinship were in full throttle.

The final moments of this very special Shabbat were spent at my dining room table, in reflection about what I had taken in and how it had stimulated my awareness of all that we might treasure about this Denver Jewish community.  This one-day experience kindled my enthusiasm for being an intentional "shul traveler," and left me feeling optimistic that the synagogue can be a most vibrant scene for enjoyment, celebration, and observance.  And - we Denver Jews are so fortunate to have "world-class" shuls!