Inventing Jewish Ritual

4. Stretched by Innovation

STRETCHED BY INNOVATION C H A P T E R 4 M Continuity Despite Change D espite tinkering, tweaking, and radical transformation, Judaism—even when stretched by innovation—remains fundamentally intact. Jews are maintaining their figurative place along a “golden chain” of transmission. There is compelling evidence of continuity in an era characterized by what Susan Berrin, editor of Sh’ma, calls an “efflorescence of new rituals, created at times to mark life events traditionally unmarked and at times designated to address contemporary sensibilities and milestones ....”1 The Torah is still taken out of the ark and read, and it is still the same story, even when women chant it, when it is chanted in English, when passages considered “difficult”2 are whispered instead of chanted aloud, or when it is signed for the hearing impaired. While Rosh Hashanah may be celebrated at mountain or beach retreats with hiking, yoga, or singing, the New Year is still being welcomed, as it has been for generations, with prayers, the sounds of the shofar, apples and honey. Yom Kippur comes, and we’re in synagogue once again. While we may now begin this holiest of days by donating canned goods and staple foods to the community soup kitchen, or by giving handwritten notes to our rabbi to burn after the holiday, we are still listening to Kol Nidrei, praying for forgiveness, and fasting. We are still eating matzah, even though it comes in a mind-boggling array of flavors that appeal to personal piety, individual taste, and dietary requirements (including 100% Organic Spelt Handmade Shmurah Matzah). The seder meal will take place, even if it is not at home or at a hotel, but at a trendy bistro. Maxine Keyser on New Seder Opportunities in Philadelphia May I recommend taking your seder to Tiramisu, where Alberto Del Bello cooks the Jewish cuisine of his native Roman neighborhood, the Trastevere. Born in the shadow of the church of St. Angelo in Pescheria, near the Portico d’Ottavia, Del Bello preserves the dishes of his childhood. For instance, homemade matzah is always served here and at his other restaurants, Il Portico and Il Tartufo. Unlike any matzah you’ve ever eaten, these thin disks are dusted with herbs and have an irresistibly charred flavor that keeps you coming back for more.… Tiramisu may be singular among restaurants, for the Jewish specialties are always on the menu. But other area restaurants will be observing Passover as well. One unlikely but enthusiastic example is Michael McNally, who will be doing a seder meal at London Grill. Come prepared for the usual— good food and some surprises. Marathon On the Square will feature Passover delicacies such as matzah ball soup and fried matzah all through the holiday. Philippe Chin, the Gorgeous Goy, will have a seder-style meal for the first two nights at his elegant French digs. And Davio’s power lunches will include all the requirements of Passover—i.e., matzah, soup with matzah balls, etc. ....3 A cup of wine is still filled for the omnipresent and indefatigable Elijah the Prophet when he makes his round of seders, even when he 114 INVENTING JEWISH RITUAL comes in the company of Miriam the Prophetess, who finds a waterfilled cup of her own on the table. Before sunset in some communities or at the hour of family gathering in others, Shabbat candles still are lit and they usher in the holiness of Shabbat. Relatives still come from afar to witness 12- or 13-year-old bar mitzvah boys and bat mitzvah girls dress up as adults, stand uncomfortably in front of their loved ones, and chant in Hebrew from the Torah. Now relatives are also expected to come and witness the grown men and women who have studied at length to celebrate this rite that, to them, designates Jewish legitimacy. Continuity is preserved as we perform mitzvot. We still scrutinize our lives and our relationships, making decisions according to what a mensch would do. Judaism is sustained by our capacity to innovate while maintaining and cherishing the practices and commitments of the past. Rabbi Lawrence Kushner has expressed this notion poetically: “Torah’s vitality comes from its lability.4 Responding to the unforeseeable exigencies of each new generation ... observances and life-style customs sway and dance to the melodies of each new generation.”5 Rituals Readily “Naturalized” In just a few years, many of Judaism’s newest rituals have lost the patina of newness. Widespread and...