Shabbat in London
I am so glad that Matt called ahead. On Thursday, Matt called a Masorti synagogue here in London to find out what time services on Shabbat would start and if there was a kiddush luncheon. (Masorti is the equivalent to the U.S.'s Conservative Movement.)
The man who answered the phone, realizing that we were from the U.S., told us that many Americans who show up for the main services are quite shocked because the seating is still separated. This is relatively rare at Conservative shuls in the U.S. However, the man told us that this particular Shabbat they were going to conduct, in addition to the main services, a Minyan Chadash (an alternative minyan) which would be much more egalitarian. We decided to go to this one.
It was a lovely service, both small and intimate. Overall, I think we would have been fine at the main service if it weren't a week when the alternative service was offered because everyone was so very welcoming and friendly. (Matt's going to tell you more about the service, so I shouldn't spoil any of his stories.)
After services, the two groups met for some crisps (potato chips), crackers, and a couple of cookies. I think our friend David would have given this kiddush a one out of five rating. (David, you really should write that guide that rates kiddush luncheons.) The spread wasn't very good compared to our L.A. standards. However, every third week, they offer a kiddush luncheon over at someone's house. We were invited and decided to go.
What a lovely time! Six out of five stars for this one! We were walked over to the house, which was a beautiful home with a little English garden and had the added bonus of backing up to a park. We met a ton of wonderful people, several about our own age. The food was delicious and consisted of spinach quiche, salmon, salads, potatoes, fruits, couscous, and much more. We then all took our food out into the park and had set up blankets for us to eat on. It was just fascinating to actually spend quite a bit of time with real British people and to chat about Israel, London, and anything and everything else.
Then, after a very interesting and yummy kiddush luncheon, a few of us grabbed a bag of leftover challah pieces and took a long, lingering walk over to Regent's Park and fed the ducks and geese.
We ended up spending most of the day chatting with others and feeding ducks, so we didn't get back to our hotel until rather late. With a bit of sunburn and tired feet, it wasn't difficult to pass the remainder of Shabbat sleeping away.
What a truly lovely Shabbat.
The man who answered the phone, realizing that we were from the U.S., told us that many Americans who show up for the main services are quite shocked because the seating is still separated. This is relatively rare at Conservative shuls in the U.S. However, the man told us that this particular Shabbat they were going to conduct, in addition to the main services, a Minyan Chadash (an alternative minyan) which would be much more egalitarian. We decided to go to this one.
It was a lovely service, both small and intimate. Overall, I think we would have been fine at the main service if it weren't a week when the alternative service was offered because everyone was so very welcoming and friendly. (Matt's going to tell you more about the service, so I shouldn't spoil any of his stories.)
After services, the two groups met for some crisps (potato chips), crackers, and a couple of cookies. I think our friend David would have given this kiddush a one out of five rating. (David, you really should write that guide that rates kiddush luncheons.) The spread wasn't very good compared to our L.A. standards. However, every third week, they offer a kiddush luncheon over at someone's house. We were invited and decided to go.
What a lovely time! Six out of five stars for this one! We were walked over to the house, which was a beautiful home with a little English garden and had the added bonus of backing up to a park. We met a ton of wonderful people, several about our own age. The food was delicious and consisted of spinach quiche, salmon, salads, potatoes, fruits, couscous, and much more. We then all took our food out into the park and had set up blankets for us to eat on. It was just fascinating to actually spend quite a bit of time with real British people and to chat about Israel, London, and anything and everything else.
Then, after a very interesting and yummy kiddush luncheon, a few of us grabbed a bag of leftover challah pieces and took a long, lingering walk over to Regent's Park and fed the ducks and geese.
We ended up spending most of the day chatting with others and feeding ducks, so we didn't get back to our hotel until rather late. With a bit of sunburn and tired feet, it wasn't difficult to pass the remainder of Shabbat sleeping away.
What a truly lovely Shabbat.
posted by Jen | 3:47 PM
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