Two years ago. A day etched in my memory.
The Torah celebration in Penry Park (my kids call it Mount Sinai now). The park itself seemed to hover above Petaluma, to the tunes of Klezmer and Chassidic jazz. Assisting the scribe in writing the final letters of our precious Torah scroll in glistening black ink against the smooth parchment. Watching the rays of sunlight glinting off the beautiful silver crown and dazzling crystals affixed to the velvet Torah cover under the floral and lace wedding canopy.
The music halts. The crowd rises. The blast of the Shofar. The Torah is lifted high overhead, a lighthouse to guide the way, our North Star. The music erupts, joy and pride fill the air. Some hold decorative candles to lead the way, dancing the Torah through the streets. Passersby watch and then join in, clapping to the beat, hearts and voices singing together.
"And they sang and danced, and held me high, as they carried me away, to the little wooden shul where I would stay". The lyrics of a beautiful and haunting song that I grew up with. A tale of A Torah that survived the war, only to end up relegated to a glass display in a museum.
On that day, it was clear to me that we would create a different experience for our cherished Torah Scroll. Our Torah would be celebrated and used, explored and revered. It would be our centerpiece.
So we launched our monthly Minyan so we could read regularly from it. Tomorrow is two years in and we're batting 1.000. Our Shul is no longer quite as little, having completed a 30% expansion. And every time we pull aside the curtain, and open the doors of the beautiful ark adorned with the letters of the Ten Commandments, I am transported back to our Mount Sinai, and my feet nearly break out in dance.
So join us this Shabbat, as we celebrate our precious Torah, as well as jumping into the High Holiday season.