Shabbat arrived after preparing on Friday morning and afternoon by making several shopping stops at the Mahane Yehudah Shuk and after a walk into the Ben Yehudah mall area on Friday afternoon to see many Jerusalemites attending an outdoor free concert. The amount of concentrated activity on the streets was amazing. There was a definite energy that one could feel before the Shabbat siren went off in the evening.
On Erev Shabbat and Yom Shabbat, Charlie and I made our way to the Conservative Synagogue, Moreshet Yisrael, on Agron Street. It was a 1/2 hour walk away from where we are staying in Nachalaot. We decided to see what davening in a masorti shul in Israel would be like. We appreciated the friendliness of the Rabbi, the mixed seating, the familiarity with the service. I even received an aliyah as the "Bat- Levi". Only one thing saddened us....almost all present at both services were visiting from somewhere else! There were tourists from all over the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, and South Korea. There were no more than 10 of the shul's congregants present during the entire Shabbat. Oddly enough, the entire membership of the shul is comparable to what we have at Tifereth Israel....the difference being that Jerusalem has a population of 750,000 and a Jewish presence of at least 500,000!
In a city where shuls abound on every corner (so to speak)....it would be good if the major center for Conservative Judaism could attract a committed core of individuals who see the purpose of maintaining Jewish law, customs, and traditions, while incorporating egalitarian practices. May it come to be in our lifetime!
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