Finding Services
A blog post
by Abi Weissman, Psy.D.
Waves, A Psychological Corporation
It's 45 minutes to the sunset and the beginning of Rosh Hashanah and I am sitting here in awe, watching my little one eat some solids and my wife sit with her. . . I am so lucky!
I wanted so much to go to services tonight, to show them to my kiddo and, I am a mom now, and we won't go tonight because it's at her bedtime and I can't bear to mess up her schedule just so I can show her the beauty of the melodies at these services.
I'm satisfied (okay, excited) to know that we'll go tomorrow, and she'll hear the melodies for the first time out of utero (outside of the womb). :)
But because my wife is amazing and knows how much I love being at services and miss my bio family especially at this time of year, she found me online service options for tonight. So, here we sit, my kiddo nibbling on solids and making a huge mess out of herself, the chair, and the floor, and I'm typing and soon will put down this blog post and turn to services back on to hear the sounds of the holiday.
We can be both the family with the young kid and the family that celebrates the Jewish New year.
The online spot for Reform services is at: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/where-to-stream-high-holiday-services/ whereas weekly Shabbat services can be found at https://reformjudaism.org/attend-shabbat-services-online Some of the services are live and some are recorded.
I loved finding a Reform service online that reminded me of my hometown and then, flipped to the recorded services of NY's Romenu for something closer to what my soul wanted my kid to experience. Sure, the services happened 3 hours ago, but they feel real to me as if I were hearing them live with the rest of the congregation. I want to jump up and sing and I do, with limited hesitation because I am home celebrating with my beloved family. And my kid, although she was hungry, scampered over to watch them with me. You could say it was because we don't let her watch TV or look at the computer much at all, but I think it was also because the beautiful music drew her in.
Family services are tomorrow so tomorrow we will attend them together, 2 Moms and our little one. And then, it will be off to the lake to let go of what we want during Tashlich (Here's one take on a ritual from Ritualwell.org https://www.ritualwell.org/ritual/tashlikh-ceremony ) using bread to cast our misgivings of the year past into the water.
Although I will miss work, I am excited to have some time to do some spiritual work for the next day or so. I am grateful for the time away to ready myself for the new year to come.
I couldn't end this post without more resources, now could I? Nah!!!
For more information about Rosh Hashanah including information about rituals and foods special to this time of year and to hear the Shofar being blown, and by a woman at that, please check out this short video with Mayim Bialik called: It's Rosh Hashanah- Happy Jewish New Year! Warning: there are a LOT of puns. I've heard lots of people who do not identify as men blow the shofar but online, I seem to only be able to find men doing so. Not this video, though! Yay! I love that her home is vegan, though so there are a few ways that the family has amended the holiday to fit their veganism.
Rosh Hashanah- Happy Jewish New Year! video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0sKHcdjJPg
For a another queer look at the holiday, please see https://www.autostraddle.com/queering-the-jewish-holidays-how-i-celebrate-rosh-hashanah-yom-kippur-430827/ and learn a perspective about the High Holidays that is queer and trans-affirming.
May you have a sweet new year! L'Shana Tova!
(These are two phrases to say to a Jew at this time of year to wish them a Happy Jewish New Year.)
Warmly,
Dr. Abi Weissman
Chairwoman and Owner/Founder of Waves, A Psychological Corporation
Dr. Abi Weissman is well versed in the experiences of being Jewish and Queer and/or Trans. She's also accepting new therapy clients. Yay! If you are a resident of California, please set up an appointment and start feeling heard today!
If you are a clinician wanting to learn more about being Jewish, queer, and/or trans, to better support your clients, please contact Dr. Abi Weissman too, as she is happily accepting new consultation clients