Six days in Birmingham so far!3/5/2023 It’s been a busy and stimulating first week here in Birmingham. It is COLD! The daytime temperature has been hovering around 5 degrees (around 42 Fahrenheit), with nighttime temperatures near freezing. I’ve been layering up and feeling thankful that I brought along my mother’s very heavy Irish sweater, which I’ve worn every single day, along with two pairs of socks, leggings under my pants, and a heavy coat, mittens, and a knitted ski hat outside and occasionally inside. If you’ve followed the news, you’ll know that UK is in the midst of an energy crisis, and electricity and fuel prices are sky high even with the government assisting people in paying bills. The synagogue has central heating, but the furnace is only started up before Shabbat services, so I need to make do with a little space heater in the rabbi’s office. Enough kvetching for today! Birmingham so far seems to me to be a very liveable, very accessible city. It’s true that my flat is right in the centre of the city, and much of where I need to get to is walking distance. The synagogue is less than a mile away. Aston University, with its incredibly gorgeous swimming pool, is just a mile. There are two train central train stations, each about ten minutes’ walk from where I’m living. Many members of the synagogue live quite a distance away, and for some it can mean a train and two buses to get there. The very centre of Birmingham features a grand city square, where you can find the central library, Symphony Hall, and a large theatre complex. Nearby there are dozens of restaurants, pubs and nightclubs. I walked about fifteen minutes to a nearby community theatre on Saturday evening, and was amazed to see the city’s Broad Street crowded with foot traffic. At 10:00 pm, it seemed that people were just getting started for the night! I was met at Heathrow airport by two of the synagogue’s officers Clive and Val. They were the first to extend a very warm welcome, and that welcome has been echoed many times over since then. There has been a palpable excitement at the prospect of meeting a new rabbi with different things to teach, different ideas and even different melodies for familiar prayers. I was touched that dozens of people came out for Shabbat morning services on Saturday, with at least a dozen more joining on Zoom. I arrived early enough to zip in and say hello to the Hebrew school students and teens, who meet from 10:00 to 12:15 on Saturday mornings. I managed to make it through the Shabbat morning service with a minimum of problems, although I stopped often to ask how things were done at Birmingham Progressive Synagogue. I can see that we share very few tunes in common, and I’m hoping that by next Shabbat I’ll have at least learned a few of the most significant melodies for the congregation. I’m also aware that the trope, or Torah chanting melody I use is different from British trope. I’ve learned a little British trope, but I’m still not confident enough to chant a Torah portion to it.
Following services and quick bite for lunch, Eve, a dedicated synagogue member, led a class in Israeli folkdancing, with well over a dozen people joining in. At one point, the woman next to me indicated an elderly man who was dancing with great joy and noted that he is 97 years old. I had to meet him! His name is Jake, and he has been married for 75 years to Mary. Just the little bit that I caught of Jake’s story is extraordinary: he is black, while Mary is white. He hinted at just how very difficult things were for them in those early years. He is old enough to have fought in World War II, which he did as airman. He noted with a chuckle that he finally received his medals—last year! I commented that I was guessing his ability to accept life as it was might be one of the keys to his healthy and very long life. He was also a sprinter as a young man and is very proud to have carried the flag for Great Britain and the Maccabi games in Israel. He still stands straight, and there is a definite bounce in his step. I’ve met many others from the congregation already. Thankfully, I can understand just about everyone—I’m one of those people who sometimes needs to turn on the subtitles to watch British television shows and films! I’m looking forward to hearing many more stories and learning more about this lovely community.
5 Comments
Rebbie Debbie
3/6/2023 05:27:26 am
Shoshana,
Reply
Rina
3/8/2023 04:31:48 am
What an adventure! How exciting. You really have been and worked all over the world. My friend Martin (here in Philly) is originally from Birmingham.
Reply
Alexis
3/9/2023 10:14:10 am
Thank you both for your blog. Im looking forward to hearing more about your adventures 😊 Shoshana, I highly recommend daytime use of hot water bottles - one for the lap, one for the feet if sedentary!
Reply
Mandy
3/12/2023 01:08:59 am
Great to read both your stories so far! Sounding like a really refreshing (if chilly) experience for rabbis and communities, both. Interestingly Shenaz from Clifton Road Mosque (who we'll be sharing iftar/breaking the Ramadan fast with next month) said their imams often swap for Ramadan
Reply
Fred
3/14/2023 01:02:02 pm
Hi Shoshana and Margaret, great to read about my two rabbinic friends and their adventures! Your blog is bringing together two ends of the globe. Wonderful observations. Looking forward to reading more.
Reply
Leave a Reply.Rabbi Shoshana Kaminsky has been the rabbi of Beit Shalom in Adelaide, South Australia for the last sixteen years. She's very happy to be serving Birmingham Progressive Synagogue for the next three months.
] ArchivesCategories |