It was the first day Rosh Hashonah some 4 weeks ago. I was given the honor of opening the huge Torah Ark ( with a 2nd individual) for The Nesane Tokef prayer..
As I stood facing the 30 or so Torah scrolls , I turned to examine the mass of individuals who had come to join the Jerusalem Great Synagogue service. All of the 850 mens seats and the 550 womens pews were occupied. In addition about 100 men and a similar number of women stood against the back walls of their respective sections
All were focused on the magnificent Cantor Zvi Weiss and the 30 plus members of the choir.. led by maestro Elli Sacks .
Not a word could be heard from the congregants as the prayer with all its traditional "NUSACH" was slowly and methodically dissected so that the true meaning of the prayers could be absorbed into ones soul.
The chief Rabbi stood in the corner by his pew, adding dignity and grace to the tfilot
For me, this represented a hi-point of spirituality. Through my career I have been part of moving events in Russia, Ukraine ,Israel and of course the US.
I can recall presenting a Torah scroll to the Navy at Ashdod from my Talmud shiur, or the wedding of 2 Yachad individuals, and conducting services in Vietnam for Jewish GI's among dozens of spititual events,
Within my neshama ( soul ) nothing could match that moment in Jerusalem.
It spoke to me as a symbol that Jewish unity and renaissance is not beyond a possibility.
The growth of the Orthodox community in the US and Israel ,speaks to a future that despite the current and future loss of assimilated Jews, Jewish history will repeat itself with the growth of a Torah community that will be vibrant, learned and committed.
