Season of Simchas (Joy)
Accompanying a convert on their Jewish journey to the Beit Din, 6 babies/toddlers to welcome and bless, and two weddings this summer (and let us not forget the 10 B'nei Mitzvah students from this year's group), we have a lot to celebrate in the Chavurah and it feels wonderful to be able to have all these simchas in person (of course with a zoom presence for those who cannot be there physically).
The singing group has been playfully renamed ‘Pilates for the Soul’, and we are lucky to have our teacher Mich Samson join us for our Friday in June, so that the whole community can experience the joy of singing together. My favourite moment is when we transcend from being a group of individuals grappling with a melody or texts (amidst much laughter) and we suddenly become more than our individual parts. When the singing brings us together, and the melodies roll around the room, creating something astonishing and uplifting. In our individualised lives, there is something so special about being part of a bigger whole. The group is open to everyone, whether you feel you can sing or not, or whether you can read music (or not). We leave those Monday evenings with a lighter heart, and a sense of simcha.
Another kind of simcha was the exuberant collection of toiletries last Sunday, in front of Waitrose, Co-op and Boots. Thank you to the amazing group of people who helped out, spoke to shoppers, and spread the word about how to support locals hosting Ukrainian refugees. The gratitude from Ukrainians already living here, or the newly arrived who feel welcomed into a strange country, was touching. One recently arrived Ukrainian told their host that the simple act of getting a welcome gift from locals was so heartwarming and made them feel welcomed in a time of despair and disorientation. There are now around 100 guests hosted in and around Crouch End, and many more in the rest of the borough.
Our outdoor walking 'service' at Kenwood was, coincidentally, also the weekend when everything began to bloom, and the rhododendrons opened up. From really looking at the world around us close up on the sundrenched lawns during Mah Tovu, to the shema interspersed with birdsong, to the Torah talk in the dappled shade of the trees, talking about the growth of Judaism in Nigeria, to the aleynu and kiddush overlooking both the majestic trees and the towers of the city in the distance, it was a celebration of nature and the joy of the changing seasons.
What all these simchas have in common is that they happen when we join together, whether it is a lifecycle blessing, singing, welcoming in Shabbat or acting together. That’s when we remember the power of celebrating together, and how life enhancing these simcha moments are.
As we say, when we raise our glasses in celebration; לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וּלְשָׁלוֹם, ‘Le-ḥayyim tovim u-le-shalom’ - Good life and peace (to you)!