Dear Family and Friends:
Christmas is a special time for everyone, even us
non-Christian, Jewish types. I like most
things about Christmas except for the Capra, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Jimmy
Stewart, bells ringing for Clarence the angel stuff. This Christmas was the best of all.
Juca and I joined about twenty other members of our
synagogue, Beth Shalom in serving a Christmas dinner at the Shalom Center. The Shalom Center is a non-denominational,
non-religious (started by the Methodist church here in Bloomington. They liked the meaning of the word Shalom, so
they used it) daytime homeless shelter.
Juca and I have worked off and on in their kitchen for the past two
years. Our synagogue, as it has for many
years, took over the entire food operation of the Center for the Christmas
meal. In addition to those who came to
work, others prepared food at home and dropped it off. You should have seen the turkeys, trays of
stuffing, green bean casseroles, mashed potatoes, bowls of gravy, even a couple
hams. The two hundred or so people who
showed up for the dinner had a great one.
Best of all, those who came to work really worked. Our fellow congregants sliced and served and
cleaned and interacted with all of the guests.
As you might have guessed I was on the cleanup crew. I ran the Hobart dishwasher most of the day
while Rabbi Brian scrubbed pots at the next sink. I guess you could call that Jewish holy
water. We cleaned up a storm.
But the real best of the best happened throughout the meal
in the lobby of the Center. That’s where
the Newmans, husband and wife, accordion and piano player, set up their
instruments. The Newmans are in their
80’s. They are a wonderful couple who
play music all over town, usually standards and Broadway tunes. This day it was all Christmas music (they did
manage to slip a “Sunrise, Sunset” into one of their sets). Joining the Newmans were a violinist and one
of the opera professors from IU’s Jacobs School of Music. You should have heard the music. Traditional Christmas carols to Jingle Bells,
it was beautiful. I wandered out there
at one point to see what was what. There
they were playing beautifully and the lobby, filled with folks who had finished
dinner singing with them. It really
reminded me of a Frank Capra film. Like
Curly would have said, “My goose bumps got goose bumps.” What I think of as the
spirit of Christmas certainly hovered over the Shalom Center last
Wednesday.
And now we are into a new year, 2014. That’s 7 + 7 + (7-1) = 20, and 7 + 7=14. Good thing I don’t live in Las Vegas. Here’s hoping it’s a year filled with health
and happiness for all. No war, no
poverty, no more need for a Shalom Center. “Halavai,” it should only be
so.
Ron
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