This Shabbos Rabbi Ben performed as chazzan at The Shul of Bal Harbor, a major synagogue, one of the biggest in South Florida.  He sang kabbalat Shabbat and maariv Friday night and on Saturday he sang shacharit and mussafe.  Plus, it was Shabbos Rosh Chodesh, so he sang hallel and welcomed in the new month.

Friday night we ate dinner with a really wonderful elderly couple and their two elderly friends.  Their fifth floor apartment had a perfect view straight out onto the ocean.  It was fascinating to listen to their many stories about their youth and travels in a time and world so different from ours.  Like Rabbi Ben and I (who met while traveling in Peru), one woman at the table had met her husband while traveling in Europe!  Another man told of his participation in World War Two and Normandy, and told us about the weekend trips to Cuba he used to take when he was younger and Castro was not yet in power.

To our surprise, there was also a simcha at The Shul on Shabbos! There was a bar mitzvah and we were very happy to take part in the boy’s coming of age ceremony and celebration.  The family of the boy were delighted to have a trained chazzan present and Rabbi Ben’s singing made the experience even more special for them.

The bar mitzvah was followed on Saturday afternoon by a gigantic Kiddish.  There were about 5 or 6 large areas of tables set up around the walls of the social hall, and in an air conditioned tent set up outside.  One table held fish dishes of every description, another meat and cholent, a third of desserts, and the rest were full of salads.  It was a beautiful celebration of Shabbos and a really fantastic was to celebrate the simcha!