Elisabeth

Elisabeth – progressive Judaism

 

Eslisabeth – born in The Nederlands – speaking about her practice of Prayer

 

What does prayer mean to you?

There is the communal aspect of prayer in the synagogue – the central prayer is the Shema which is affirming we believe in one God.

The moment that means the most to me is when I am sitting in my prayer shawl and I cover my eyes with the shawl and whisper very quietly the words of the *Shema – it is an intensely religious and personal moment. But then half an hour later in the service there is that moment when the Torah, the Ark is opened the Torah scrolls are revealed. You have that day’s functionaries – who are standing holding the Torah – so you have the Rabbi, you have the person who is asked to hold the Torah; it might be the President of the synagogue, the person delegated to open the curtain. We all stand and sing the words of the Shema as loud as we possibly can and that’s affirming our identity as Jews. So, prayer is partly that personal statement of faith; it’s also identity which is very important for Jews and there is that personal moment of whatever it means on a particular day.

It’s never about asking for a particular thing for yourself (we don’t have a belief about that) – it is for instance thinking about people who have recently died close to you or some terrible event that’s occurred in the world you can’t do anything about but you just want to reflect about that.

The other aspect of prayer is – well I always pray when I stand in the shower – I usually say the Shema, there. And I think about water and I particularly think about that when it’s very dry. I feel very blessed when we have water. Jews are originated in a desert area so water is very important for us. And last thing at night, to say “God is one and I’m a Jew and let’s hope all is right with the world when I wake up in the morning”.

For me Prayer and Worship are intertwined

Probably for me, the most important aspect of prayer and worship is study about prayer, about Worship and about identity.

Has prayer changed for you over the years?

When I was young women were not really encouraged to be part of the service. My earliest memories are of watching my grandfather who was wrapped in a beautiful Tallit – in a white Tallit edged with gold which had come down from the family in the 18th century. I’d sit behind him in the synagogue and bow when he bowed and not realising that was part of prayer. I didn’t quite know what it was, it was just belonging. My earliest memory is of my grandparents and the village that they lived in; they were praying on a beach in the North Sea. They stood in a circle and I had to sit in the circle because the wind was so fierce – they were afraid I might blow away. I was the only child in that community. I was looking up at the clouds – I thought that was where God lived.

As I’ve got older and you reflect on the past that’s become more intense over time. It’s not a need, I like doing it! It gives me inner peace.

 

Tool for prayer?

The Tallit and the Siddhur: the prayer book and a good constitution – the synagogue service is 2 hours long and for about an hour of that you’re standing – that’s why sometimes we sway to keep you standing because that’s a long time.

We have a very large prayer book called the Siddhur – Prayers we have for different occasions and it’s evolutionary. So the prayer book itself has evolved so we have more prayers for the community and the countries that we live in and more prayers for “Can we get through another day as Jews!”

Who taught you to pray ?
(Not my mother – she came back from concentration camp and declared there is no such thing as God – that can’t be!)

My first experience of prayer were with my grandparents. They’d pray 5 times a day, before meals and after meals – it was a prayer community – they lived a subsistence life – they lived a very quiet prayerful life.

You can spend your whole life involved with the study. If you want an easy religion I don’t suggest you go for Judaism – It’s an intellectual approach and that to me is what’s most appealing; it’s not for everybody.

What does prayer look like?
In the synagogue I’m wrapped in my Tallit – in the prayer shawl and that’s also new for women (probably only the last 20-25 years); it was usually only something that men did. There’s the prayer you say before you put the Tallit on – there are prayers that remind you what each part of the Tallit is – goes back 3000 years in our history – so there is a historical connection – when I reflect just how these things occurred.

At home there’s no particular vision of that – that’s a very personal and opportunist endeavour when you pray at home for me. For other Jews it could be very ritualised – particularly if you are Orthodox – but that does not always make it meaningful. My personal view is that I like prayer that is meaningful.

* Shema: (Hebrew: She-ma yisrael, adonai eloheinu, adonai echad!)
* Shema: (English: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One!)