Hurricane winds lifting me

They say there's a storm coming, that it's going to be big.  That it may hit New York and New Jersey with fierce, destructive winds, hurricane force winds.  But thankfully it looks like it will hit the day after Ben's Bar Mitzvah.  So we'll be spared.  The service, the kiddish, the luncheon in Montclair will go as planned. This morning is the dry run, the Thursday morning minyan, when Ben will wear the taffillin, the black leather strapped on his wrists, the small black box jutting from his far head. He will read a bit, test out his nerves.  Then we will be catering the breakfast, bagels from Sonny's and nova lox, our family practicing for the big day.

It's a beautiful sweet service.  There are just a handful of congregants, older gray-haired men, kind-hearted women smiling at us. Immediately I become the proud Jewish mother.  When we first arrive they are all congratulating me and Rob, patting Ben on the shoulder.  The Rabbi sits next to Ben and coaches him, leaning into him, explaining about the tzit, tzit, the fringes on his Tallis, his prayer shawl.  I look to my son wearing the leather, his shimmering blue tallis with matching kipah, and then look to the older male congregants wearing their well-worn version.  Ben with his soft boyish skin, davening with the older men, mouthing the hebrew.  I see the lifeline of Judaism, Ben's place in line.  It is so beautiful, I want to cry.

If I can count this morning's minyan as 1/3 of the Bar Mitzvah, I'd be content.  It went so well, the congregation were such menches, so sweet.  The rabbi was wonderful, focusing entirely on Ben, guiding him, whispering in his ear the entire service.  And despite Ben's rebelliousness to many things Jewish, his questioning of the process, his digging in his heels, today it can not be denied, he is officially a jew!

I'm just hoping tomorrow night, the Friday night service goes this well, I sort of think it will.  It's like now I'm floating along, I've done all the work, and now I'm just gliding through, the wind under me.  I can do no wrong, we are blessed.