Rosh Hashanah Services Over The Years (From a purely social aspect)
As a kid, going to shul meant attending children’s services, eating apples and honey, and listening to the shofar.
As a post Bat Mitzvah, it meant “assisting” with children’s services. (When assisting = talking with friends.)
As a high schooler, it meant sneaking away from the sanctuary to talk with friends.
As a college student, it meant coming back home for a few days and catching up with friends who went away to other schools.
As a recent college grad, it meant discussing first jobs, new apartments, and new friends.
And now? It’s seeing women younger than myself with husbands and children. It’s finding out who’s pregnant, who’s recently married, and who’s already gotten divorced. It’s convincing my parents that just because the tall guy sitting with his family in the row in front of us doesn’t have a ring on, doesn’t mean I’m game for a shidduch. And finally, it’s telling my parents that there’s a cute guy sitting in the back with his parents only to find out he’s, um, maybe 25 year-years-old. Oops.
Shana tova!
The guy I had my shulcrush on has gotten married and over the years I have watched his daughter grow less cute ande his wifes’ disdain more palpable… What’s going on there I wonder. I knew we’d have been a better match! lol. Also, this year there was a girl with dreads. I go to an ortho shul… w.t.f.??