Spirit that Reality

By Gabriella Salvatore Strecker

Are you kidding me?

The assignment is to write on spirituality? Um, hi? We have rabbis for that? That’s kind of their thing, no? Pacing and muttering pursue me: Spirit-U-ality. Spiritchyouality. SpiritJewality. Jewality? Is that a word? It should be if it isn’t.

True Story

Once I went to my rabbi, and said, “I don’t feel G*d smiling down on my mortal choices. Tell me where to find G*d. Do you have a book I can read?” The kindest of sighs reflected back to me: “There is nothing you can read. Ask yourself: where do you feel G*d and go there.” Where to? I wondered. Can we count the moments of unexpected/unplanned quiet—like waiting for the dry cleaning guy to take my ticket or sitting at a red light or smiling at the lady walking towards me or staying an extra minute in the bathroom just to be in silent non-motion?

Summer in the City

Friday nights on Nessel Way—schvitzy, hot, or freezing cold—are creating this kind of pop-up-when-you-leastexpect-it-relax-into-being thing, this praying in the street thing. It is true that Qabbalat Shabbat, in the middle of the summer city, is louder even than High Holiday Purple services! Yet we are not distracted. Our urban dweller selves seem to forget that we are in a high traffic spot. How does this work—this deafening to the world’s distraction, this heightening to our own focus? Maybe this is the spirituality we seek?

We are available, viewable, accessible for all as they pass by, pause, or pull over. And sure it is a kind, yet sometimes scary experience, because it is different. And yet here we are, courageous to try, as we stop and see what there is; as we let the world see who we are. We have a hunch and we’re betting on it— if we lead with connection and love, and ritual and prayer, the world around us, the one we touch every day, where we live, will follow.

Coming Out (side)

Never a political activist, too shy for all those rallying cries, I am surprised by the feeling of strength that comes with coming out (side). There is an act of justice happening when we sing our prayers into the open sky as the motorcycle revs. There is a localization, a multi-way recognition. We are neighbors. We are getting to know each other.

Our temple is hosting a spiritual block party every Friday night this Summer. Using the world around us for walls, and the streets and people as our altar, we amplify the sound and spirit of Shabbat. Come. Let’s Spirit that Reality.