It’s not often that I get to attend a Shabbat dinner led by my cohort and friend (and roommate for this trip), Rabbi Mordechai Soskil. An infectious sense of humor and a passion for Judaism are just two aspects of Mordechai’s personality, and the fact that he was leading the service this evening meant that my anticipation was at an all-time high; this was to be only my second-ever Shabbat dinner. I was excited for all the new experiences that we surely coming my way.
Dinner took place at Moishe House, a post-college living space and gathering spot for young Jewish people of Budapest. The apartment exuded the ideals of young adult living…a collection of mismatched furniture pieces, movie posters on the walls, and of course a reptile in a cage (in this case a chameleon in a cage. Everyone was friendly, welcoming, and immediately personable. As dinner progressed, we took the time to learn a bit about each other, and what I learned about some of our young guests was fascinating. It seems to be a thing here in Hungary for Jewish parents to hide their families’ heritage from their kids. The reasons are understandable, but the resulting suppression of culture and identity is heartbreaking. A number of those present at the Shabbat table did not learn of their heritage until their teenage years (one young lady did not learn she was Jewish until she was 18 years of age). But they were here now, as was I, experiencing a tradition that has taken place every Friday night for almost 6000 years. And what a raucous, wonderful time it was! Rabbi Soskil led us through prayers, improv games, and even a challenging number game that involved high-level mathematics (OK, it was rather high-level for me!).
The significance of the evening did not elude me. In a city where it’s easy to get caught up in the darkness of past, it’s so very important to light the Shabbat candles and celebrate the many joyful aspects of the Jewish tradition.
