davidfcooper

A couple of months ago my brother Daniel asked me to chant a section of the Torah reading at my nephew Benjamin's bar-mitzvah, and I agreed (my father and other brother at first also agreed to chant and later begged out). My bar-mitzvah was a classical reform bar-mitzvah which meant that I never learned to chant, though since then I have acquired a pretty good Hebrew and have heard lots of Torah chanting at our conservative shuls. Well it turns out that to be approved to read Torah at Jacksonville Jewish Center one must demonstrate proficiency, and tonight in a phone call to the responsible person there I auditioned for that role and passed. I still don't know how to read trope (cantillation marks), but I can carry a tune and fake it well enough to chant in public. So in two and a half weeks, 41 years and a month after my own bar-mitzvah, I will chant Torah for the first time at my nephew Ben's bar-mitzvah.

The bar-mitzvah was lovely. Gilad is a sweet affectionate kid. His older brother reads Hebrew with an Israeli accent, but Gilad reads Hebrew with a Spanish accent (their mom and step-father live in Barcelona; they were born in Israel where their dad, my cousin, lives).

The Gatsby like Shelter Island party was pleasanter this year (less drinking and the food courses were served in stages instead of all at once). Gilad's aunt and uncle's marriage appears to be in trouble--their high functioning autistic son (who also has muscular dystrophy) will be 13 in a year, and if they're still together we may do this evening bar-mitzvah and next day party again next year.

The drive from Greenport to Orient Point was scenic, and the ferry ride to New London was pleasant. We had sunny weather and sat on the sun deck which gives a real feeing of water travel. The hotel is fine, but they charge for broadband (but even so it's still a good value). Today we'll go hiking and tomorrow shopping.