They came fast and furious down the main pedestrian passage straight into Independence Square, in downtown Netanya. Dancing, drumming, singing, a large group was passing through the Square delivering a brand-new Torah Scroll to one of the local synagogues.
The singing was passionate, joyful, truly contagious. This ecstatic procession would advance a few hundred yards then stop, morph into circle-dancing, draw in bystanders, before eventually moving on.
Leading the procession where men dressed in Ultra-Orthodox black garb wearing long beards and side-locks. Alongside them where musicians dressed in exotic Mizrahi (Middle Eastern Jewish) garb. Truly festive, super energetic, and looking kinda’ biblical. Wow!
Troubling Tension
Holiness and Joy notwithstanding, troubling tension was arising within me. Why, may you ask? Israel’s parliamentary elections are fast approaching and campaigning is currently in full force. I happened to be volunteering that afternoon with my favorite politician, helping at the booth we had erected at Independence Square.
She, the politician, was meeting and greeting folk when the procession stopped directly in front of us. The circle-dancing suddenly dominated the space, while enthusiastic dancers where brushing against our booth almost knocking it over, albeit unwittingly.
The metaphor, though, wasn’t lost on any of us. Religious fervor in Israel is typically associated with reactionary political sentiment. This vibe now dominated the Square, both physically and symbolically.
Let me explain. My favorite politician is a liberal and an avowed atheist (the atheism I can forgive, as I agree with mostly everything else she represents in addition to my deep appreciation for her impressive sharp intelligence – graduated both Harvard and Cambridge. I believe she is a future Golda Meir, but let me not digress).
When our booth was so mobbed, I asked said politician if she wanted us to relocate the booth elsewhere in the large Square. She gracefully opted for remaining put, keeping clam, and exercising inclusivity and civility. More proof, in my opinion, of why one may want to elect her.
Might-as-well Join Them
I then, opted for dancing. “Might-as-well join them if I can’t avoid them” I thought. Enjoyed it immensely. I always do enjoy dancing with a Torah scroll, no matter what costumes are being worn by other dancers in the circle (Can you spot me in the video clip?).
The unique set of social and ideological polarities we negotiate, here in Israel, can be mind-bending: religious vs secular, Ashkenazi vs Mizrahi, modern vs ancient, Sabras vs newcomers, Jewish vs Arab, peace vs war, exhausting… until the dancing begins.
About twenty minutes hence the procession moved on. At the booth we later joked about how I was gifted a double Mitzvah that afternoon – actively contributing to the democratic process as well as dancing with a new Torah scroll.
Mitzvah Stacking
The avowed atheist politician appreciated my Mitzvah-stacking too, as the opportunity was taken for cultural and spiritual bridging. A bridging, I believe we in Israel all wish for despite deep divisions.
The feelings of love, dedication, and passion animating our campaign-team literally touched, if only briefly, the love, dedication, and passion animating the ecstatic Torah dancers forming a beautiful continuum.
On many levels, whether consciously or not, the entire diverse crowd – liberal campaign volunteers, rabbis and dancers, and bystanders – created
. An unexpected yet quite delicious moment. May this be a sign of generative-merging to come, in Israel, in the Middle East, and far beyond!
The dancers disappeared as fast as they appeared. We went back to meeting and greeting with a little more juice, and jewish, in our systems.
