You had to be there. On Shabbat morning, March 19 Temple David gathered for our Shabbat morning service focused on A Celebration of Jewish Women: RIGHTS of Passage. We celebrated the 100^th anniversary since the first Bat Mitzvah and the 50^th anniversary since the first female ordination. As it happened, thirty-six (double chai!) women led the service, read Torah, sang in our all-women’s choir, shared the poetry of Jewish women, celebrated the participation of a recent Bat Mitzvah  and looked forward to our next to B’not Mitzvah as they ascended the bimah to participate as well. The ages ranged from 5-90. The music was largely composed by women; the kiddush was baked and set out by men. The service handout told the stories of women of all ages including some of those who were raised at Temple David and have chosen the rabbinate.

As I said in my sermon, we were experiencing what we had just read in the Book of Esther: light and joy, gladness and honor.

Why was it so meaningful? Because so many people participated. Because they made the effort to learn Torah, haftarah, new music. And because so many showed up in person even if they did not ascend the bimah while others showed up online. Together their presence said Hineinu (Here we are).

In the recent issue of eJewishPhilanthropy, this is what was written: “A survey of a representative sample of 4,400 adults in Jewish households, with some data provided exclusively to eJewishPhilanthropy, shows that the more New York City-area Jews attended prayers and Jewish activities, the lower their rates of anxiety, depression, social isolation, and substance abuse were.

We have long held an assumption that ‘doing Jewish’ was good for the Jewish people, was good for our community, and now we feel like we have this evidence that says it,” Emily Sigalow, executive director of UJA’s ​​Impact and Performance Assessment Department, told eJP. She noted that the study didn’t prove causation, or that going to synagogue makes one less anxious or depressed. But, she said, “even if we can’t prove the direction of an arrow, we know that doing Jewish is associated positively with these different measures of well-being.

It is wonderful that we have online options in order to attend worship, learning, and other gatherings for those who cannot come in person. However, when we come in person, we bring our whole selves. We have the joy of small talk and the taste of homemade challah. We can sing with others and sit in a sacred space. And it just feels good. If you are able, please come!