Shabbat Rituals

There are two rituals honoring Shabbat in which I had the opportunity to participate. Lighting Shabbat candles to welcome the day and the Havdalah ritual of bidding the day farewell until next week. I've posted images of each in the recent past here. This post is the first of another set. I still haven't quite gotten the images I'm looking for to portray the beauty of each of the rituals, but I'll keep trying.

The Shabbat candles are lit on Friday evening before sunset. According to legend the first person to have practiced the ritual was Sarah, Abraham's wife. The Jewish Sages made the enactment of the lighting into ritual to signify peace in the home and to welcome the Shabbat, Queen of days. The candles are most often lit by a woman past Bat Mitzvah age. If unmarried she lights one candle, if married, two, and one for each child. Given the size of most very observant or haredi families, this could turn into quite a display. After lighting she waves her hands three times over the flames, covers her eyes, and recites the traditional Shabbat blessing. Usually a blessing is recited before performing a ritual, but in this case it's done afterwards  because after the blessing, Shabbat has begun and the lighting would be prohibited.

Also, it's traditional during this ritual to put money in a box for Tzedakah, which is sometimes translated as charity, but has a much deeper connotation when translated as righteousness. More about Havdalah in the next post.

Setting the example for giving Tzedakah:

Now it's my turn:

Me too:

Lighting candles, one for each child:

The glow of Shabbat candles, a beautiful light:

Watching mommy:

I know how to do it!

Finally, A Beautiful Summer Day

Temps in the low 80's, low humidity, cloudless sky all make for a perfect day to walk around NYC. Except that the light was kind of harsh. I often go on these walks to get some images and come home feeling like I got nothing. But even in a slump it's important to get out and exercise the brain and finger muscles. But then I get home, load the images into Lightroom, let them rest for a few hours et voilà:

Hot and Cold

A new shot from this hot summer, and a few from the past winter just as a reminder. Don't complain too loudly!

Just To Cool Off

It's been so hot I thought I'd process some winter shots to cool down a bit. It worked!

Brutal New York Heat

Summer is raging. Searing temps in the 90's with thick humidity make the New York streets really mean. There's only so much work I can find to do at home in the air conditioning and then I have to get out and move around. The only relief on the street is to drink, drink, drink.

This shot is from this past Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue. Found it while looking for something to work on. Cooler days, temperature-wise anyway.

Bottled water everywhere. Now where we gonna go, girls?

Taking a nip in the shade. Not sure of exactly what though. That's not a water bottle, and that is a shot glass.

Satmars of Williamsburg (part 2)

On my previous visit to the neighborhood I was told of a Chabad House, home for Jews of the Lubavitch sect, in the neighborhood. I was interested to see it because having the two sects in the same neighborhood is like mixing oil and water. Their dress, mannerisms, and social philosophy are entirely different: the Satmars go to great lengths to remain insular and separate - except in matters of commerce.

Whereas the Lubavitch make an effort to go out into the general population of whatever area they are in to seek out and contact other Jews, especially non-observant, to gently draw them in to their fold. They have been subjected to quite a bit of 'bad press' and animosity from other sects of Hasidim and many other groups of Jews. Judaism is no different in this respect from any other religious belief system - except that the members of the various sects are not intent on killing and destroying each other. More on this, the various sects of Hasidim, and the divisions in the family of Jews to come.

Besides religious observance, one common factor across the board of all highly observant Jewish communities is large families. The streets of any Hasidic neighborhood are always filled with men and women with their families of many children in tow.

For the most part the Satmars are reclusive and camera shy. But as I walked along the main drag of Lee Avenue carrying my camera, this gentleman, who was talking to someone on his mobile phone saw me coming, quickly groomed his beard and called me over. He told his conversant to hold on a minute because someone wanted to take his picture.

On Bedford Avenue I saw this child playing with his toy cash register and play coins scattered all over the sidewalk. He looked up at me and said 'Take my picture,' and after I did so, he said 'Let me see, let me see!'

Satmars of Williamsburg

In Brooklyn there are several neighborhoods that are home to various Hassidic sects. The Chabad Lubavitch can be found in Crown Heights, a mixture of sects in Borough Park, and the Satmars are concentrated in the Williamsburg section. They vary from group to group in their separation and insularity, but the most closed off are the Satmars. I've spent a lot of time walking the streets in all the neighborhoods and I'm comfortable mixing with them, so often i can strike up conversations with them or at least not appear too intrusive or threatening.

Going back through my images of a walk I did there last year I found several that I hadn't processed or posted.