Family week continued on Friday when my aunt, uncle, and one of my cousins came to town.  I joined them at Friday night Shabbath services at B’nai Jeshurun, a Conservative congregation on the Upper West Side.

The service was a bit more enthusiastic than the usual services I attend.  Firstly, there was a guitar and drum session–very unusual for a Conservative congregation.  Still, it gave the music a nice, flamenco-y feel, which I suppose was appropriate considering the head Rabbi and Cantor are Argentinian.  At one point during the service everyone began to dance.  Additionally, there was this extremely bizarre congregant in the back who was behaving in a manner more consistant with caricatures of evangelical Christians.  He was an older man, with long, frizzy hair pulled back into a low pony tail.  He spent the entire service in the back of the sanctuary, dancing and jumping and hopping around and at one point standing on hsi toes with his arms outstretched toward the sky.  An ecstatic smile was plastered on his face the entire time.  I’m glad he was having a great time, but honestly his behavior was a little bit distracting/hilarious.  Whatever, to each their own.

After services we headed to the apartment of my aunt’s friend.  The friend and her family live on the Upper West Side and are Modern Orthodox.  I am always amazed to see how people live in this city; I suppose if it is all you know then you wouldn’t give cramming five people into a relatively small apartment another thought, but I know it would take me a lot of time to get used to the typically living situation in this city.  My sublet is awesome–firstly, no roommates, and secondly, even though it is a studio it is a fairly spacious studio, and the high ceilings give the studio the appearance of extreme roominess.  Anyhow, it had been awhile since I’d had a home-cooked meal, so I have minimal complaints.

I will get caught up on the remainder of the weekend later tonight.  Look forward to numerous pictures and other sundry descriptions.