(Jewish Group) An African-American synagogue in Philly: 'We don't want people to come to shul and go

[Behind the Aegis]

(THIS IS THE JEWISH GROUP! RESPECT!!)

An African-American synagogue in Philly: ‘We don’t want people to come to shul and go to sleep.’



Mikaela Pleasant, clad in a white, sequin dress and a purple tallit, poked her head around the large blue Torah she carried as she walked carefully up the aisles of Congregation Temple Beth’El. Rabbis and young children trailed behind her, greeting every member in attendance as if they were old friends reunited. The band struck up a quick and jubilant beat.



“Halle-lujah!”



The cry was met with clapping as the drums slowed and the sound of the final metal cymbal reverberated in the air. Finally, everyone took their seats, and Torah readings began for Mikaela’s bat mitzvah.



“It’s innate within us to praise the Almighty with vigor, with joy, and that’s sometimes quite unique,” said Rabbi Debra Bowen of the predominantly African American synagogue in West Oak Lane, the largest of its kind in the Philadelphia area. “Many of the songs I have comprised myself to make it more apropos to us because of the way we enjoy music. We don’t want people to come to shul and go to sleep.”


HEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer
Mikaela Pleasant is lifted up on a chair during the celebration of her bat mitzvah at the Hyatt House in King of Prussia. Pleasant is a member of the congregation Temple Beth'El in West Oak Lane, Philadelphia.

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[JudyM]

1. Interesting article, thanks for posting.

Bowen said that when blacks in America were free to develop their own culture and expression in a post-slavery United States, many turned to Judaism.
“When we were practicing Christianity, we did it because our slave masters told us,” Bowen said. “We always felt something was missing. Then we turned to Torah, and suddenly we began to know.”

[Mosby]

2. I wish we had a shul like this in phoenix.