“When it comes to Jewish customs and rituals, I’m a questioner. I want to know why things are done. I’ll ask, ‘Why do we do this?’”

“When my wife started asking, I said ‘You know what? Good question.’ It forced me to learn more. Eventually, I joined the ritual committee at our synagogue to find out how services work. They asked me to be the vice president, then the membership chairman, then I served on the merger committee. I became a floor gabbai and helped write the manual on how to be a gabbai. As a floor gabbai, you are responsible for congregants passing out honors during the service and notifying the congregants when they should go up to do their honors. You also assist in keeping the service running smoothly. Later, I was asked to be the chairman of the ritual committee and after that the membership chairman.

We had a lady visiting our synagogue who performed the gelila, which is when you place the Torah binder around the Torah and place the mantel over it. This woman was in her 40s and it was the first time she ever had this honor. She was so excited, she was positively giddy. Being a part of that and making that happen for her had a special meaning for me.”

📷| Bill Motchan