"Coming to Yom Kippur through yirah is like a mafia sit down with an IRS auditor"
I
looked around, trying to “read” the room the way Cliff Grantes says we should, looking for the signs of engagement — eye contact, straight head, loose limbs. A lot of women had shown up to this Aseres Yemei Teshuvah Panel. The view from the dais was unforgiving.
Fifteen super-short sheitels on young women. Must be the new trend. I touched my own sheitel, which grazed my shoulder, then shrugged and leaned forward. Better listen, almost my turn. Blah blah blah blah, I was sure she was saying something beautiful and inspiring, but there were so many big words, I lost her. No worries about repeating her, at least.
The words Rosh Hashanah echoed suddenly from the mic, must be an audio blip. The rebbetzin speaking — I was pretty sure she was from Shaarei Ohr — jumped, tittered, then continued. Was Rosh Hashanah really over? It was all such a blur.
“And now we turn to Rebbetzin Chana Schwartzberg,” the moderator said, looking at me. The Shaarei Ohr Rebbetzin passed me the mic.
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