Yom Kippur

On Yom Kippur I went to mornign services at the Laugh Factory, the comedy club on Sunset Boulevard, where they've had free services every year for the last 25 years. Everyone lined up outside until they started letting people in at a little before 11:00. They filled the whole place, and a couple people had to sit on the steps. I'm not sure where the rabbi came from, but he was very good, very professional. The cantor was from another temple, so I'm not sure why she was at the Laugh Factory. The prayerbook wasn't a real book -- it was copied pages put together by rings, like those packets of articles we got for classes in college. But in the back of the book it actually said it was commissioned a few years ago specifically for the Laugh Factory's services. It was a reformed service, with lots of English, even more than I'm used to.

There was no real comedy, except for one moment, when the rabbi and the cantor started talking about how the Torah portion was about goats. At one point, the rabbi started to end the conversation, but then, perhaps emboldened the comedy club setting, he continued, asking the cantor to tell the story of how at her temple, the rabbi actually brought a couple of goats for Yom Kippur.

It was rather amusing to have services in the same place where Michael Richards made his  famous racist tirade not too long ago. And behind the stage is a backdrop that looks like a rainbow and says "Laugh Factory" on it. But overall a good experience. Especially since I hate having to deal getting tickets to services, and paying ridiculous amounts of money, which you have to do if you don't belong to the temple, or even at a place like UCLA if you're not a student.

Comments

[Johnson]

I was hoping your sienlce was because of all of the holy days. Sad to hear that KC has been having asthma problems. :-( I don't know if this will help at ALL with the inhaler idea, but I have worked and worked and worked with Conor about taking deep breaths to calm down when he is melting down. I sat him on my lap and put one hand on my abdomen and one hand on my mouth. I took a deep breath in and then a deep breath out. It taught him what I meant and now, when I yell at him, "DEEP BREATHS!!!" and start doing it myself, he joins me. Doesn't always help the meltdown, but maybe it will help KC learn how to take that deep breath for the inhaler? (grabbing at straws, here!)So happy that Big Brother is enjoying his skateboard! :-)