My Trip to Firenze June 2019

I came to Firenze (Florence) for a doctoral conference at the European University Institute. We spent an entire day discussing each other's work. Some visiting professors commented and critiqued the theoretical frameworks, methodology, and writing styles. Unfortunately, the legal historian who was supposed critique my paper did not show up. I was disappointed by this fact. Either way, I expanded my network, both academically and rabbinically. I arrived on Friday morning to be able to have ample time to prepare for the Shabbath and Shabu'oth. When I arrived to the synagogue, I couldn't believe how majestic it was from the outside and the inside. It stands as a cultural marker of the city. You can't miss the Moorish style building with its green cusp. You can view it from any part of the city.

Upon entering the synagogue, I was amazed and speechless. I thought to myself that anyone who prays therein must feel the awesomeness of the GOD.

I walked in as the congregation was singing Lekhá Dodí. I did not recognize the melody, but it sure felt like home to me. The scales and tonalities used for the liturgy resemble Gregorian chants closely. After the service, Rabbi Amadeo Spagnoletto greeted me with a big smile and "Ciao." I replied "Ciao." Everyone was extremely welcoming and warm. This made me feel like I had a long lost family of some sort. The next day was Shabbath Hatán. As soon as the novio finished his Torah reading, a showering of sweets came from the women's section. Many children ran to grab the sweets from the floor. It was truly a happy moment. The excitement was shared collectively, knowing that this gentlemen will get married next week. At the close of the service, the sexton handed out booklets with the 6 chapters of the "Ethics of our Fathers." The women moved from behind the partition to the front in order to participate. Some congregants read in Hebrew, while others read in Italian, including the women. This made me really happy to see. Afterwards, the congregation went to the dining hall and we waited for the qiddush. Then the servers began to bring out food: risotto, bread, red wine, white wine, salads. I couldn't believe the varieties and quantities of food that were served. I left that morning completely satiated: spiritually and physically. That evening, I returned for the Shabu'oth service. This time, the prayer was led by a boy of perhaps 14 or 15 years old. His father was standing next to him in order to give him confidence. As I heard his melodious voice and perfect pronunciation of the Hebrew, I wondered how marvelous it is that everyone participates in this congregation! At the end of the service, the congregation sang the Yigdal with one of the melodies that I recognized from the worldwide Nação communities. We all went to the dining hall for the qiddush and Shabu'oth dinner. There were many faces that I did not recognize from the day before. I sat at the table with the young adults (ages 20-30) so that I wouldn't feel orphaned. After the qiddush, everyone introduced oneself and we began to talk in Italian, Hebrew, and English. Not bad! Some Sepharadim have the custom of staying up the entire 1st night of Shabu'oth in order to study. The Rabbi handed out various sheets of paper with portions from the Tikkún Lel Shabu'oth readings. Some read in Hebrew, while others read in Italian. Again, everyone participated equally. I was starting to enjoy this! About 30 minutes before the Birkath HaMazón, our entire table went outside for fresh air. Some of us stood while others sat on the benches in order to refresh ourselves from the intense Summer heat. When we heard the congregants singing Psalm 126, some of us ran to the dining hall in order to participate in the final benediction after the meal. The Rabbi sang the entire blessing from memory and the congregation replied in certain sections with perfect unison. As I watched the facial expressions of some yehidim, I noticed how happy they were to say this prayer. Everyone said good night with two kisses and "ciao." The next day, the service was longer due to the additions for the Shabu'oth service. The choir approached the hekhal, standing on the left corner. They were directed by a leader and sang in perfection during the Hallel. The call-response dynamic between the prayer leader, the choir and congregation reminded me that I was in a Spanish & Portuguese Jews' congregation. I was home.:) When the time came to give out the misswoth, I was honored by carrying the 2nd Torah scroll. It was such an amazing experience. It was very solemn and majestic at the same time. As we returned the Torah scrolls to the hekhal, the Rabbi led all of the children to the front in order to sing the Shubáh prayer. He then went to the balcony to give his sermon. Once again, many women left the partition and sat in the front in order to hear his words more closely. After his speech, we said the Musaf prayer and during the blessing of the Kohanim, families gathered in the back in order to receive the blessing together. I had never seen this in any community before. During the lunch, I asked the sexton to explain the history of the community. He said that the Jews used to live in the Ghetto until around 1840s. Thereafter, they built the synagogue. As I travel around the Sepharadi diaspora, I am saddened by the lack of education of the congregants and how our traditions are disappearing. That is NOT the case in Firenze. The Nação here is alive and kicking. What I can say about this city is that it is full of tourists. There are many restaurants and terraces where people drink. The bridges are historic and the architecture is so precise and detailed, reflecting the Italian philosophy. This is truly a magical city, not only for its spirituality, food, culture, and architecture, but because of the energy that it emanates from its inhabitants. I'll be back...