Kumzits followed by kibitzing: End-of-holidays round-up

First, we went to an Erev Hoshana Rabbah kumzitz/sing-along in the Sukkah at Beloved Brooklyn, with singer/songwriter Deborah Sacks Mintz and percussionist Sam Weisenberg, and had a delightful evening (not to mention an opportunity to make a b'rachah in the sukkah)!


Then, there were shenanigans in shul on Simchat Torah.


In the evening, we were happy, indeed, to see some of our younger members and friends--folks in roughly their thirties--show up to make a minyan for hakafot despite the fact that they had all worked that day.  Since they were enthusiastic singers, I had fun leading them in some new tunes that I've just recently learned from YouTube, namely, Nava Tehila's "Oseh Shalom" and Elana Arian's "Hinei Ma Tov."  I can't remember the last time I had so much fun on Erev Simchat Torah!


In the morning, my husband, with much "assistance" from me, alternated between goofing off and singing just about every song we knew for the psalms and other texts in P'sukei D'Zimrah, including all of Salamone Rossi's "Halleli Nafshi," but only the alto part, 'cause that's the only part I know.  :)


Then my husband started singing the High Holiday tune for the Avot section (first paragraph) of the Amidah, and drove the cantor crazy.  :)


During the Musaf service, I did my usual shtick of spraying water in people's faces when we said "Mashiv ha-ruach u'morid ha-gashem (God makes the wind blow and the rain fall)."


But probably the best part of the morning was putting a smile on the face of one of our congregation's favorite 90-something-year-olds.


A simchah was had by all!