Let me be clear: I am the least religious of my housemates. I am not in rabbinical school (Margie and Sarah), nor have I served a year as a Hillel JCSC fellow (Joe Gindi). So at the house, I tend to play a behind-the-scenes role during religious celebrations, just so I don't piss anyone off by eating a bacon cheeseburger by mistake.
But over Yom Kippur, Joe was down in New York and Margie was serving as an emergency rabbi in Leominster, MA (pronounced LEMON-ster, for all you out-of-towners). And Sarah wasn't attending the same temple as the bulk of our house's community...so responsibility fell to me to make our home an open and welcoming place for folks in and around Yom Kippur.
Pre-YK potluck? I pulled it off without a sweat. Ten folks, some of whom had never been to our house, came together for a relaxed dinner that got us all ready for some serious atoning. Then, in the midst of fasting, I came home to slice the bagels, lay out the lox, and prepare a serious break-fast for more than 35 friends. I might have smelled a bit like fish during n'eelah, but when everyone came over there were definitely no frowny faces.
Now I'll grant you, there was pretty much no ritual associated with either of the two meals, but I'd like to think I didn't screw up Yom Kippur for any serious Jews, and our community was able to celebrate together in comfort and style. And for a religious neophyte like me, that felt like a real accomplishment!
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