What do Bachelorette Parties, Jewish Youth Groups and War Have in Common?


Last night I went to my first bachelorette party in Israel. I had no idea what to expect - had to ask for advice on what to wear, what to write in the card, etc. And, well, apparently I didn't ask for quite enough advice because I didn't know that most people would be bringing gifts...

I also didn't realize that the party was not in a club, but rather in a hall dedicated to singing along to classic Jewish and Israeli songs. Ironically, I was reminded of the beer halls in Munich. The 20 of us sat at long wooden tables and were handed tambourines. We ordered food which seemed very secondary to the occasion. No one ate it, and the pitiful service proved that the music was the draw to this packed establishment.

Groups of people were crammed in wall to wall, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and engagements. Up front, on a simple platform, we were entertained and motivated by an energetic Israeli singer accompanied by a gy on a Yamaha-style keyboard. The accompanist showed no restraint in putting on those cheesy background rhythms (disco, salsa, harpsichord deluxe) and the crowd went wild.
Women, men, old (like us) and older danced on the tables, on the chairs. You could forget the cheesiness of it all because the crowd was simply eating it up. Everyone was singing, no one noticed that their food was still frozen or cared that their salad hadn't arrived. Mayaan (the bride) danced from table to table and the "song leader" made sure to highlight the occasions and celebrations throughout the crowd.

On my part, it was great to meet some of the people who will be at the wedding; for once I won't know only Ori and the bride and groom!

But the surprising part of the evening was how many of the songs I knew. Thank you to U.S.Y. (my jewish youth group.) THere we were, in a established venue dancing on tables and chairs just as we had during sabbath "ruach" (spirit) sessions as teenagers. I found myself singing the same songs, with the same exuberance, and yet here I was three continents across the globe in a bar filled with non-kosher food and alcoholic beverages. Moments like these spur warm, fuzzy feelings of Jewish unity: Israelis - with ancestry in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and North Africa know the U.S.Y songs! I was elated.

On a more somber note, a table next to us had driven up from the south where they are spending too much time in bomb shelters these days. The leader promised them an "explosive evening" (roaring laughter) and then sang a song we all know - whose words remind us that "the world is a narrow bridge, and that the important thing is not to be afraid!"


As narrow as this bridge is, I feel oddly un-affected by the war. We are talking about it, reading about, debating about it, but it's life as usual here in Tel Aviv. How narrow is that bridge?