Sunday, December 13th, 2020

The bosses tag me to light the candles at the office tonight. They ask me if I want to practice the blessings. No one is ever quite sure how much I know of Jewish practice and rituals. It’s more than many Americans but less, I think, than even many secular people here. I’m OK with these prayers. I start in a lower key than I did last year. I couldn’t hit the high notes then, and my voice cracked. This time it’s right in range. I have a bit of trouble lighting the first candle. Eventually I get it. At the end of each blessing, the rest of the staff do a choral “A-a-men.” They sound great. I blank on the melody of one of the obligatory songs, but others start in with it and I follow. The other one, I could sing in my sleep. We don’t do the hymn that I arranged for my mother’s orchestra a few years back, but that’s OK. The bosses hand out cookies afterward. We get back to work. When I get home, I set up the candles for lighting, but realize that I’ve already done it for today. I put one more candle in the menorah. It’s all set for tomorrow.