Biennial, Day 2 (personal observations)

So, my 2nd day at the Biennial was definitely better than the first. As I said in the earlier post, I began the day at services, and that was by far the best way to begin the day. I felt energized and ready to go and learn.

My fellow congregants at the Biennial and I went out for lunch with our rabbi and had an excellent time. It was a beautiful day (ah, San Diego weather), so we sat outside at a really good seafood/steak place. I've decided to attempt a kosher diet come the secular new year, beginning with cutting out pork and shellfish, so I figured that since I was in a coastal city I would have some good seafood while I still could. I had a bowl of clam clam chowder and some crab thing and my rabbi's comment was "wow, you have a bowl of treif next to a plate of treif." Ha ha ha. I pointed out to him last week what I'm doing, which he respects, so that's fine. It was amusing though. I did, however, take my kippah off while we ate. While I wear it all the time I do take it off if I am doing something totally non-kosher (like eating pork or shellfish).

I will say this about wearing my kippah at the Biennial: it was awesome to see so many other people, and especially women, wearing them the entire time. I don't imagine that everyone who had a kippah on during those 5 days wears one on a daily basis in their home life, but it was great none-the-less. I even purchased a brand-new Bucharian-style kippah that I normally would not have spent as much money on. But, I justified it b/c it is a) beautiful, b) something I will wear often, and c) cheaper than a new tallit. The number of amazingly lovely tallitot in the vendor hall was ridiculous. I like the tallit I have, it is just white w/ blue stripes, but it is my first and it is special to me. But there were a few that were tempting had they not been way too far out of my price range. So, the kippah and a breast cancer pin in the shape of a chai were my only purchases; I even resisted the book and music store. I was there on a budget and I really tried to stick to it. Considering my congregation helped me out financially, I also couldn't justify spending any more money (even though I didn't have it anyway).

I didn't take into account just how exhausting a convention can be, but by the end of the day of workshops and classes I was tuckered out. I wish I had taken the time to go to the ma'ariv minyan, but I decided instead to head back to the hotel room and take a shower before meeting my temple friends for dinner, which itself was a raucous good time.

I also stopped by the 20/30s reception, which was well-attended and where I met 2 people who went to my college (Oberlin grads can find each other anywhere); and then a quick stop at the GLBT gathering, which was not well-attended, though I did meet a very nice rabbi for a congregation in Florida. I was kind of annoyed at the GLBT reception; it was totally shoved to the very end of the convention center, as if we needed to be hidden away. I mentioned this to the rabbi I met and he said it was because of privacy issues and people not being out, especially rabbis and cantors. I can understand this to an extent, but if we continue to perpetuate the idea that being queer is something that has to be on the fringes we'll never be able to be completely out and in the open. Yes, the Reform movement is very welcoming to queer Jews; yes, we are, as a movement, very committed to equality for all genders and sexual orientations. So don't shove us in a corner at the Biennial! Don't say one thing and do another.