Seattle Parks

This summer, I've made a point of finally exploring two of the biggest parks in Seattle, Discovery and Seward. I'd been to a picnic at Discovery years ago, and may have taken a quick look at Seward, back when I checked out a shared housing situation there years ago, but I've never really taken the time to look around.

May's low Memorial Day tide gave me an opportunity to check out the sea life at Discovery Park, which is at the end of the Magnolia peninsula in Puget Sound. The tide was low enough to see the necks of geoduck clams (geoduck in Lushootseed means "dig deep") along the sandy portion of the beach, although most of the sea life I saw was on the rockier norther shore. From my old apartment on Alki, I could see the light of the light house in the picture here.

This past weekend, I checked out Seward Park, It occupies Bailey peninsula, which juts out into Lake Washington. Lake Washington's fresh water lacks the diverse sea life of the Sound, but does have old growth trees. It's been a Seattle park for almost 100 years.

Rock Shabbat

I can't tell you the last time I went to synagogue. And it's probably been over a year that I've been meaning to go to Rock Shabbat at Temple De Hirsch Sinai, which happens the 2nd Friday of every month in Seattle. This past Friday night, I finally made it.

I don't think I've ever enjoyed a service more. My family was not much for going to temple, my mom and I would sometimes go to services for the high holidays, or I would go with my Bubi to services at her shul, which was conservative enough that the women actually sat separately from (behind) the men. The services I had been to were not very musical. At least, I don't recall the prayers being sung the way I've heard them back East. Even then, the music was simple. But not Rock Shabbat.

The biggest surprise about Rock Shabbat was that Rabbi Daniel Weiner played guitar. Somehow I was expecting the rock band to be more of a cantor or choir than that. It really worked and while I still found myself not always sure of the words, it didn't seem to matter as much.

There was a short sermon, too, in the midst of all the music. Talk of the 100th anniversary meeting of the NAACP, which happened Saturday, and the involvement of the Jews at a time when it may not have been the wisest move, but that Jews were always committed to fighting injustice.

During the service, I found myself wanting to bring all my Jewish friends back next month. It's definitely worth experiencing.