Into a Writer's Head

The Jewish Mumble...

I can't remember if I've shared this strange phenomena with you all. I know we've talked about the rabbis, about yiddish, about the Jewish goodbye. But we've never talked about the Jewish mumble from what I can recall.
The Jewish mumble is what happens when the not-overly-observant pray. Most of us can say the first few words of Jewish prayers, because many begin the same way. Most of us know the end of the prayer, because they almost all end the same way. It's the middle that gives us trouble.
No one wants to look foolish, and no one ever wants to admit they don't know the words, or can't read the words. It's embarrassing! So what happens? Why the Jewish mumble of course. We can follow the tunes, we can follow the beat, we can even make some sounds that go remarkably well with the actual words. I think most of us figure if we even remotely sound like we're inarticulately praying, it's better than standing there with our mouths shut. So we mumble. And we sway. And we go for the gusto...without ever uttering a real word.
It's utterly fascinating to watch. Now, I fully admit to being one of the offenders. I can do the Jewish mumble with the best of 'em. It's almost an art form, taking years of practice to perfect. So next time you're in a synagogue...watch the people around you. I bet at least half are mumbling.

Labels: Jewish musings

posted by Erin @ 1:05 PM