Shabbos in Lakewood

We lit candles and she was to tell me later the story of why she lights an extra candle- later. Shabbos with her was wonderful and the food was wonderful. For Friday night dinner we had gefilte fish, soup, potato kugel and chicken. I think there was broccoli, too. It was a pretty standard Shabbos menu. For dessert we had chocolate chip cake. I heard from her husband that there would be a bris and an aufruf in shul the next day. After dinner, my friend and I were chatting until after midnight.

The next day, her five, almost six year old led me to the shul. I saw women outside a door and figured out that was my door (ya, think?). There didn’t seem to be any siddurim in the women’s section with an English translation. Well, I was in Lakewood. So, I had to make do with all Hebrew. I’m capable of doing so but, there are some spots where I normally switch over to English, not that day.

After shul, there was an extensive Kiddush. The women’s Kiddush area was packed. I noticed that the children and women were all dressed extra frummy. There was a lot of black, some grey, some brown and very few bright colors. I did see three girls in red dresses with white flowers, though. I also saw a little boy that looked Chassidic. I snagged a seat on the side and waited for the Kiddush to clear out enough to get to it without tripped over too many people. The woman sitting next to me offered me some mezoynoys from a serving tray she had on the other side of her. “You haven’t had anything, here have some.” Again, there was such kindness from a fellow yid.

When they brought some potato kugel to the Kiddush, I gave in. I waded the Kiddush table crowd which turned out to be little girls between 8 and 12 or so standing there eating right in front of the table instead of moving away from it to let others in. It’s so typical at kiddushes that people stand right in front of the table so no one else can get to it.

When I got some food and drink, I went to find a seat, as the one I had been in was now taken. Just as I sank into a chair, my friend’s husband found me, “are you ready to go?” I was to finish my food and meet him outside the shul. Right after he left his son came up. Again, I was going to finish this food and meet them on the shul’s back porch.

When I was finished, I waited for the two of them who came up one by one. We walked back. My friend hadn’t davened yet so I got to see the kid’s playroom. I was not starving after that oily and tasty Kiddush potato kugel and sugary cakes and cookies.

For lunch, we had gefilte fish, chulent, lunch meat, potato kugel and some more stuff. Again, the menu was a very standard Shabbos menu. I didn’t eat dessert. I was tired and so, I bensched and went off to nap.

I woke up around 5pm and no one was around so I went back to the guest room. I found out later she was at the neighbor’s and didn’t want to wake me. We had a nice late shalosh seudos with dairy: ice cream, yummy! Her husband was off to shul and then we hung out chatting until he came back to make havdalah.