"Hakafot" in Dushinsky

In the middle: The Dushinsky Rebbe

B"H

Israel began celebrating its Simchat Torah (last day of Sukkot) last Friday night (Erev Shabbat). If you are ever in Jerusalem on Erev Simchat Torah, don't make the mistake going to the Kotel (Western Wall) in order to see some wild celebrations. In case you do so, you will be terribly disappoined because there is nothing to see.

What you should do instead is going to the Synagogues in the new city. Especially in Mea Shearim, celebrations are worth seeing.

With a friend I went to Chassidut Dushinsky and we were anything but disappointed.

I admit that we haven't been to the Dushinsky Tish for quite a while. When we went, the door to the Ezrat Nashim (women's side), was locked. This is a problem for women going to the Dushinsky Tish. Sometimes their entrance is just locked up.

When we arrived for the Hakafot, the Synagogue was packed. You could compare the area around the staircase to a parking lot, as there were Agalot (baby carriages) standing around everywhere. Women and girls were running up and down and I said to my friend that we probably won't see anything. Upstairs we were more than lucky because we found a relatively good place right away. The men's side downstairs was kept dark. I only saw the lights from the Aron HaKodesh (Torah Shrine) shining making the whole atmosphere rather cozy. Hundreds of Chassidim were dancing with at least 15 Torah scrolls. Among the Chassidim were many dressed in Toldot Aharon or Toldot Avraham Yitzchak like Shabbat clothes. The Dushinsky Chassidim themselves wore black and a Streimel. The Rebbe was sitting on a special chair in the front from where he watched the dancing.

Due to the darkness the whole event looked very spiritual. The Dushinsky women themselves are a little strange, I have to say. One of them once told me that when a woman from the outside comes to the Dushinsky Tish, the members don't say anything. The Toldot Aharon many times involve you in a conversation because they are curious. However, the Dushinsky women say nothing and don't refer to you at all. If you have a question, they answer politely but reserved. And this is it. They give you an answer and nothing further.

I asked the woman I spoke to why this is happening but she had no answer.

Nevertheless, once you really know a woman, she turns out to be very different and talking.