October 13, 2017 in El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite, CA
Photo by Audrey Sherman
In Jewish tradition, Friday nights are about spending time together, relishing in community, connecting with friends new and old. You reflect on the week, celebrate accomplishments, challenge yourself on how to can elevate the next week. A Jewish group in the bay gives money so people can host communal dinners and take a pause on these Friday evenings. Your religious affiliation doesn’t matter - the point is to come together.
Always down for a free meal, and pretty psyched on our friends, we decided to host a Shabbat our last Friday evening in Yosemite. (Caleb also signed up as a backup - his nachos had also been quite the hit earlier that week). It was the day the guys returned from their 4 day slough up El Cap, and also the last evening before we were all dispersing from Yosemite. It marked the end of a special time for all of us in a special place - celebration, rest, excitement - all shared with our community.
By the time we got to the meadow, we saw the guys - unmissable with the infamous Hawaiian shirt - chowing on Salami and cheese (not exactly kosher), psyched to share tales and hugs in the rapidly dimming light. That night, we all savored El Cap meadow, the food, and each others’ companies. Caleb gave encouragement and advice as we discussed my challenges with leading, always sneaking an extra snack out to the side, a snuggle with Audrey, or a glance up at El Cap to calculate further adventures.
We ended our nutritious meal by huddling around blocks of raw cookie dough, doing a more delicious (and definitely more salmonella prone) version of puff-puff pass. Not over each other, a smaller group collected late in the night to have more wine, stories, and (this time baked) cookies before slowly falling asleep.
As I wandered back to my home that night, I felt so incredibly loved, supported, and embraced. I was a relative newcomer to this group, but Audrey and Caleb’s community had welcomed me wholeheartedly. Even with the non-kosher appetizer, this was exactly what that group was promoting by giving us that money for dinner. I’m so thankful for that time - the lounging, the advice, the raucous laughter, the comfortable silence - and for Audrey and Caleb for bringing us together.
Words by Sandy Russell
