Scandinavia and the Baltics - Part 6

A few words about shabbat observance on the road. 

When we booked the apartment in Stockholm, we asked that it be on a low floor and inquired about stair access and the type of keys being used. What we did not know is that in Stockholm there is really no such thing as a high floor. It seems that the height of all the buildings in the downtown core were limited to 4 or 5 floors. 

They replied that there was stair access and that they used normal keys rather than key cards. When Irving and Ruchama  booked their apartment in the same building, they were told the same thing but with one addition; that the front door locks automatically and there is an automated key pad that allows access. We figured that this would be a problem but that once we got there we would figure out a way around it. 

But fortunately when we all arrived, Irving noticed that in addition to the keypad, there was a key lock on the door (presumably used before they installed the keypad). So we asked the superintendent and he confirmed that there was a key and that he could provide one to us. Problem solved. 

There is no eiruv in Stockholm so we had to make sure that we left everything behind except for my Shabbos belt, to which the keys to the building were attached. 

Davening at the Adat Jeschurun in Stockholm was at 9 AM. Being a short distance away, we left for shul around 8:45 and were among the first to arrive. There was a steady stream of people coming to shul and by the time davening ended, there were about 100 people in shul, evenly divided between men and women. 

There were two birthdays in shul; one for a 92 year old man and the second for a 90 year old man who had recently made Aliyah to Jerusalem but who returns to Sweden during the summer because of the more moderate temperatures there. The shul was honouring him this shabbat with a kiddush celebrating his birthday and his years of service to the community. 

He received the Aliyah for maftir and as I was laining, he turned to me and asked if he could lain. He lained wonderfully and then proceeded to chant the haftarah and also daven mussaf for Shabbat Rosh Chodesh with perfect nussach, a melodious tune and strong voice. It was a pleasure. 

When we finished davening, we went to the main floor for the kiddush and before kiddush the honouree spoke (in Swedish), made kiddush and hamotzi and we all enjoyed cakes, cookies and cold cut sandwiches.

While we were in shul, we had two doctors look at Irving’s leg and the message was that if the pain and swelling would continue, he should get it checked out by a physician. 

We also had the chance to speak with a few locals and get a better understanding of Jewish life in Sweden. More on that when I do my summary of Sweden in a future post. 

We returned to the apartment, ate Seudat Shabbat, slept and then went for a late afternoon walk, exploring more of Stockholm in beautiful warm summer temperatures. There is no Shabbat afternoon minyan in Adat Jeschurun; there is one at Adat Jisrael but given that it was a 40 minute walk and I did not have an accurate address or directions for the place, I opted to daven at the apartment. 

And after havdalah, we packed our things up, having spent a wonderful 4 and a half days in Stockholm, and prepared for our flight on Sunday to Helsinki, Finland. 

Sorry...no pictures on Shabbat!

More to come

Fran and David