Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center: Burbs, Bongos, and a Big B.M.

On a dark and rainy night, we ventured to the depths of Pasadena to visit the aptly-named Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center. PJTC bills itself as a Conservative congregation for those of you who like to get your Hebrew on, but we found that even in this Conservative ‘gogue, SoCal’s unique flavor shines through. The rabbi broke out bongo drums mid-service to accompany the guitar-wielding cantor, and Rabbi Pasadena leads a weekly meditation group and an interfaith study session, teaches yoga, and delivered a sermon all about Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s recent visit. We dug his enlightened vibe, and it was cool of him to make small talk with us after the service (although in hindsight, it was probably just because we were possible ‘gogue recruits under the age of 45).

The night we were there, a large group had assembled for a Bat Mitzvah. Unlike the two of us at thirteen, this young lady was not sporting glasses OR braces and seemed to be relatively socially competent. Good for her. For the record, we’d just like to state that it is possible for ugly Bat Mitzvah ducklings to mature into high-functioning, reasonably socially normal human beings by their late 20s. Good for us.


Chai-lights
1. Beautiful stained glass ark with a rad Sephardic Torah
2. Comfy seats
3. Late service (8pm) for those who need a little breather between work and welcoming the Sabbath bride

Kvetches
1. Dearth of young Jewish men for Jessica to date. What else is new?
2. Comfy seats--way too easy to doze off
3. 8pm is a little late for those of us who like to hit the town on a Friday night... or those of us who like to hit the sack by 9pm

Total Bagels:
3.5