After dinner, Iona guided Thomas down a quieter hallway and into a small conference room where a group had already gathered. Most were men, though a few families with children clustered near the back. The atmosphere was warm, low-key—nothing like the formal dinner he’d just escaped.
The service began slowly. Thomas didn’t understand the words, but the melodies caught him almost immediately—gentle, winding, strangely comforting. He followed Iona’s subtle cues on where to be in the prayer book, flipping pages when Iona nudged or tapped.
By the end of the gathering, people approached him with curious smiles, asking who he was and how he’d come to join them. Thomas managed a few quiet replies, but Iona did most of the talking. He explained Thomas’s shyness as simple exhaustion after a long day of exams and meetings, and no one seemed to question it.
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The next morning, Thomas was led back to the same room—now fuller, the atmosphere brighter and more energetic. He experienced his first Saturday morning service, taking everything in with a mixture of curiosity and quiet analysis.
In his mind, he kept comparing it to the Rosh HaShanah service he’d attended the week before—where the tones were heavier, the prayers longer, the mood more solemn. This felt gentler, more communal, less like standing before the gates of Heaven.
After the service, they were directed to a nearby conference room where a buffet lunch was set up. Thomas and Iona chose a table, soon joined by friends of Iona who were delighted to see him again. They asked Thomas what he thought of the service.
They were caught off guard when he began comparing it—quite seriously—to the Rosh HaShanah liturgy. Only then did they realize this had been his first regular Shabbat morning service.
Conversation flowed easily after that, but the week finally caught up to him. Back upstairs, Thomas kicked off his shoes, stretched out on the bed, and was asleep within minutes.
