Shabbes on Court 1

I have deliberated all week whether to write about this as it so blatantly contravenes Shabbat protocols and I was concerned about the potential backlash - a student rabbi? Going to Wimbledon on Shabbat?!

But, you know what, I own it, I love it, and I think there was more Shabbas-keit ( sense of Shabbat ) that Saturday last week than you might think, and here's why:

For me, a huge part of Shabbat is about taking time out from the busy-ness of the working week, to stop, to live in the moment, to reflect, to connect with loved ones and other humans (generally Jewish humans in our Shabbat gathering spaces), to be filled up with joy, and laughter, and celebration of the good stuff... you see where I'm going with this...

As soon as we crossed into the Promised Land of SW19's famous gates, there was a spirit of togetherness for a shared endevour, a joyfulness and celebration.

The phone was away, the Pimms flowed, and I spent all day, uninterrupted, with my husband which was a rare treat indeed. As we sat enthralled by the athleticism and skill of the players, there was a sense of peace that settled between us, and a reconnection of a part of us and our relationship that all too often gets squeezed out in the busy-ness of life and raising a family together.

On Court 1 itself, I happened to be sat next to a chap who seemed to be more interested in what was on his phone than what was playing out on the court, and I started a conversation with him in one of the breaks. It turns out his name was Craig Shapiro so the Jew-dar didn't have to work particularly hard - and he was a tennis podcaster, as such he knew all the contacts in the business and was texting the coach of the player to find out why she wasn't playing as well as he knew she could. 'She's got the flu!" he harrumphed when he heard back...

That kind of ruined it for me to be honest - I was now feeling guilty that the person I wasn't cheering wasn't feeling well and I felt bad. I commented that I'd have rather not known and carried on in blissful ignorance of the inside story. I shared that I was enjoying my phone being away, and living in the moment for each wonderful rally.

He acknowledged my viewpoint, held his hands up, put his phone away and our little row of Court 1 was totally engaged and present to the moment.

In the next break, he asked what I did for a living and I told him I was a student rabbi.

He chuckled and remarked, "Well you can be my rabbi any day" and I felt uplifted that somehow my two loves of Judaism and tennis had come together so beautifully on Court 1 that Shabbat afternoon.