Perhaps what's most remarkable about my experience visiting Temple Beth Shalom of Long Beach is just how unremarkable it was. For this last holiday of Shavuot I was out of town, and wanted to make sure I went to temple. A quick Google Search and I found Temple Beth Shalom.
I thought about giving them a call, but I realized I had nothing to ask. I knew the service start time and their address, what else was there to know?
So, using Google's walking directions (an essential resource for those who don't drive on Shabbat and Yom Tov), I found my way to the shul. And of course, everything went great - the service and welcome were exactly what I would have expected from my own shul. And of course, after just a few minutes of talking, I realized that we had friends in common.
And so there you have it, I was able to go to the complete other side of the country and yet feel right at home. That's the norm when going from shul to shul, but still, that's pretty dang impressive, right?
If you do make it to Beth Shalom, say that Ben from Washington, DC sent you.
Glad you found us Ben! Give us a shout next time you are in town if you need a place to stay or a meal!
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