I spent my 9/11 memorial morning running in Josh Levenson’s Run to Remember. The money from the race goes to support the police and firemen.  I love that run. It has you up before the sun along with hundreds of like minded people.  For 25 minutes you can concentrate on the 3,000 who lost their lives that day. And, running along side police and firemen remind me who the real heroes are in this world.

Tonight, I’m heading for Baltimore Hebrew Congregation’s Rosh Hashanah Under the Stars. My co-worker Joe Sugarman heard I was going and approached me saying, “Dude, got any extra tickets for the thing at Oregon Ridge?” like he was trying to cop some tickets to a Phish show.

What? Baltimore Hebrew sold out of its 3,000 tickets more than a week ahead of the Jewish New Year? You mean, even though you may have heard an ad on the radio and ran to get tickets on-line, none were available?

Maybe we’re onto something here Baltimore. Like New York’s B’nai Jeshrun or L.A.’s Temple Sinai, we may have found something that Jews want to do religiously in Baltimore.  We’ve been unable to generate that energy any other way, even copying the above mentioned services.

Just like I love the spritiuality of running on 9/11, many Jews seem to be longing for a casual spiritual Holiday service that doesn’t require expensive tickets, the latest Couture fashions, or a stale sanctuary. You can find God where he is – under the stars.