Rabbis are male; Rabbahs are wierdos.

As  I am rushing to services Yom Kippur Eve in the Kibbutz meeting hall; I encounter two young women dressed in their Yom Kippur best: White Blouses, Flip Flops, Makeup and Skinny Jeans. I too am dressed like that with a White Blouse and Flip Flops, but instead of the jeans I have an ankle length beige skirt. Religious looking and professional, but not too formal. I put almost as much effort into choosing my outfit as I did in preparing the prayers.

The young women ask me if I know where services will be taking place. "Which Minyan?" I responded. "the mixed one, which I am going to right now, or the separate one with the Mechitza?"

The girls look at each other. "Oh are you the Rabbah???"

Am I the Rabbah? I feel myself assuming the warmth-glowing facial expression that seems to be ubiqitious amongst Israeli woman Rabbis. although as I tell the girls, "I'm not a Rabbah, I'm a Hazzanit. We'd love to have you join us."

"uhm uh well. We uh want the other minyan, thanks." So I directed them; but can't say I wasn't disappointed.

7 people showed up.

Don't get me wrong; those six were awesome. Despite all; I finished high.

I had signed up with the Conservative movement who were very impressed that I knew two nusakhs cold nearly by heart. They quickly matched me up with this Kibbutz, because, as the director told me when we first spoke, last year there was a Reform Rabbah and some people complained it was two Ashkenazi. They wanted something more traditional, something closer to the Tzohar- Edot Mizrah Minyan they had in the past.

Warning bells went off in my head. "Did they say they want a more familiar Nusakh, or are they uncomfortable with a Hazzanit instead of a Hazzan?"

She insisted they were perfectly cool with  Hazzanit. She herself was very insistent on having an egalitarian service; although she planned to arrive late, leave early, and skip the daytime service altogether.

But when I arrived I was informed of the bad news: 4 families, newer families, from the newer sections of the Kibbutz, had split and ordered up a last minute minyan from tzohar. No Rabbah for them.

After waiting a long time; we got those 7 people for Arvit. Outside, we saw people at their Yom Kippur barbecues.

Early next morning, while running after my kids I introduced myself  as the hazzanit to someone outside. He nudged his friend. "That's the Rabbah!"

And this is the story of  why a completely secular Kibbutz who doesn't pray all year round, had 2 synagogues for Yom Kippur.