The seating in the Conservative shul is deliberately arranged in a circular manner around the Chazzan, facing the Ark.

Everyone tries for an end seat so they don’t get stuck.

During the service, this often leads to gaping wide holes where people should be.

On this particular Shabbos my husband and I had the misfortune of sitting at the end of the row, wherein the row was full of squirming, restless preteen boys.

There were maybe eight. In front of them sat the girls, also in a row. One leaned over from the other end of the bench to chat with the boys.

It was a double Bat Mitzvah. Above our heads there were cameras live-streaming for the viewers at home.

“Excuse me,” I heard from the left. I got up and waited as each and every boy left the bench to go off somewhere.

Five seconds later, it seemed, they returned.

“Excuse me.”

Again, we got up to let them back in.

The service was soothing and I enjoyed the Chazzan’s obvious joy in reciting the prayers.

Soon, a flash of light reflected off the sunlight streaming in from the ceiling windows.

I looked to my left.

The boys were on their cell phones, looking at someone or something of extreme mutual interest.

In front of them, the girls sat there looking very bored. One girl turned to her friend and began braiding her hair.

They were up to a special prayer they apparently say when Conservative girls get Bat Mitzvahed.

Maybe this is only what they do in my neck of the woods.

“May you be strong but not tough, courageous but not aggressive…”

I tried not to laugh at this made up stuff. And then I reminded myself, it’s just another tradition.

The parents looked so happy and sincere. They were beaming.

The first girl stepped forward to read her Torah portion.

She tugged at the hem of her skirt.

It was more like a long shirt, really. It had what looked like matching shorts.

The other one did her portion.

They read beautifully and the rabbi blessed both of them. The family had been in the synagogue for generations.

At the end of the day, HaShem loves us all. Maybe we should be glad that people still show up in shul.