War stories

I used to interpret for one rabbi who had a thing about all eyes being on him, so when I interpreted for his drasha [the speech on the week's Torah reading] it upset him that people were watching me. I explained to him that people were trying to figure out how what I was doing was related to what he was saying and so it actually mad people attend even harder to his speech. I don't know if that was true or not, but it made him happy. 

What has been your experience as a Deaf person in a Jewish setting or as an interpreter in one?