I spent time this evening in the sanctuary.
Without windows (OK, it used to be a movie theater),
the room seemed to create a cocoon.
Protecting me from the noise and steam,
the horns, the swerving bikes,
Streaming down Second Avenue.
Or maybe it was the Torah –
Newly draped in white,
that created the cocoon.
Listening to others chant,
I recognized a word here, a phrase there,
a stretch of melody in the trope,
That mirrored the notes in my verses,
Creating a bond with fellow readers.
Even if it is a cocoon, a refuge, a sanctuary,
We cannot really take shelter in the Torah.
Its story commands that we step up,
speak up, act, and play a part,
in helping to create a better world.
