#BlogElul 26: Create

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.

Inspired by Ima on (and off) the Bima, this #BlogElul post is one in a series marking the days of the Hebrew month of Elul, which precedes the Jewish High Holidays and traditionally serves as a time of reflection and spiritual preparation for the new year. 

#BlogElul 24: Hope

I could not have hoped for a better day.

1. I slept in and had a leisurely breakfast with time for reading the paper.
2. Impromptu plans to play in the Mahjongg Marathon in Bryant Park panned out…truly an only-in-New-York experience.
3. When he was finished at the Met, Daddy met Amy and me in the park, and we had a late lunch together at Le Pain Quotidien.

4. Since returning home, I’ve caught up on email, finished some chores, and prepared for the rest of the week.

Today was a wonderful mix of relaxation, work, social time, time with family, and time alone.

I am hopeful that 5776 will offer many such days that are just as balanced and enjoyable.

Inspired by Ima on (and off) the Bima, this #BlogElul post is one in a series marking the days of the Hebrew month of Elul, which precedes the Jewish High Holidays and traditionally serves as a time of reflection and spiritual preparation for the new year.

#BlogElul 23: Begin

And so it begins:

I had some trouble beginning this post, so here’s what I had to say about “begin” in 2013 and again last year.

And here's what a few of my Facebook friends have to say about beginning to usher in this year's High Holidays and the new year of 5776:

To all my cantor and rabbi friends: May you have good health and strength throughout these many services, and may your words and voices be inspired and inspiring.

To all those who celebrate the High Holy Days: May you find yourselves surrounded by friends and communities who lift your spirits and nurture your souls, and may the liturgy and the music of the services bring deeper meaning and spirituality into your hearts.

To my dear friends of all beliefs and backgrounds: May you all have a year of peace, health and prosperity, and may we all remember to treat each other with more kindness, civility and respect. --Cantor Jodi Schechtman 

And this from Michael B. Snyder:

Next Sunday evening, at sundown, Jews around the world will celebrate Rosh Hashanah 5776, the beginning of the last year of the 304th 19-year cycle since creation. Rosh Hashanah begins the 10 Days of Awe leading up to the 25-hour fast for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The fast begins 18 minutes before local sundown, and runs until 42 minutes after sundown the next night. Five days after Yom Kippur is the eight-day fall harvest festival of Sukkot (Booths to our Christian friends). And on the Sabbath following the end of Sukkot we begin the annual or triennial sequence of Torah readings with the story of creation from the opening of Sefer B'reishit / The Book of Genesis. It will be a month of observances which, despite the solemnity of the Ten Days of Awe, if filled with rejoicing in the lives of Jews as a whole. For my family and friends who are Jewish I wish you a sweet new year and an easy fast. To all my non-Jewish family and friends I wish only God's blessings upon you all

Shana tova u’metukah!

Inspired by Ima on (and off) the Bima, this #BlogElul post is one in a series marking the days of the Hebrew month of Elul, which precedes the Jewish High Holidays and traditionally serves as a time of reflection and spiritual preparation for the new year. 

#BlogElul 22: End

I wonder what constitutes an end.

Yes, people die at the end of their lives, but through our memories, remembrances, and actions, they live on in us and through us.

And, yes, each year on Simchat Torah, we read the end of our people's story from one scroll:

Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses -- whom the Eternal singled out, face to face. for the various signs and portents that the Eternal sent him to display in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his courtiers and his whole country, and for all the great might and awesome power that Moses displayed before Israel.

#BlogElul 21: Eight Things I Loved About Today

This morning I overslept. When I rolled over, it was 8:32 a.m., the time I usually leave home to get to work on time. I encountered several other frustrations that sent my blood pressure soaring, but there were many things to love about today, too.

Here are eight of them:

1. This morning I had a plumbing issue in my apartment. When Victor, one of the Kips Bay maintenance guys, came to fix it, he showed me how to use the valve under the sink to turn off the water when the faucet handle doesn't work.  Who knew?!


2. I saw an ad on a bus stop shelter for a new show this fall. The Muppets are coming back to television!

#BlogElul 20 Dare

Truth or dare

How dare you...

What a daring, bold move that was...

I dare you...

I double dare you...

How daring do I want to be?

Dare I go beyond my comfort zone...?

Dare I wonder what the new year will bring?

How daring do you want to be?

Dare to be the person you want to be...

Inspired by Ima on (and off) the Bima,this #BlogElul post is one in a series marking the days of the Hebrew month of Elul, which precedes the Jewish High Holidays and traditionally serves as a time of reflection and spiritual preparation for the new year.

#BlogElul 18: Ask

I am too tired to ask any questions...too exhausted to provide any answers, so I will leave you with this quote from Nobel laureate Isidor Isaac Rabi that is so true:

My mother made me a scientist without ever intending to. Every other Jewish mother in Brooklyn would ask her child after school: So? Did you learn anything today? But not my mother. “Izzy,” she would say, “did you ask a good question today?” That difference — asking good questions — made me become a scientist.

Indeed, the smartest people I know always ask good questions!

Inspired by Ima on (and off) the Bima,this #BlogElul post is one in a series marking the days of the Hebrew month of Elul, which precedes the Jewish High Holidays and traditionally serves as a time of reflection and spiritual preparation for the new year.