Yesterday as the world marked World Holocaust Day, I reached out to some Holocaust survivors and their family members and had some deeply meaningful conversations. I also reached out to some people who I hadn’t spoken to in quite a few years (although we have been in touch via email) and had some very uplifting and moving conversations.
In one of the conversations, the individual began to cry as he recalled the pain that his father carried throughout his life when he would relive his experiences as a soldier in the US Army who helped liberate a Concentration Camp. He told me that his father always refused to talk about what he had seen when they liberated the camps, yet he lived with a tremendous amount of pain that left him … Read More »
Soon after I made Havdalla last Saturday evening, I received a text from a community member informing me of the attack on a Jewish House of Worship in Texas. My adrenalin turned on as once again a Jewish institution was under attack on the holy day of Shabbat.
Every Friday night it happens, right as I conclude the Lecha Dodi melody, my five-year-old daughter jumps up from her toys or books and runs to me and asks me to dance with her. For a full two minutes or so, I hold her hands, and we go in circles as we sing and dance. Then for the grand finale, I lift her up by her hands and spin her around and around until I get too dizzy to continue and then I put her down and it is time for me to continue my prayers.
Last week I spent a day in Washington DC and observed many fascinating, beautiful and historic icons and buildings. It was a cloudy day and the sun hardly showed itself, but it was 57 Fahrenheit and warm enough to be outdoors for many hours.