I did it! I made it all the way through Elul with my blogs, although I did have to do a bit of catching up here and there. So proud of myself! Here is the last video of this project, and it's a chatty one - I forgot that I had switched my Facebook Lives … Continue reading #BlogElul 29: Return (video)
Tag: Rabbi Phyllis Sommer
#BlogElul 28: Give
An important concept in all three great monotheistic religions is that of giving - the social contract to support those who have less material wealth than we do. In Judaism and Islam, the word that is usually translated as "charity" is actually related to "justice" instead. We give not because it makes us feel good … Continue reading #BlogElul 28: Give
#BlogElul 27: Bless
Sometimes there are blessed serendipities in our lives. Rabbi Sommer had no way of knowing that today is my and my husband's 25th wedding anniversary, and yet here it is - the theme is "Bless". David and I met at a time in our lives when we both thought we had to settle for what … Continue reading #BlogElul 27: Bless
#BlogElul 26: Create
There is a description of nearly all Jewish holidays that goes like this: "They tried to kill us, we won, let's eat." Creating holiday-specific foods is an integral part of the tradition. The traditional foods of Ashkenazic Jewry are foods of poverty - my grandmother would eat with relish things like chicken feet and fish … Continue reading #BlogElul 26: Create
#BlogElul 25: Change
I'm actually writing this post on the Friday, because I don't write posts on Shabbat, and I have to go out and help run a service after Havdallah. So if you are wondering, this is a pre-written post. A change for me! We are getting closer and closer to the end of this month of … Continue reading #BlogElul 25: Change
#BlogElul 24: Hope
I ended yesterday's post with the words "I find that hopeful, don't you?", and here is today's theme, hope. I love it. So today's thought about hope is going to be a little less cosmic than the one in yesterday's blog post. I'll start with a remarkable quote from the great Dr. Brené Brown: Hope … Continue reading #BlogElul 24: Hope
#BlogElul 23: Begin
After every ending, there must be a new beginning. That is how the Universe is set up. In the Jewish calendar, every day starts with sundown - so in a sense, we always begin with an ending. The sun goes down, we sleep, and in the morning we face a new day, full of glorious … Continue reading #BlogElul 23: Begin
#BlogElul 22: End (Video)
A quick little FaceBook Live from this morning, talking about the end of life, and the hopefulness of the Mourner's Kaddish. At a Jewish funeral, we eulogise the person we have lost, we grieve, and then we say the beautiful words of the Mourner's Kaddish. The Mourner's Kaddish does not speak about death, grief, or … Continue reading #BlogElul 22: End (Video)
#BlogElul 20: Fill
This one had me a little stumped. I'm really not sure what Rabbi Sommer means by it - but that's OK, it's up to me to imbue it with meaning anyway. There are many possible interpretations of the word "fill" - we can eat our fill, we can fill our hearts or our hands, we … Continue reading #BlogElul 20: Fill
#BlogElul 19: Speak (video)
One of my kids' favourite music videos is called "Brave", by Sara Bareilles. It's about having the courage to speak out. It is just too easy sometimes to not say anything, to slink away, to avoid responsibility. We avert our gaze and pretend not to see the injustice, the bullying, whatever it is that we … Continue reading #BlogElul 19: Speak (video)