Act Locally, Act Globally

I was recently in line at our local food coop having a brief conversation with an old acquaintance.  I found myself moving the conversation to my worries and concerns about the plight of many children in Syrian refugee camps.  I had just heard a segment on National Public Radio’s “On Point”, about the severe winter weather in Syria and the Middle East and how children in these camps are going without footwear and others are freezing to death (and surely starving as well).  This acquaintance responded that we need to act locally, take care of those in need who are in our midst before worrying about others.  It is true that I live in a very underprivileged community with people who are housing, food, and education insecure.  Ours is a community with overwhelming need…. and yet I was still taken aback.  Perhaps I was going into Holocaust mindset imagining the conditions of my recent ancestors in death camps at a time when much of the world stood by, unable or unwilling to intervene.  I know that with limited resources we need to make choices about whose good works we support.  However, we can easily be propelled to think about whose pain is worse – I dislike that question, it’s not helpful and nearly impossible to answer.  Seeing the inequities in our own communities as well as in the greater world – learning and trying to understand the sources and situations that contribute to this pain – this is behavior that builds compassionate individuals and communities who can work together, build coalitions, reach out to other communities near and far.  It takes a village to conscience-raise, build compassion, and do the good works, tikkun olam (literally ‘repairing the world’), to help our fellow citizens locally and our fellow citizens of the world. 

In an interesting article by Shlomi Ravid, the author explores the tension between helping your own and reaching out beyond to the greater world.  He bases his conclusions on Martin Buber’s writings “our individual identity is established at the meeting place with a concrete collective into which we are born and where we grow.”   Rabbi Hillel would concur, “ …if I am only for myself, who am I?”   In other words, to develop your sense of compassion, you must look not only inside, but also outside of yourself.  I would add that looking outside of yourself (your community) reminds us of our shared humanity and the imperative to help those in need.  I am reminded of the outpouring of compassion from around the world to the community of Newtown/Sandy  Hook, CT over this past year following the tragedy whose anniversary recently passed.  Shared compassion;  “that could have been us.”

On the other hand,  I discovered an example of a different sort of outpouring on the internet, an outpouring of indifference generated by a more myopic vision of only caring for my (or my group's) needs.  Comments generated by a blog post sharing the view that we concentrate our efforts at home and not around the world, garnered lots of support and a bit of outrage towards the other (including a ‘blaming the victim’ sentiment).  To my eyes, it read as a lack of compassion for others, rallying around the home team.  This is not the gift that we should be passing on to the next generation. 

Here is a link naming organizations that are helping with the Syrian refugee crisis.  And a Jewish organization specifically.

"Light"-ening the Load, Sisters!!

A short lapse in blogging but back and inspired as we near what has come to be called Thanksgivukkah!  I am particularly inspired to write following a conversation with one of my sisters-in-law, Rivka, whose family we’ll be spending much of Thanksgivukkah with.  Our conversation focused on the stress that many (usually) women feel this time of the year as they confront the socially- or self-induced pressure to create Martha Stewart/Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving meals for their family and invited guests. 

Though currently separated from much of her family by thousands of miles, Rivka grew up with her large extended family ever present and witnessed a generation of women who supported each other’s families throughout the holiday cycle and life cycle.  She reminisced with me about how most of the women would end up at the host home and busy themselves in the kitchen and dining room preparing for the meal and guests.  It was bustling, it was hectic but everyone had their special jobs and dishes to contribute and somehow this lightened the burden for any one family.  Today, so many of us, like Rivka, live far from family, and the responsibilities of life and vocation make it difficult to be present and supportive in such direct physical ways.  Here are some antidotes that could at least begin to lessen that stress:

·        Plan the menu with guests. Plan the menu with your child(ren)

·        Get the kids right in there peeling carrots or measuring ingredients or washing special dishes etc.  They can be quite helpful beforehand and on the day!

·        Guests bring dishes to pass or one course of the meal

·        Guests with dietary restrictions bring a special dish they are sure to be able to eat

·        Cook/bake as much as possible in advance (freeze if necessary)

·        If you celebrate with the same permutation of friends and family, rotate who hosts the holiday each year

·        Rivka came up with the idea of Skyping while preparing and cooking – a modern day technical approach that keeps the cooks connected and hopefully laughing!!  We plan to do that on Wednesday!

Remember that this unique overlap of Chanukah with Thanksgiving is a time of light and joy and thankfulness all woven together.  Take advantage of all of that good stuff even before the celebrating begins then share it with your guests when they arrive and surely whatever might fall through the cracks will seem trivial!!!

Here’s a fun recipe I made up for Thanksgivukkah – eat with latkes, eat it with your Turkey (or Tofurkey or whatever …) :

Apple-cranberry Sauce (amounts are approximate, have fun and experiment)

6 apples peeled and cut

½ cup fresh cranberries

¼ cup unsweetened pineapple juice

¼ - ½ cup water

(Add dry fruits if you like and cook with above ingredients)

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

~ ½ - 1 cup white sugar (I believe less is more!)

Combine first four ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil then simmer until fruit softens (10-15 minutes).  Add last three ingredients and continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes longer as sauce begins to thicken.  Allow to cool then store in a glass jar in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

 

 

 

 

Torah Travel

I’m thinking that awe comes in many forms .  Being a very visual person, I am easily moved by awesome sites.  (However, that is not to say that listening to ‘Story Core’ on Friday mornings on NPR does not often move me to tears!! )

Living in a small Jewish community, it is sometimes those smaller (sometimes sensory) experiences and rituals that can be profoundly moving.   And so it was this past Simchat Torah (celebration and joy of the Torah) when we gathered, younger and older, in anticipation (written on everyone’s faces not to mention the comments from the children!) to celebrate the Torah together.   This was finally a year that we had enough hands to hold the Torah, completely unscrolled from beginning to end.  AWESOME SITE (surround sound visually)!!  Yes some of us had to stand on chairs because we were too small, and others had to support each other’s arms because we were a bit tired, but we managed to do it while unraveling the stories of our People, or as our Rabbi says, the DNA of our People.  We saw how the scribal text changes at the verses of the ‘Song of the Sea’ following the Exodus; how it looks like ripples and waves in the water.  Similarly the scribal distinctiveness at the end of the Torah, the ‘Song of Moses’, where Moses reiterates the laws and prescribes what will come next after his death when the People can finally enter the Land.  

….And everything in between – our holy stories, the ones we teach our children,

…and then the children physically supporting the unscrolled Torah,

…and the Rabbi running from section to section finding the little gems that we want to recall from the year’s recitation,

… and the excited questions from everyone, where is this and where is that…wanting to see our favorite stories in the context of the whole – why is that important to us?

…And the satisfaction of knowing where that story lives…

…and the re-scrolling of the Torah, back to resting stance, many hands again.

I know that I was not the only one with a little bit of glistening at the corner of my eye!  Thank you dear friends and community.

But very importantly, I think it is necessary to leave to posterity the wonderfully superb cheer from Team Leviticus from Simchat Torah 5774 (though our competition from the other 4 books was fierce!!) :

“in Exodus, Pharoah tried to kill us , so we moved over to Leviticus!”

 

Reflections

Endings and beginnings…  This time of the year on the Jewish and secular calendars makes me mindful of the cyclic nature of so much that we do; the progression of time, changes, transformations, and continuity.   Of course, the Jewish New Year and this season (the Yamim Nora’im – Days of Awe) are days of reflection upon ourselves; how are we are living our lives; what adjustments can we make to allow us to live more meaningful lives?  Riffing off of the word ‘reflection’ -  my mind immediately conjures the visual of sitting on the banks of a reflecting pool and seeing myself and my surroundings.  There I am in all of my glory, entwined with all of my successes and all of my pain and pitfalls.  Looking closer, I begin to see elements of the stories that are my life- the turbulence and the calm glassy stretches, the surprises, humor and gifts – that seed my life.   After some time, I find myself looking in that reflection, specifically for the people in my life who I have loved and do love –impossible to comprehend that reflection without them.  They have shaped so much of who I am.  Ultimately, though, it is me who takes full responsibility for that person staring back at me.  I am hopeful that in the year ahead, my hand will not recklessly throw a stone, damaging my image, but instead that it will gently toss a pebble making interesting waves and lovely distortions adding interest and strength.  And so may it be with you.  Shanah Tovah umitukah and may you be written in the book of life!

In the Greater World sans Parental Units

Well it has been 3 weeks since my daughter has returned from her 5 week trip to Israel this summer with peers.  Some of the initial exhaustion and excitement has abated but much will linger and sort itself out as she moves forward into the hectic school year.  I believe that the experience of travelling, living and working with peers for an intense period of time in your teen years can profoundly affect how you see and live in the world.  When that world happens to be Israel – with its diverse culture, extreme environment (desert), difficult politics, and milieu of urgency - that experience has its own unique sensibilities.  Trying to unravel and understand these issues with peers was surely exhilarating and challenging. 

An emphasis on positive peer-engagement no doubt helps produce more self-confident young people, teens included!   Practicing skills such as listening, story-telling, arguing, supporting, and advocating at younger ages can certainly prepare a teen for more social success and peer-leadership.  At home, we have tried to do the best that we can to provide these opportunities.  But I also must credit my daughter’s experience at our local Montessori pre-school and elementary school for also providing a strong foundation for these skills.  Her summer experience was the next big jump in honing these skills.  [I should also maintain that positive engagement with diverse individuals of varying ages is also an important set of experiences - a topic for another post perhaps!]



Our daughter avec (with) parent in Israel in her younger years.

Here are some things that I discovered about my child this summer after her intense peer experience:

1.      That she has enormous resiliency and self-care skills – even when feeling anxious, tentative and unsure, she envisioned that she would emerge gracefully on the other side, and did.

2.      That though she is a fairly quiet kid, she built strong positive relationships with both genders.

3.      That her participation in activities involving teamwork, disagreements, and the endurance of a couple of somewhat unpleasant experiences, tested and strengthened her resolve, problem-solving skills and confidence.

4.      That her relationship with Israel has grown and remains strong despite her ability to be critical of it too.

 May all of us continue to grow in diverse ways as we go from strength to strength!

 

Driving me Crazy - In Reverse Gear!

My daughter will soon get her driver’s permit; this rite of passage instills some degree of fear into even the most stoic parents … and I am probably not the most stoic of parents (ask my daughter)!  So this afternoon, after giving my car a quick sponge bath (to get rid of the syrupy sap slopping [I just like the consonance of 'slopping' but it is actually dripping!] from my neighbor’s beautiful Oak tree) on my way across town, I found myself thinking about the best way to be a driver … the conversation with myself brought me around to kavannah, intention.  Now to be fair, I had also been reading a book by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (Davening : A Guide to Meaningful Jewish Prayer) and had just finished his chapter on kavannah where he guides the reader to think about and act to allow oneself the space, gratitude, openness, permission to connect with GOD or (for more secular folks) the mystery  beyond us, in deeper and more meaningful ways.  So the question became – Can one drive with Kavannah? 

I witnessed this in rural Bavaria a few years ago!!

Now I know what you astute readers are thinking, why would it improve your driving to work towards maneuvering yourself into a more spiritual state? Well, I think it’s more about the intention aspect – to bring yourself to the act of driving, understanding that you are now in relation with a powerful machine capable of killing anyone, really, and understanding that you have the power and responsibility to deliver yourself and your passengers safely.  It means paying attention to what surrounds your car (use those mirrors!) but not your cell phones and videos and what-not. It means knowing and trusting your skills behind the wheel and when to say “I can’t drive right now.”  It means staring road rage in the face and declaring that you will not succumb to it. These actions, no doubt, may be difficult for many of us. Perhaps that’s the point!  Reb Zalman explains that the act of praying may become rote for many of us (just as the act of driving becomes rote after a while) and though that rote-ness may be a source of comfort; it may not provide meaning and lift us spiritually.  Instead, we might ask “What is my purpose in being here?”, “How shall I embrace kavannah?” Similarly, our comfort behind the wheel makes us complacent, forgetting our purpose of driving safely.  Thus my challenge is to consider kavannah before turning the ignition.  May all of us, newer and more experienced drivers, work to stay in the moment.

July Fourth – With Liberty and Justice (and Questions) for all!

Today I am thinking of delivery/deliverance.  



US flag waves at Ellis Island

 

- On this day some years ago, my only child was born in the city of Brotherly Love where our Declaration of Independence was signed



Portrait of George Washington at the Old State House in Hartford, CT



-and of course, on this day our country was delivered from colonial rule towards Independence (in that city of Brotherly Love). 



Red Coats hang at John Adams' homestead in Quincy, MA



-Only days ago a friend’s daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby girl while my own daughter was safely delivered “on eagle's wings”, as they say, to the Land of Israel, Eretz Yisrael, declaring on a voicemail message “Hi guys, I’m in Israel!” 

 

Delivery: bringing a child into the world, into civilization; birthing a democratic society; bringing one culture to another (and back again)!

The alignment of so many profound gems can really pull at the heart strings and invite introspection. 

What does it mean to belong to a country, to have citizenship?  What do we really understand about freedoms that we have in our democracy and what do we take for granted?  What obligations do we have towards others; fellow citizens, visitors, immigrants and illegal immigrants?   Do we have Jewish voice(s) in this country?  What does that mean? How best should we use those voices? What are our obligations to Israel, a place where all Jews are eligible for citizenship?   What civic values do we want to pass on to our children?

July fourth is best celebrated when we stop to ponder its questions.  May yours be one filled with peace, liberty, justice, and happiness and yes, plenty of questions.

  

 

 

Jewish Summer Camp – The Gift That Keeps On Giving

I remember being a freshman at Brandeis University oh too many years ago.  In those first days after arrival my cohort would refer to our early experiences of organized mixers and socializing as ‘Camp Brandeis’.  [Check out this camp Brandeis slide show]  This seemed so endearing to me, though I didn’t fully get it.  In those first weeks of school, my roommate would receive visitor after visitor of friends ‘I know from camp’ she would tell me.  There was so much reveling in these visits and admittedly, I was a bit jealous and missed home even more.  Ok, full disclosure.  I never went to summer camp as a kid, never mind Jewish summer camp.  However, I have discovered some important and wonderful things about Jewish summer camp not only from my amazing college roommate but also from other dear people in my life most of whom I have come to know (and love) as adults (or young adults) long after their experiences at camp.  I have discovered even more from our own daughter’s experiences as a camper who is already integrating her “lessons” from camp into her own life in astounding and wonderful ways.  Here are a few things I have learned:

1.       Many kids that go to Jewish Summer camp, retain a strong Jewish identity as adults having experienced the intensity of living amongst their peers doing fun and stimulating secular and Jewish activities; and also leading and therefore, thinking more deeply about, these fun and stimulating activities.

2.       Many kids form life-long friendships with their Jewish camp friends.  Some begin dating and sometimes fall in love and perhaps even marry!!

3.       Many kids discover a kind of Judaism that is different from what their parents experience; one that focuses purely on youth – their needs and their interests – music, dance, culture, experiences, issues … such exposure seeps into their imaginations and stays with them into adulthood where they can be dusted off and re-visited in new and exciting ways.

4.       Many kids that go to Jewish Summer camp discover their own personal connection to Israel.  Others may even end up traveling there with their camp-mates or sometimes even making aliyah, that is, going to live in Israel.

5.       These kids develop a certain level of independence, self-reliance, leadership and group living and working skills!  And also emotional and physical caring for one another especially around challenging issues of living in a group!

6.       And very significantly to this ol’ dinosaur, many learn the skills of corresponding via snail mail, making music with acoustic instruments and voice, playing board games and reading physical books (and swapping them around) as they are usually completely unplugged from electronic devices during their camp stay.

Please note that there are a whole spectrum of types of Jewish summer camps to match yours and your child(ren)’s own ideologies and interests.  [eg. Religious denomination affiliations, Organization affiliated {Hadassah, Federation, BBYO etc.}, Social Zionist-affiliated, Independent, special interests, etc.]

A Spring in Your Steps

It is truly glorious to live in a climate with 4 seasons.  Experiencing the transition of a relatively severe winter into a gentle Spring is such a blessing.  Bursts of colors in succession, tender shoots raising their heads, and that gentle sneeze (and yes, breeze) from the wafting pollen!  Oh well nothing is perfect.  And yet, it is also another opportunity for renewal and new beginnings in the Jewish yearly cycle.   

Tomorrow night at midnight, kabbalists believe (see portions of this page), the heavens will open and receive our earnest efforts of revelation of Torah as the festival of Shavuot is upon us.  Jews around the world will be putting up extra pots of coffee, finding their cherished blintzes or cheese cake recipes (see below), selecting favorite ice cream flavors and then gathering in choicest spiritual spots to study and sing and engage in words of Torah – the source and mother lode of Jewish thought.  I have heard that in New York City, Jews gather in Central Park to study and celebrate until the sun rises.  Others will gather in the homes of family or friends or at their synagogues or perhaps even around backyard campfires or cabins studying and eating and singing, wrestling with ideas, dancing to Israeli folk songs, perhaps cooking or baking together, reading and writing poetry and music – truly there are unlimited possibilities as to how many Jews will choose to engage in Torah!  And in so doing experience a sense of communal and spiritual renewal. 

On Shavuot, Jews customarily eat dairy foods in honor of Torah; for just as mother’s milk sustains a baby’s development, Torah sustains the Jewish people.  It is fun to extend this simile game to explore other comparisons : Just as rain water brings forth the sprouting of Spring vegetation, Torah brings forth the growth of new ideas and creativity; or just as a tree extends in all different directions as it grows and matures, so too does the continued study of Torah open one’s mind to new possibilities (you get the idea.  Other traditional comparisons are made with wine, fig trees, fire, and a drop of water!  What other comparisons might you have? …).  Happy Shavuot!!

Goat milk and cheese are delicious dairy choices!!  Here Rav J. feeds some goats at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Western CT.

Jim Putnam’s Chocolate Cheese Cake Recipe
When I was studying for my doctorate in science, I worked with a wonderful lab technician named Jim Putnam who invented this recipe (in his kitchen and not in our laboratory!).  Our family makes this cake at least once a year for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot when you are encouraged to eat dairy foods.  This is better than a grilled cheese sandwich any day!!

Crust:

1 ¼ c graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbs sugar
2 oz (4 Tbs) melted butter

 Cake:

6 oz bittersweet choc
¼ c rum
1 lb cream cheese
¾ c sugar
½ c sour cream
1 Tbs vanilla
4 large eggs

1)      Preheat oven to 325.  Butter inside of 9” spring-form pan

2)      Line outside of pan with foil (shiny side out!)

3)      Mix graham cracker crumbs (blended) with 2 Tbs sugar and melted butter, press into the pan, and refrigerate.

4)      Melt bittersweet baking chocolate with the rum over a low heat.

5)      Beat cream cheese until fluffy, add and beat in ¾ c sugar, ½ c sour cream. and 1 Tbs vanilla

6)      Add the 4 eggs, one at a time and mix

7)      Put bowl inside another bowl filled with hot water and mix until smooth (Avoid getting water into the batter)

8)      Pour 10 oz into another bowl and put aside

9)      Mix remaining batter with chocolate and smooth over hot water as above

10)   Pour chocolate batter mix into the graham cracker crust

11)   Pour plain batter over the top and swirl with a fork.

12)   Bake at 325 for 50 minutes, cool to room temperature, release the sides on the spring-form pan and refrigerate covered overnight.

 

 

 

A Season that Counts

During a recent trip to visit relatives, I was enjoying my 4 year old grand-nephew.  At one point he started counting something on his fingers and finished counting to ten before he was done with his fingers!!   I am happy to report that later that same day he coordinated his counting with his fingers and ended on “ten” when he reached his tenth finger!  (This was not a remarkable feat as he is a very bright child, just an amusing observation.)  It was even exhilarating probably for him and definitely for me; there was something very satisfying about the little counting exercise! 

Counting is a fundamental way to organize, categorize, quantitate, exchange, even label things in our heads.  It’s a way for us to keep from becoming overwhelmed perhaps.  Counting is kind of cool if you actually think about it.  In Judaism we count 10 Jewish adults in a minyan, the quorum needed for many Jewish rituals and prayer.  We love counting songs: think of the Passover Seder with “Who Knows One” or even the “Four Questions” and cumulative songs like "Had Gadya” at the end of the Seder.  The number seven has all sorts of significance in Judaism (7 days of creation, 7 days of festivals, see a whole list of seven associations in Judaism).

And here we are … did you know that as we speak (so to speak), we are in the midst of counting each day of 7 weeks from the second day of Passover to the approach of the holiday of Shavuot (the 50^th day), the holiday of revelation of Torah at Mount Sinai.  It is a really demanding, fun, disciplined activity with which to engage your whole family.  In our family the unspoken question is, who will remember to ‘count the omer’ (as this ritual is called) each day (see more explanation below)?  Usually it is my husband that remembers but he always gets a kick out of me and my daughter when we shout out OMER at random points in the day or night so that we will remember to count that day!  Why do we do it?  It is true that it is a commandment in the Torah – it serves to remind Jews of the passage of time from our exodus and freedom on Passover to the gift of receiving Torah on the holiday of Shavuot.  It is also true that there is some satisfaction in this ritual especially avoiding missing a day of counting, just like my grand-nephew counting his fingers successfully.  There is also the process and communal aspect, gathering the family or community (on Shabbat, for exampe) to make sure we count together.  For our family, there is a bit of joviality in the process ‘aha, we remembered!’.  So it reminds us, organizes us, ritualizes us, gathers us, satisfies and humors us, as well as disciplines us and readies us.  That is pretty neat and simple family ritual! 

 PS. An omer is a particular quantity of barley or grain that would be used in ancient Israel as an offering to the Great Temple in Jerusalem on the second day of Passover.  Counting the omer is a verbal counting starting with a commandment blessing and then stating the days/weeks within the 49 day period.

From Wildolive web page

Count Your Freedoms

I was recently with a group of children and parents presenting a program on the symbols of the Passover Seder.  I had asked them to imagine being in ancient Egypt as an Israelite slave.  I conjured up some scorching hot weather, task-masters, raw materials and some context as we began to engage in our ‘very mild re-enactment’ of this slavery experience for only a moment.  I cannot say for sure that my audience was able to be in that place at all or for very long, but I must say that taking some time before and after the program to think about slavery, was for me significant in terms of trying to really ‘get it’!!  Grasp that your time is not your time, it is someone else’s entirely; grasp that you are hungry, tired, scared and aching all of the time; grasp that you are not certain you will see your loved ones regularly or ever; grasp that socializing with friends, going on a walk, running around playing is a wisp of a dream or memory; grasp that you may forever feel hopeless … it is surely a horrific place to be.  Sadly, slavery is still a place that exists in our modern world (Free the Slaves is an organization working to end slavery.  See the discussion about disposable people therein, it is heart-breaking.).

 

This Passover let us count our freedoms [eg.  Loving family and friends, Education, Opportunity, Fresh air and sunshine, Ease of getting around, Time to wonder and wander,  Trust in others, Secureness, Warmth, and so much more… ].  Let us remember how blessed we are.  Let us renew our commitment to seek justice as we open the door to Elijah the prophet, our symbol of hope, and strive to make our communities and world open their eyes to change for the good of the most vulnerable amongst us.  May yours be a blessed and rejuvenating Passover/Spring festival.

 

Ivrit in America

Author with her ulpan Hebrew instructor in Jerusalem

               

I recently attended a parent- educator meeting, as a Hebrew school teacher, at our local synagogue.  The topic at hand was trying to place a particular value on the specific aspects of the Hebrew education of our children, re-evaluating where we are, where we want to go, and how we might get there.  It was a lively discourse with lots of opinions and lots of positive input.  Because we require children to be present for Shabbat-friendly (less school-like) learning on certain Shabbatot (plural of Shabbat/Sabbaths) of the month, we have more limited formal instruction time for Hebrew learning every week.  Our goals are considerable given this: remedial comprehension of modern Hebrew, prayers and Biblical text, reasonable fluidity decoding texts, and the ability to write in block letter notation and to converse in very simple (present tense) Hebrew!!  WOW!!  Achieving these goals has been challenging and we continue to work to enhance our students’ progress.

Within this conversation, I am reminded of the fact that we need to find that kernel in our instruction, in our Hebrew usage, in our Jewish lives that says to our children

·         How amazing that you are learning a real living language that connects us to our ancient heritage

·         How amazing that there are people out there like you and me using Hebrew - to write high school essays, analyses of the arts, plays and poetry and music, science dissertations – to argue about where tax dollars should be spent, how to implement specific safety regulations, the best approach to support learning-disabled children – to dream about being an astronaut when they grow up, how to lighten human’s footprints on the environment, making a real and lasting peace with their Palestinian cousins and neighbors…

·         How amazing that familiarity with Hebrew becomes a gift of continuity and peoplehood shared amongst Jews (and connected non-Jews) for generations to come.

 

I love that we use our children’s Hebrew names in school; their own unique and special place-tag in the Jewish continuum.

Here are some interesting (certainly more extreme) articles (by Leon Weiseltier and David Hazony) that have strong sentiments about why American Jews need to learn Hebrew.  Though I do not necessarily agree with everything therein, I think they are provocative and add to the conversation!

 

The Zen of Snow Shoveling!

Yes, I did do a bit of snow shoveling this past weekend, in fact, lots of it, just like many of my fellow New Englanders who saw yet another epic weather event with 2-3 feet of snow this time.  Not only was this an unusually significant amount of snow to confront, it was also an unusually inauspicious time to be shoveling; it was actually Yom Shabbat, Shabbat day, a time when our family chooses to refrain from productive work (see earlier posts).   

But you see, in my household I have been reigning as the official worrier for over 20 years.  My husband and daughter have yet to wrestle this title away from me – not by drawing straws not by secret ballots, not by wrestlig, nor by any other tricks they may have up their sleeves.  I am it, hands down… so regarding the snow it was easy to create all kinds of emergency scenarios that might befall us (I will spare you, dear reader, from my litany).  Further, I argued the position of peku’ah nefesh, that is that saving a soul or a life overrides any other Jewish commandment including keeping Shabbat.  Specifically, I considered that In an emergency it would be necessary for emergency personnel to be able to reach us in our house or conversely for us to be able to leave our house.  

My Daughter captured the depth Sunday morning!!

So bedecked in my knee-high heavy-duty snow boots and wielding my lightest shovel, I began to remove snow from my porch and unbury our cars in the driveway.  The effort required 3 separate rounds with savory Shabbat breaks in between. What was evolving from this experience was a whole new approach to snow removal that I attribute to Shabbat!!! 

·         I was noticing how the snow glimmered and sparkled before I heaped a shovel full on the growing mound and how each shovel-full changed the appearance of the snow

·       I was noticing that I needn’t be in a hurry and would slow the pace to discover new places to pile the snow or different kinds of patterns I could make with my shovel as I carved my neat and natty little snow walls (much nicer than the snow blower walls!!) 

·         I was noticing the interesting paths the snow would take as portions of my shovelful would roll back down from atop the stone wall. (Nope, that didn’t even irritate me)

·         I was noticing how amazingly my legs and arms were working as I brought kavanah, intention, to each series of movements to avoid harming my muscles as I shoveled

 

·         And in truth, I noticed how much fun I was having heaving snow up onto the stone wall where the pile was well above my head and figuring out how to optimize the result.

·         But also, in truth, I was hurting a little bit (hey but today I feel great!!)

 

Creative Journaling – A Quest for All Ages

I am just beginning an interesting and probably erratic or perhaps sporadic journey into creative journaling.  In truth I am still trying to come up with a definition of what this process is.  It seems to me that it means different things to different people…. for example, some seem to liken it to just letting your “crayons” flow out onto blank paper and seeing what happens.  Others, like Dr.Lucia Capacchione, see it as a tool for self-reflection, growth, and/or healing.   And still others see it as a fun, inspirational and colorful way to journal – using illustration, collage, and painting to enhance journal entries of a variety of sorts (example).  I took a workshop in Creative Journaling through the Thinkwell Center in Hartford, CT recently with a small group of women and found the experience of drawing and sharing and analyzing quite a lovely and very fun experience; so much so, that I am trying to enter into a more committed practice with my beautiful leather-bound journal. 

So you may be wondering what this practice has to do with simply Jewish parenting and practice!  Well I think self-reflection and nurturing self-awareness can beautifully support one's parenting by grounding and centering oneself.  I think getting out the crayons, markers, paints, cray-pas (and more - be creative!) can surely endear oneself to their child(ren), fill them with wonder, and encourage them to explore and express their “inner artist” as well.  What is so Jewish about this?  Delighting in others, in yourself, and in the world you inhabit can also nourish our sense of awe, love, appreciation and gratitude.  It’s spiritual guidance, it's holy work, it is certainly approaching your life and your family’s life through a Jewish lens.  Of course you may also find that you wish to journal about specifically Jewish themes as I did this past week meditating on the periodic coincidence that Tu B’Shvat (see earlier blog post) fell on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) this year. 









 

Two for Tu B'Shvat

Well in Hebrew, Tu does not mean 'Two'.  Instead it is the combination of two Hebrew letters, tet and vav which are equivalent to the number 15, which is not, as you probably realize, the number two!!! Fifteen, is the 15th of the month of Shvat, when fruit trees were tithed in ancient Israel. (See more about holiday in my last blog post.) However, I decided that I will provide TWO for TU which is not numerically equivalent but does have a nice ring to it, right?  So,as we approach Tu B'Shvat this coming Friday, I have offered two possibilities for different tastes, a recent poem from my own tool kit and of course a Tu B'Shvat recipe!

1)  Gentle Giants

It’s a gray day

In my hair that is

The wind whispered something

Between the white wisps

I could only hear faintly between the

Cries of delighted children

In the forest wielding

Twigs and crispy leaf litter



by Marie Brennen "The Chronicle" newspaper

It is true that the dew remains thick

Blocking the sun’s warmth
Magnifying the magical play
A gray day

A gray day filled with promise

Gentle giants watching over us
In silent serenity
Musing at the possibilities, for
“Trees do not scream for attention”^*
Merely smile, watch, wait
Anticipation, delight
These things too
Small children are made of
Free in this wild place
Mud-crusted snow, deer droppings, pine tar
A winter day overflowing

A winter day overflowing with gifts

Sinuous snakes in a children’s parade
Hissing exuberantly
Or hopping one foot then the other
A bunny’s brood
Barreling towards the final stretch
Mud streaks on the bathroom floor
Tell a story or maybe the segue to
Sweet luscious dates, figs, pomegranates
Born of ancient trees
Tethered to time
A different story about
Honor tradition holiness
Hugging these children firmly
With love and love and love and love

* From Cederic Wright’s “Consider the life of Trees”. Words of the Earth, 1960

I checked this cookbook, The Jewish Vegetarian Year Cookbook by Roberta Kalechofsky and Rosa Rasiel, out of our synagogue's library as our family is vegetarian.  There are lots of details about the various holidays as an added bonus.  Try this delicious recipe using lots of foods connected to this Jewish Holiday.

2)  Couscous with Dried Fruit

2 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons oil
2 cups couscous
1/4 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups dried mixed fruit, finely chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

I bet that the addition of chopped nuts would be fantastic too!! 

In 2 quart pot, bring water and oil to boil. Remove from heat and stir in couscous. Cover, and let stand 20 minutes.  Add raisins, chopped fruit, honey, juice and mint.  Fluff up with 2 forks and serve.  Serves 8.