שירת שלום

Song of Peace

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  • 08 Dec 2020 6:22 AM | Shirat Shalom (Administrator)







    We started calling her the “Butterfly Girl” three and a half years ago when she was in third grade. She had just finished an Infinite Child Session so I took her into our backyard which all children love! The memory is still so deeply etched in my mind. As she walked through the entranceway onto the deck a swarm of butterflies came and began circling around her. There must have been at least 100 butterflies! I didn’t even know so many butterflies lived in my garden! Abby began dancing with them in utter delight making her own circle within theirs. I stood watching, mesmerized. It was as though time had stopped.



    Each time Abby would visit our backyard over the next few years, the butterflies would once again come to visit their friend. I often wondered why the butterflies loved her so much and why this love was passed on through the generational lines of the butterflies. After all they don’t live very long, so it wasn’t the original butterflies who would come to greet her.

    I know that a child’s energy field brightens from the Infinite Child sessions but other children who have gone through the program don’t attract the butterflies the way Abby does. I came to the conclusion it must be the Joy she always carries and emanates!

    Abigail was supposed to have her Bat Mitzvah ceremony the first weekend of September but it needed to be postponed like so many other events these days. All the logistics were being worked out for a new date and location but then that needed to be postponed too. But Abby’s parents had no idea when this could be. You see their whole life had been turned upside down in just a matter of a few minutes.

    Abby’s mother had to make a decision the night before that eventful morning of Sept. 21st. Would she return to school as a teacher or take a leave of absence? She discussed the situation with her father and decided at the last minute to take a leave of absence.

    Even though she didn’t have to leave for work that next morning she still got up at her regular time. That was why she was able to smell the smoke. Her first thought was which of her three kids was burning something in the kitchen?

    The smoke began coming fast and furious through the walls but being asleep her husband and children had no idea what was happening. It turned out the house had been struck by lightning. The fire inspector said ten minutes later the house would have burst into flames and it is doubtful anyone would have escaped.

    It took weeks until they found a house they could rent. Even now they aren’t sure what will be in the future. The insurance company hasn’t even started work on the house which will take months to repair.

    But within all this chaos and upheaval, Abby’s parents were determined she would have her Bat Mitzvah ceremony. It was finally scheduled for December 5th. A tent would be set up in the backyard of their rental home with chairs spaced out for the extended family.

    Abby’s rehearsal a couple of weeks beforehand was held on the very deck where she danced with the butterflies. But this time instead of butterflies a humming bird appeared. And it came right when she was chanting from the Torah!


    Rabbi David and I have lived in our house for over 26 years and have a myriad of wildlife in our backyard but we have never seen a hummingbird! I looked up in “Animal Speak” by Ted Andrews the spiritual message a humming bird brings: “It is a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible. It will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances.”

    The weather the day of Abigail’s Bat Mitzvah couldn’t have been more beautiful. And the Joy that radiated from Abby’s family couldn’t have been brighter. As I closed my eyes for a moment I saw the image of the hummingbird. Yes, this family had truly found the miracle of joyful living from their life circumstances!

    May we all learn to do the same!

    Read About Abby's First Encounter with the Butterflies

    Here is our  Butterfly Girl Abigail on the day of her Bat Mitzvah


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  • 29 Nov 2020 11:46 AM | Shirat Shalom (Administrator)

    Cantor Lee: When Tropical Storm Eta hammered South Florida the weekend after the election I felt as though I was in Noah’s Ark!  We certainly have lived through plenty of tropical storms and hurricanes. In fact, two months after Rabbi David and I moved to Florida in the summer of 1992 we needed to evacuate from Miami due to Hurricane Andrew. 

    But Eta seemed different. After two days of non stop rain the water from our canal was the highest we had ever seen it over the past 26 years in our home! Even the tree trunks were submerged. I kept saying this is a major cleansing just as the biblical flood was .  A major cleansing for all of us.  

    And no, this cleansing is absolutely NOT referring to the results of the election or the political leadership of the last four years.  It is referring to the divisiveness in our country, in our communities, in our families. It is heaven crying out that we have forgotten to listen to each other's views rather than blame and call names. 

    This divisiveness has been an ongoing issue. I still remember in 2008 when Rabbi David gave a High Holy Day sermon about leadership in the Bible. Several people thought he was referring to the current political situation at that time with Sarah Palin and walked out. Ever since then, he makes sure to tell people that his sermons are not hidden political messages. 

    As Jewish people we have been given the responsibility to live at a higher consciousness, to be a Light in the world. Part of this responsibility means being extremely careful with what we say as each word we utter carries a vibratory  energy that affects all of us. With the way this works, a derogatory insult can affect our children even if we are speaking about someone else!   

    Rabbi David: Ill  speaking about anyone under any circumstances is called “Lashon Hara”,  which translates as evil tongue. And this includes ridicule and insults. Our  sages were very clear about it. Our demeaning language is like a boomerang that comes back at us  by way of perpetuating hatred in our own hearts as well as going out to be part of the collective consciousness. When Miriam spoke against her Brother Moses  G-d knew  to nip it in the bud before her words contaminated others around her. She was given leprosy which required being isolated from the community.   

    In the political arena this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t express our views or take action with issues. But there is a difference with doing so without ridicule and insults. Of respecting that others can have differing political opinions.  

    So what can this cleansing do for us? I see it as a gift, a reminder to remember who we are. A reminder to go back to practicing it.

    A year ago on Yom Kippur I made a vow with this very subject. I vowed  to completely refrain from speaking Lashon Hara in the political  or any other area, not even in a suggestive manner. Perhaps you will consider joining me. 

    We all need this cleansing reminder. Let us turn back into the compassionate Jewish nation that we have always been.

    Our wonderful country well deserves it. 

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  • 30 Oct 2020 9:58 AM | Shirat Shalom (Administrator)

    Cantor Lee: I was recently asked how G-d could be so cruel. This wasn’t the first time her family suffered greatly. In fact the woman had walked out on G-d for many years and only recently came back. But now again, she was so angry!  It brought to mind Rabbi David’s Yom Kippur sermon from last year...  

    Rabbi David: Moses, as we all know, the holiest man, master of the prophets, led the Israelites  through the desert for forty years. Along with the physical  difficulties of desert life that the Israelites had had to endure, he also had to deal with constant complaints, and rebellions. He had to worry where to get water for more than two million people. . 

    But he had a dream. A dream which probably kept him strong and steadfast for 40 years. A dream to enter the Promised Land with his people. 

    But he was punished with the most severe punishment he could have possibly received. He died  just when the Israelites were ready to enter the land  of Israel. 

     What was his awful mistake that caused  his life long dream after forty years of struggle shatter into pieces?

     Well, G-D said  to him, “In the desert on one occasion I asked you to talk to the rock so  water would flow out of it. But you instead hit the rock with your staff.”

     And for that Moses was not allowed to see his lifelong dream come to fruition? Scholars have struggled  with this question  from time immemorial

    I don't know the answer. I don't think anyone will ever know for sure.

    But maybe for a brief moment in that tense situation Moses wanted to make sure that water would indeed come out of the rock. And that just talking to the rock, asking the rock to produce water, wouldn’t be enough  for the water to gush out of it.   

    Maybe for a brief second Moses doubted his own faith.    

    Recently I was sitting in a waiting room in the Boca hospital off of thirteenth street. A few people were sitting with me. Suddenly a man turned to me and asked, “Are you angry?” Surprised and a little confused by the question I finally answered, “I am not particularly angry.” “Well, I am!” he practically screamed. “I am angry at G-D! I am furious!”

    I was not sure if this was the time and place to begin a philosophical conversation about G-D or life and death. And why did he turn me, a complete stranger, in the first place? Certainly he didn’t know who I was. 

    “I am mad at him! I am furious!” he insisted.  “Does he even listen to our prayers? Does he even care? Does he even exist?”

    The man proceeded to tell me about this wife who was stricken with several kinds of cancer and was now fighting for her life. There was so much agony in his words.

    After a brief silence he continued with tearing eyes and said quietly, “She has no chance to survive. I don’t even know why the doctor is sending her for another another cat scan.”

    He continued, “You know, she is such an amazing person. Such a good sweet soul who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Why her? Why make her suffer so much?”

    Don’t get me wrong, I am not usually approached by strangers in public places with such agonizing issues of life and death. Maybe he approached me because he saw my Kippah and wanted to talk to a fellow Jew.

    Knowing that there really weren’t adequate words of wisdom to sooth his tormented soul, I said, “I don’t have an answer for you. I don't understand it myself.”  

    He continued as if he didn’t hear my response. “I was diagnosed with lung cancer. But you know what? I don’t care about me at all. But why her? Such a beautiful soul. I just want some kind of sign! Something! Even the smallest thing that shows me that he exists, that he listens, that he cares, that makes some sense. I just want a sign!”

    I put on my rabbinical hat and said, “I know it is hard to hear but maybe we should consider that which does not make sense to us.”

    He looked at me puzzled. I continued. “Maybe the struggle itself to make sense of that which makes no sense is what we are all about. Maybe that struggle with the unexplainable, the struggle with so much suffering of your wife and yourself, which is so unfair, is our strongest expression of our belief in G-D.”

    “Who knows, ”I continued. “ As strange and unfair as it sounds perhaps G-D is communicating through you and your wife to remind us all how vulnerable we are and how precious life really is. Maybe you are the chosen messenger for everyone.”  

    He listened and then said, “I give him back this dubious honor. I don’t want it. My wife and I are no messengers. Let him take it back if he even exists or cares.”

    I answered, “You need your faith, sir. It’s a powerful gift and can help us get through the toughest of times.” He looked at me. “Are you a rabbi or something?” Seeing my cover was exposed I said, “May G-D send you a your wife a Refua Shleima, full recovery and may He give both of you the spiritual and physical strength to get through such tough times.” 

    At this point we were already beginning to attract the attention of people around us who were now listening to our conversation. We both became silent when his wife was wheeled into the waiting room. He thanked me for listening to him and they both left.

    As I was driving home, I remembered a story I heard from Elie Wiesel of blessed memory. He was describing a scene that happened in Auschwitz. A group of Jews barely alive, starving and weak decided to put G-D on trial. They appointed a prosecutor, defense attorney and judge. 

    At the end of the trial, the  judge read the verdict. G-D was found guilty of abandoning his people. There was silence among the people. Finally someone said, “Well, fellows, it is time to pray mincha, the afternoon service.” 

    What unwavering faith…

    As I was driving I also recalled the pogroms, the persecutions, the endless suffering of Jews in Europe and the Middle East. And yet, none of it has ever shaken their faith in G-D and the belief of the coming of the Messiah. 

    One of the most profound songs of the Jewish Underground during the Holocaust was “Ani Ma’amim”  “I Believe” which quotes the thirteen Jewish principles of the Rambam, the great Jewish scholar and rabbi. It says, “I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah and even though he is delayed I nevertheless will wait for him everyday until he comes.” 

    Maybe with that rock episode back in the desert, G-D saw the hitting of the rock by Moses instead of talking to it as losing faith and therefore trust in G-D even if just for a few seconds. Maybe this wasn’t about punishment at all but G-d using Moses as the messenger for us, to remind us of the importance of our faith and trust.  

    There is a saying in Hebrew that “a man can be more fragile than glass and tougher than steel.”  Faith, no doubt, is the divine gift given to us to give our spirit the strength of steel, even to the point that nothing can break it. We can then navigate our lives during times of vulnerability and turbulence. 

    And most importantly, faith brings about Hope another tool in our spiritual toolbox.   

    One of the best stories that demonstrates this isn’t even Jewish, it’s Greek, the famous story of Pandora’s box. After being told not to open the box she was given, Pandora could not overcome her curiosity. As the box was opened ugly little creatures representing all the diseases and suffering flew right into our world. Pandora closed the box quickly but it was too late. 

    As she sat on the closed box dismayed, a faint voice asked her to open the box one more time. At first she refused but eventually opened the box. And a beautiful little creature flew out. It was Hope, given to mankind to strengthen our spirit. 

    In this time of uncertainty, of division among people even more pronounced, it seems the Answer is to return to our Jewish spiritual roots and become the Messengers of Faith and Hope. Only then can we create a World of Peace, Prosperity and Harmony. 

    Rabbi David

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  • 02 Oct 2020 11:17 AM | Shirat Shalom (Administrator)


    A pioneer in the field of energy medicine, Donna Eden, tells a story of a man who would stand in the back of the room during some of her seminars. He hadn’t registered but she just allowed him to be there suspecting he was homeless. He looked unwell. 

    When she had a chance to speak to him she learned that he subsisted on food scraps from the local 7-11 store.  Donna  urged him to begin to eat more nutritious foods to  improve his health but he didn’t have the resources. So she told him to begin speaking to his food. To thank it for bringing him excellent nutrition,  that it was such healthy food, that he was so grateful for it, bless it. You get the idea.

    She saw him a few weeks later and couldn’t believe the difference in how he looked on the outside as well as the inner flow of his energy which she could see. He went on to take further steps to improve his health and life.  

    In Judaism we are taught to always say a blessing before eating.  I can just hear Rabbi David now, “Make sure they know we don’t bless the food, we bless G-d for providing the food!” Yes, in the Hebrew that is exactly what it says, Blessed are You Adonai, Ruler of the World, for creating all kinds of foods. Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha-olam boray meenay mi’zonot. 

    Before eating I usually prefer to use the traditional Hebrew blessing as I know how powerful it is. But there are times that I just send Light to the food, thank it directly or bless it for providing me with such good nutrition. Just as Donna Eden advised the homeless man to do, I speak to my food! 

    During the holiday of Sukkot when we express our gratitude for G-d's bounty we are filled with Joy! I personally think the Joy is the way G-d is expressing His/Her gratitude back to us! So inside the sukkah when we eat the delicious fruit waiting for us we will be saying the traditional blessing,  Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Haolam, Boray pre ha-eitz. Blessed are You Adonai, our G-d, Ruler of the World, who creates fruit from the tree. 

    It is so amazing how much better everything tastes with a blessing beforehand! 

    Chag Sameach, 

    Cantor Lee   

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  • 30 Sep 2020 7:21 AM | Shirat Shalom (Administrator)


    When we left slavery in Egypt the Bible counted more than 600,000 men. Considering the similar amount of women there were 2-3,000,000 Hebrews entering the land of  Israel in the estimated 1300 BCE.   

    As a comparison the Zhou Chinese dynasty which took control of China about the same time at 1200 BCE counted 13 million Chinese people living in China.

    The Hebrews  were one fifth or 20% of the population of China at that time. 

    Today, 3200 years later  there are a billion and a half Chinese in the world. That is 1500 millions.

    There are maybe 14 million Jews.  

    From  being  20% of the Chinese population we are now  0.00052 of the Chinese population. 

    Compared to the Chinese growing curve of the last three thousand years and keeping the estimate of about 20% of the Chinese population, we should have numbered  many hundreds of millions at least. 

    In fact, we are dozens of times smaller than the Chinese margin of error in any census they take.

    We all know the reasons for this awful disparity. The Roman empire  of 2,000 years ago murdered about one million Jews. It is estimated that over the millennia in Europe about three million Jews were either slaughtered or  forced to convert in masses.  

    Just  in South and Central America alone there are many millions of descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jews  who were forced to convert to Catholicism  between the 15th and 17th centuries.    

    All that translates to about 100-150 million Jewish descendants of all  the Jewish victims over the centuries who could have been with us today.

    We cannot afford to lose more Jewish souls to other influences.            

    Generations of Jews since then have changed. Their religious as well as Israel outlook has changed.

    With the chaos, killings and destruction in the many cities Anti-Semitism begins to stink to high heavens. it is used  as an important part of radical actions against  America 

    Nothing new here!

    Jews have been caught in the middle of civil chaos  and destruction for hundreds of years with very  dire consequences.  

    Anti-Semitism is being bred in many campuses in some of the most prestigious schools. And it is getting a stronghold among young impressionable  ill informed students, many who are Jewish students.

    In the name of this perverted agenda what is really being ignored purposely is the honest and real details of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. Its origin, its true reasons and goals are being purposely ignored

    The agenda is simple: to deny Israel the right to exist as a Jewish state. Also to remove Israel from being a  close ally  and best friend  to the USA. 

     A whole generation of students, many of them are Jewish, is being bombarded and poisoned with distorted  information. This happens even  in traditionally Jewish colleges like Brandeis  or colleges with a large Jewish student body.

    And these are our future congress members and leaders!

    Using unfair influence on our students for an intentional Anti-Zionist agenda discourages students  from arriving at their own independent conclusions. 

    What is claimed to be lessons in critical thinking which is a common course in college amounts to almost brain washing. 

    This is  a gateway to Anti-Zionism which in some places  has become institutionalized and tolerated. 

    Make no mistake: Anti-Zionism, denying Israel the right to exist  as a Jewish country  or not at all -  is absolutely Anti-Judaism. 

    The land of Israel is a central part of Judaism. It’s  like Mecca to Islam or the pope to Catholicism.   

    Judaism cannot exist without it. The hope and yearning  to return to Zion in the last 2000 years has been a central component of Judaism. 

    Anti-Zionistic  activity is an act against Jewish survival.

    In 2019 there were 2100 reported cases of assault, vandalism and harassment against Jews in the United states alone including schools,  synagogues and community centers.

    The problem  is even more compounded because for many of our Jewish students it’s a gateway to losing their Jewish identity. 

    What concerns me is that we have become  complacent in the face of those who wish to hurt us the most. We simply do not think it is a major problem.

    While, of course, not all of our young people leave their heritage because of college influence,  

    We cannot afford to lose anyone. 

    We cannot be complacent. Let's continue doing what we, the community of Shirat Shalom have been doing  for many years.

    Let us continue bringing Judaism of the heart and souls to our children. Instill in them love and pride in our heritage and in Israel. That is the best remedy against    detrimental influences and assaults  on our heritage.

    It’s  about Jewish identity much more than Jewish or Hebrew knowledge.  

    Children as we all know, get from us their parents the sense of pride in our heritage and commitment to our Jewish homeland  in Israel.

    When our children sense  that both Israel and the Jewish tradition are a crucial part of our own identity they  understand that  Zionism is an existential part of Judaism and in turn, Judaism is an existential part of the welfare of the world.          

    They then will be more inclined to make the effort  and seek the honest truth about the Israeli Arab conflict and explore  Judaism further on. We cannot afford losing any more Jewish souls.       

    Senator Daniel Moynihan said in 1974 in a rally for Soviet Jewry: One cannot eliminate  a tree  which has its roots in the center of the earth.

    It is our duty to ensure our children’s Jewish continuity. 

    May  G-D  inscribe all of us in the Book of Life. Let us  pray for a much better year next year. A year of health and healing.  

    A year of tolerance and unity. A year of love and prosperity  to all of us. A year of elimination of all viruses and social turmoil. 

    Amen 

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  • 25 Sep 2020 12:56 PM | Shirat Shalom (Administrator)

    Recently I was  asked to sing the Lord’s Prayer at an interfaith wedding. I didn’t know too much about the prayer except that my girlfriend recited it every day growing up in her church and that it is a central and revered prayer in Christianity. Well, I certainly wanted to sing it with the reverence it deserved so I began learning it. 

    I didn’t get too far though and stopped after the first line as a beautiful sacred Presence had entered the room.

    Wow, I thought! Does this prayer have the same power as many of the Hebrew prayers I sing?  They are meant to connect us with the Divine which can come in many energetic variations. Or was it my intention to sing the prayer with reverence that called this Divine Presence? Yes, our intentions can be that powerful! 

    Intrigued, I went on a YouTube search and listened to several videos of people singing the prayer. Hmmm.. most of the videos invoked the Presence. 

    The next day, my Catholic neighbor, Gina, posted the prayer on her facebook page and wrote: "I hope everyone who reads it answers Amen and sticks it on their page. Prayer chain for world peace and end of the pandemic. Amen." 

    Gina's Facebook Post:


    This certainly caught my attention. I mean, what are the chances my neighbor would post this the day after my experience with the prayer! I knew this was a message to me to explore further. Intrigued again, I went on a google search and discovered what is just basic knowledge for most Christians. That Jesus taught this is a prayer in how to pray and that it covers  everything.  

    Well that made sense why so much of the wording seemed familiar to me. The same concepts are in the Jewish prayers. And Jesus after all, was Jewish. 

    A week later as I sang the prayer during the wedding I could see how touched the Christian family members were that their tradition was honored. This filled me with such Joy! Even in these days, it isn’t always so easy for everyone when there is an interfaith marriage.

    Two months later as I finished my preparations for the Jewish holidays I realized I never formally added my Amen to my neighbor’s post!

    So now, just before Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people, I offer my prayer. “May ALL our Sacred Prayers from ALL Hearts come together bringing World Peace and an End to the Pandemic. Amen!” 

    The Divine Presence that has come in now certainly seems happy with this! I feel a smile in the midst of all the Love that is present!

    May we all be sealed in the Book of Life for a good year! 

    Love,

    Lee

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  • 09 Sep 2020 8:11 AM | Shirat Shalom (Administrator)

    I heard the story from the mother the week before but I wanted to hear it in the boy’s own words. So he told me that when casting his fishing lure, it caught a dragonfly trapped in a spider web causing its wings to break. He used a pair of tweezers to set the wings back together. Afterwards he put the dragonfly in a jar in order to nurse it back to health and fed it moths each day. Under his watchful care the dragonfly lived for another few days. 

    When he finished telling the story, his mother exclaimed “What child does this!” I knew the answer but I just smiled. 

    When I first met the boy a year and half earlier to prepare him for his Bar Mitzvah ceremony, I immediately understood he is one of the amazing children who have come to help heal the planet. So many of these kids don’t have an easy time in our left brain educational system or fitting into our paradigms and this teen was no exception. 

    When we had his rehearsal months later and he could read Hebrew which traditionally uses left brain teaching techniques, his mother called me a miracle worker. But I knew the child is really the miracle. For these kids are impelling us to “think out of the box,” to reframe our perspectives when it comes to their education. The Infinite Child Institute is certainly a result of this thinking. It didn’t surprise me when this teen excelled in the program. 

    As we got close to his Bar Mitzvah, everyone was so excited that the boy’s great grandmother would be able to attend. What a blessing! 

    But with the pandemic postponing his Bar Mitzvah day for five months this all changed. His great grandmother passed away three weeks before the new date at the  amazing age of 107. 

    The boy’s mother continued her part of the story. That during the great grandmother’s funeral, a dragonfly stayed with them the entire time. She would have never noticed it if her son hadn't  rescued the first dragonfly and knew there had to be a connection.  

    I told the teen that dragonflies have one consciousness. That the essence of his dragonfly came to say thank you! But there is another message too. His mother continued, “Now, whenever you see a dragonfly your great grandmother will be present!”

    Before they left, I took the boy aside and asked him to promise me that he would never forget how special he is, of what he came here to do. 

    On the day of the Bar Mitzvah, the mother displayed a quote saying, “Dragonflies Appear when Angels are Near.” There were certainly many angels in the room that day. 

    And the great grandmother... well, she had the biggest smile of them all! 


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  • 28 Jul 2020 11:38 AM | Shirat Shalom (Administrator)

    Tisha B’Av,  the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av falls on July 30th this year. It is a day of fasting  and mourning. Very few events in our history are considered to be such a powerful memory to the Jewish people as this day represents. The Holocaust of course, is another one. 

    Officially it marks several calamities in our history including the destruction of the first Temple by the Babylonians as well as the destruction of the second Temple by the Romans (who went as far as plowing the entire Temple area.) This day also marks the expulsion from Spain in 1492 as well as the Jewish expulsion from England in 1290. 

    Tradition has it that on the ninth day of Av the spies who were sent by Moses to tour the land of Canaan when the Israelites were about to enter it, returned from their journey to deliver a negative report about the country and its people. As a result, the people dipped into fear wanting to return to slavery in Egypt. To enable them to mature to a state of trust, of accepting and navigating freedom, G-d had the people wander in the desert for another 40 years. 

    Tisha  B’Av is therefore a day when Jews gather in synagogues all over the world to recite the scroll of “Eicha,”  Lamentations,  a text of mourning  believed to  be written by Prophet Jeremiah who actually witnessed the first Temple’s destruction.   

    The Ninth of Av is not an easy day as we remember Jewish suffering throughout our history. But it also represents an amazing truth. It is a symbol of our eternity. Remembering the day we lost our independence in the land of Israel also brought the Tikvah, the Hope for the Jewish redemption. That hope was burning in our great, great grandparents’ hearts. It is that two thousand year old hope which held us together and eventually helped us to reestablish our independent life in modern Israel. 

    So if we now have Israel, a proud, very prosperous and independent Jewish state why keep mourning on the ninth day of Av?          

    The message of that day is not only a message of Jewish survival. It is also a message of world peace  and harmony. The great rabbis of the Talmud taught  that when the world lives in peace,  when there will be no hate, when antisemitism and bigotry vanish from the world, then Tisha B’Av  will turn from a day of mourning to a day of celebration.

    This year, as we observe Tisha B’Av may we use the powerful energy of the day to offer a special prayer to the creator, G-D of all mankind, to help us put an end to the awful pandemic that is ravaging the entire world. Let us all pray for Israel’s and the world’s safety and peace. Let us pray for all the turmoil and divisiveness we are experiencing here in the US to end and ask for peace to be restored in all the cities across the nation. Let us pray that we each find compassion and tolerance within our own hearts. For only then can G-d truly help us.  

    Shalom,

    Rabbi David   

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  • 10 Jun 2020 8:08 PM | Shirat Shalom (Administrator)

     

    It was going to be the first event for our congregation since the quarantine began.  A puppy naming where any dog without a Hebrew name would receive one. It really isn’t part of our tradition to give pets Hebrew names as we do humans. But it has become a Shirat Shalom tradition. I guess mostly because it is just so much fun! Here was the invitation: 

    Although connected in our hearts,
    We've been physically apart,
    So we’re hoping seeing you in person 
    can now gently start!

    Our yard is Huge, so please stop by, 
    We’ve  missed you and just want to say Hi!

    If you don’t have a doggy, just bring a stuffed one!
    Or come by yourself, and join the fun!

    If your puppy needs a Hebrew name
    Rabbi David will bestow one with Love, 
    Or you can pick a Yiddish one 
    And we’ll all shout Mazel Tov!  


    Even though the gathering was going to be outside in my backyard I still wondered, would anyone come? People were still reluctant to be in groups as several members told me.  But eight dogs sent in a RSVP and would be bringing their humans.


    The morning of I wondered again, would anyone come? With torrential downpours all week and rain still predicted, it wouldn’t be easy to be outside in the high humidity of South Florida. 

    But in the end five dogs did come along with seven children and their parents. When I saw the children I knew G-d was fully creating with me. These were my  special crystal and rainbow kids who would be radiating their powerful Light throughout our gathering!


    The first activity was to decorate a fan with anything about our doggies that warms our hearts. I was so glad I finally found a use for the straw fans I had been saving. Not only would they help everyone stay cool, but they were perfect for our activity and my plan for later! 

     For the naming ceremony we began with the traditional thanksgiving blessing using the words on the fans. Each doggie was featured. 

    Here is an example: Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech Haolam who makes Brooklyn a cutie! (Blessed are you Adonai, our G-d, Creator of the world who makes Brooklyn a cutie! ) 

    Then each family sang the song they had composed. The instructions were to change the lyrics to a Hebrew song and you guessed it, make it about their doggie!  In this song, David Melech Yisrael,  Lily the dog becomes a queen! You can just imagine how much we all laughed since Lily really is queen of the house! 

    Rabbi David then gave each dog their Hebrew name and had us laughing even more! This dog, a Russell Terrier, yes named Russell, received the Hebrew name Ratz which means “Run!” You can probably figure out the connection!

    Kiwi received the Hebrew name Karmel which is a mountain in Israel!

    Brooklyn received the Hebrew name Simcha which means Joy!

    Lily received the Hebrew name Meshuggah which you probably already know means Crazy! 

    We ended with the chanting of the Sh'ma that declares that we are all One with G-d and each other. Keeping this Oneness in mind, I asked everyone to wave their fans as we sang, radiating our love and gratitude for our doggies into the world. 

    I knew Shechina's Love Energy that answered was saying thank you! I told everyone to keep fanning and radiating! 

    We continued to have such a wonderful time being together afterwards. The weather turned out to be beautiful with such a strong breeze we didn’t even feel the humidity!  I thanked G-d as well as  the weather elementals for answering my prayers, for their part of our co-creation. 

    As we talked I heard the same theme others have been telling me. The appreciation for slowing down, for time together with their children. The gratitude for the gifts of Mother Earth - Gaia,  such as a butterfly’s dance, a gecko on a leaf, a seed that grows into a plant. 

    We couldn’t hug each other as we said goodbye but as my friend recently told me we will never again take hugs for granted.

    Afterwards I expressed my gratitude to all including my doggie, Cinnamon, who joined us from over the rainbow bridge. I told her, “There was so much Love at the Puppy Naming!” “Of course!” Cinnamon whispered in my ear as she licked it at the same time. “After all, what is DOG spelled backwards?!”  

    I thought about this for a moment. "Exactly Lee,"  said Eliza, a dear friend's angel doggie. "It spells Love.”

      ♥Love, Lee & all the Doggies!♥

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  • 27 May 2020 8:10 PM | Shirat Shalom (Administrator)


    With my sister moving I learned I would be inheriting her computer desk and hutch that I always loved. I even thought one day I would get one just like it! Thank you G-d! 

    The timing couldn’t be better! Just two weeks earlier I had decided to paint my office and dedicate it as a sacred space for our Infinite Child program. With all the sessions with the children now virtual, my office needs to be conducive for this sacred work where children learn to utilize their Infinite Light Vision. 

    On moving day when we were carrying the hutch, a small prayer book seemed to appear out of nowhere! As my husband, Rabbi David caught it in midair, the memory came back of ten years earlier when I had hidden the prayerbook on top of the hutch.

    It was the day my sister called me from the hospital. My brother in law had just been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. After I hung up the phone, I immediately went to her house to work with the energy there. I understand now that it was my Divine Self directing me. I only knew then I was on a mission and had to follow it. 

    I still remember walking into the house and being hit with an extremely heavy oppressive feeling. I knew it was from all the worry and uncertainty from my brother in law being sick. I worked in each room, clearing the energy and afterwards bringing in a higher vibration. I then hid small Hebrew prayerbooks open to various pages around the house. They were all put in secret places on high shelves including the top of the desk hutch. 

    When my sister returned later that night she called me. What had I done to the house! It felt so peaceful, so amazing! I just smiled and said I just cleared out all the negative energy but I didn’t tell her about the hidden prayerbooks. 

    My brother in law passed away a month later.  As you can imagine the next few years were  extremely difficult for my sister and 14  year old nephew.  But I knew the prayerbooks were doing their job of supporting them by keeping the house at a higher vibration. Each time I would go visit, I would make sure each room was as it should be. 

    A couple of years later my sister found a hidden prayerbook. “You had to have put that there,” she told me! And I let her in on the secret! Over the years every time she would find another one she would carefully dust it off and put it back.

    I was excited to place the desk and hutch in my newly painted office. And then decorate with everything my sister also gave me. I was even able to fit in the pink chair I also inherited! Of course I cleared everything of any old energies that were lingering. 





    Redoing the office also meant going through old files which also brought up many emotions of what was and what will no longer be. Children just learn differently these days. So many of the old programs and ways of doing things just don’t fit today’s special children who have come to help the planet. Much material had to go. 

    When everything was to my satisfaction, Rabbi David and I put a new mezuzah on the door.

     


    A few days later I just had one more thing to do. I thanked G-d for all my blessings, for my beautiful new office and that my sister was now newly married and so happy.  I took the prayerbook and began flipping the pages, stopping where I was guided to do so. It opened to the prayer of gratitude, Modim Anachnu Lach, We give thanks to you, G-d.

    I took the open prayerbook and placed it on top of the hutch. 



    ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

    I Love all the ways I can keep the vibration high in my office. This was a gift a few years ago from my then student Jeremy. He is famous in Shirat Shalom as our star shofar blower! 



    Prayerbooks, Holy texts and special Crystals radiate a sacredness that are helping to keep the room flowing with beautiful energy!

     


    I light a candle when doing certain prayers and work. These are my special crystals that help me connect with the spiritual realms. B'nai Mitzvah Students who have a Torah  portion about the High Priest always love learning that the breast plate had precious stones on it. The  High Priest used them to communicate with G-d. 

       

     

    I put more crystals in the petals of this paper rose. The rose with its 13 petals is discussed  in the Zohar, a mystical book of the Kabbalah.  



    Every year at Chanukah the children learn that the eternal light in the Temple called a menorah had seven stems. Menorah means lamp. In Hebrew the Chanukah menorah is called a Chanukiah to differentiate it from the Temple menorah. 



    Even the hallway to my office brings in holiness. I make sure our entire house stays a sanctuary. The mezuzah on the front door reminds us of this central Jewish teaching. 



    I love learning how other spiritual traditions use different language to explain the universal concepts we all share. This  panel from the Council of Love shows 13 chakras which are the body's energy centers.  In Judaism we use sefirot (spheres) of the Tree of Life. 


     

    I love this gift from Lisa and her three boys, Brogan, Brody and Bryce. It reminds me of my sacred mission and purpose in life. 

     

    Love in its many forms always brings the highest vibration! Rabbi David wrote a very special poem for me that is tucked inside this card. Keeping it on my desk reminds me of how blessed I am! 

     


    Love, Lee ♥♥♥♥


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