My neighbor, Fara, has a way with animals. So much so that we call her the Animal Whisperer.  All creatures love her and she loves them! You could also call her a People Whisperer for the same reason. You can usually find her outside practicing her love craft, bringing everyone together, making sure all the animals and people know how important they are.  I think of her as Guardian of the Neighborhood.  

 So of course Rocksie  knew what she was doing when she picked Fara’s home for her nest. During their initial meeting when Rocksie startled Fara on the side of her house, she immediately told her, “Don’t worry, you are safe here!” “Confirmation this is the right house!” Rocksie thought.  “This is the perfect place for my babies!” And so Rocksie took up residence in one of Fara’s hanging baskets lined with coconut fiber.

The neighborhood was  abuzz with the news especially since an owl hasn’t been seen here for several years. We all learned she is a screech owl which explains her tiny size. One neighbor, Gina,  decided her name should be Rocksie as we all live on Rockwell Way! Rocksie was quite pleased with her new name and allowed a celebratory picture.   

Fara and Rocksie continued to deepen their relationship. Each day at nightfall Fara would tell Rocksie, “Time to hunt!” Rocksie  would pop up her head up, hop to the rim of the basket and then take flight. I think she appreciated Fara’s daily reminders. 

Fara’s husband Charlie watched over her as well. One day when the wind was very strong taking Rocksie for quite a swinging ride. Charlie wasn’t going to allow that and tied down the hanging planter! Okay, now the eggs and Mama were  safe! 

There was much excitement when the three eggs began to hatch. The tiny owlets looked  like little snowballs! Gina promptly named them Rock, Well and Way. 

Charlie was concerned a baby might fall from the nest so he made plans to put cushions on the ground below. But the next day before he could do so one did fall out! 

He told Rocksie he would put the baby back with all the proper precautions. She was quite agreeable to the whole plan especially since he explained what he was doing each step of the way! We are still not sure if it was Rock, Well or Way that fell but whoever it was, baby is safe now under Mama’s wing! 

I had a chance to visit Rocksie yesterday. Fara made sure to let her know “Aunt Lee” was coming. Rocksie really is so sweet!  I have been wondering what the spiritual reason is for her arrival and there are so many! But one message keeps coming so clearly.  Rocksie  is helping us remember what is really important in life.

What a beautiful gift! Thank you Rocksie for coming to Rockwell Way!

UPDATES

Here are some updates since this article was first published.

Grandfather Charlie as we now call him has made sure the babies are safe as they grow. Some days he has  spent hours outside keeping a lookout for anyone falling! He has made sure they now have a very soft surface to land on! He has had to fight off crows and other birds as he gets the babies safely back to the nest! Mama, babies and Fara and Charlie have become one combined human/owl family! 

❤️Love,

Lee

The 5th day of the Jewish month of Iyar, April 29th this year  is Israel’s 72^nd birthday.  For the Jewish people  this event became a symbol of our everlasting existence as a unique people whose religion cannot be separated from its nationality.

Independence day is a reminder that our existence depends on having a land of our own and that land is  specifically the land of Israel with very specific borders. This land is part of us, of who we are as Jews.

 I am reminded of an episode which happened at the beginning of the 20th century when the Zionist movement was offered  the country of Uganda in Africa as a homeland and a safe haven for European Jews. Many were victims of the infamous Kishinev pogrom in Russia. In a rejection letter the leader of the Zionist movement at the time explained that the land component of Jewish religion is directly related to the land of Israel because of its specific spiritual value and its holiness to Judaism, without which Judaism cannot exist. This principle trumped even the immediate need for a safe place for thousands of Jewish Kishinev refugees.   

Other than the religious claim, there are other profound reasons for the existence of Israel as a Jewish state (Judea and Samaria included). The crime of taking away a land from its people is not expunged due to time passed, not even hundreds or thousands of years. When a nation is forcefully removed from its legitimate homeland, and as long as that nation exists as such, its claim to the land would never get old. It would always be legitimate.

This principle became more profound when we,  the Jewish nation made it very clear to the rest of the world over the long years of exile, both through our daily prayers and through decisive actions that we can never give up our legitimate claim to our land.

In the last 2000 years the world knew very well that the Jewish people never gave up on their claim for the land from which they were exiled. In medieval times the church, fearful  of Jewish immigration to their homeland,  which over the centuries, intensified periodically, forbade Jews to travel on Christian boats to the land of Israel. The same was true after the expulsion  from Spain in the 15th century as well as in other centuries.

The Arabs, recognizing that the land of Israel is the land of the Jews were  especially fearful that the Jews would one day return to reclaim their land. One of the major attempts to resettle millions of Jews back in Israel was a plan to create an economic infrastructure first, which would allow for rapid Jewish migration. This plan was made by Don Yosef Nasi, a highly influential Jew in international circles  in the 15th century. The Arab nomads in Israel opposed the plan which Don Yosef had started to implement. The plan was eventually abandoned due to the extreme violent resistance of the local Moslems.

To be sure, the Moslems built a cemetery in Jerusalem in front of the city Gate of Mercy from which they believed the Jewish messiah would come to the city. Their rationale was that the messiah, being a descendant of Jewish priests, a Cohen, would not be allowed to go through a cemetery and therefore would not be able to enter Jerusalem and to establish a new Jewish kingdom in Judea.

In the 17th century an estimated eight thousands Jews, mostly young men, gathered in Turkey under the leadership of a man called Shabtai Tzvi who promised them that they would take  the land of Israel by force through his magic. They were all slaughtered  by the Ottoman army. Over the centuries numerous "Messiahs" gathered Jewish believers around them in a naive attempt to magically take over the land of Israel. All ended up in failure. However these constant attempts, as naive as they all were, serve as evidence throughout the centuries that indeed, action was taken by Jews who tried to reclaim the land of Israel.    

These and other similar actions, including that there were a significant amount of Jews that never left the land of Israel, are undeniable historical realities. They stand witness to the fact that the Jewish people never gave up on their rights to their land. It was a constant battle for our legitimate land which we finally won in 1948 with much but not all of the Jewish land in Jewish hands

So is the term Israeli independence Day really accurate?

To suggest that Israel became independent in 1948 is not only inaccurate it also provides many Arabs with the anti Israel propaganda which they are seeking. 

The term may suggest that the term Israel's independence as it related to the modern state of Israel separates itself from any Jewish evidence of independent living prior to 1948, as if there was no Jewish independent existence for many centuries prior to the modern state of Israel.  

It is therefore very important for us to understand that what we celebrate is the Jewish return to independent living in our land, a restoration of previous Jewish independence in the land of Israel.  

Let us all remember then that  we as a people are resilient. Throughout our four thousand years of history we have faced  many challenges, most recently the Holocaust, leading to the creation of the State of Israel. We have the inner strength to get through these challenging times as we, along with the entire world, are dealing with the Coronavirus.

May our inner strength that helped us survive many calamities, enduring centuries of persecutions and tragedies throughout history lead the world to better times ahead

Happy Yom Ha-atzmaut -Israeli Independence Day!

Rabbi David 

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Do you ever notice that things can magically appear after thinking about them quite a bit? This is exactly what happened to me recently. 

In this  case the “thinking”  began right after we finished our Shirat Shalom Virtual Seder. Every part of the seder including our coming together as a community was just so amazing!  

But my absolute favorite part was when we sang a children’s song about frogs jumping on Pharaoh. Of course Rabbi David up to his usual tricks seized the opportunity to have frogs jump all over me during the song! 

After everyone “left” I kept thinking about the song, of how we all laughed, of how even virtually it was so much fun! I couldn’t wait to see how it turned out on the recording. Rabbi David kept humoring me when I would say to him, “Wasn’t it so much fun!” But I know secretly he was quite pleased I thought his jumping frogs were quite a success! 

I kept revisiting the song in my mind throughout the evening each time smiling and laughing. I don’t remember if I thought about it as I went to sleep but I certainly woke up doing so and continued to think about it as I went about my morning routine. A couple of hours later I went onto my screened in patio and then tried to open the door to go outside. 

But something that looked like a hand was attached to the outside of the door! As I looked closer I saw it was actually a frog’s leg. I was somewhat nervous as I nudged the door open trying to encourage him to jump off. What if he would jump on me! But he just leaped off the door and jumped away probably happy to find another place to be. 

I couldn’t wait to tell Rabbi David of my experience and that I knew without a doubt that I had created it.  My focused thoughts on jumping frogs combined with the strong emotion of Joy brought it to me.

I thanked the frog for this reminder to choose carefully what I focus on, especially during these unprecedented times. 

Here is the frog song at our Virtual Seder! 

Love, 

Cantor Lee

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We are certainly living  in an historical time. The CoronaVirus  as we all know is affecting every corner of our planet.  While the world has suffered diseases and calamities over the millennia, this modern world wide calamity is particularly scary.

So what did we do to deserve such an honor? Well, we know it started in China. But we and the rest of the world did nothing to bring this pandemic upon us. 

No One deserves to be afflicted with the dangerous Coronavirus. No One - that’s a given.

But one can not help but wonder  about the philosophical and spiritual aspect  of this calamity. Scrutinizing ourselves is not an easy thing to do. This is not about the CoronaVirus “punishing” us. It is about making the best out of a bad situation. 

Do we all live our lives in calm,  peace and harmony? Was everything just fine when suddenly this Mishegaas fell upon us? We all know the answer to these questions.....  

Last week I was standing in line in Publix. A man who was standing behind me overheard the cashier greet me with “Good morning Rabbi” (I am very famous in Publix, don’t you know…) Realizing that I am a rabbi, he turned to me and said,  “So Rabbi, this Corona thing comes to teach us to live together in peace don’t you think so?” Now the man did not look religious, most likely not even Jewish (judging by the nice golden cross hanging from his neck…) but it seemed that he was interested in a philosophical discussion. Surprised, I turned to him and said” Yes, you are right, this would be a good time to learn to have more compassion for each other”.   

I was just about to leave  when the man insisted on continuing the conversation: ” Do you think, Rabbi, that G-D is doing all this to teach us a lesson?”I smiled  and said, “I am not an expert on G-D’s intentions but He sure acts in mysterious ways sometimes,doesn' he?” I then went to my car. As luck would have it  the man was parked right next to me so when I was about to pull out he approached my car window and said, “I wish people would realize what we just talked about.”  I nodded my head, wished him a nice day and drove away.

As I was driving home I was amazed how people are beginning  to look at the situation from a philosophical/spiritual point of view.

A few days afterwards  I had a similar discussion with a friend, a member of our synagogue who pointed out to me my big mistake. Even if we are experiencing  the Corona turmoil as a purely natural event the religious/philosophical reasoning cannot be ignored. There is nothing mysterious about what is happening to us, the human race. 

Consider the state of our country and  the whole world: the strife, arguments, bickering and scandals,  the moral decline, the political hatred the indecency which knows no restrained, the nonchalant attitude towards polluting mother earth, damaging it for the next hundred if not thousands of years.The constant wars in certain parts of the world, the endless suffering of innocent people. Get  the Picture?

 The analogy my friend offered me was simple yet profound. We are like siblings  who are constantly fighting and hurting each other until their parents have had enough of this behavior. They send each sibling to his/her room saying  “You take time out in your rooms, Stay there! Do not leave until we tell you!. You need to think long and hard about the way you treat each other”     

So all over the world  people are sitting in their rooms,  literally unable to leave. Perhaps it is  Mother Earth or G-D Old Mighty himself or perhaps our moral conscious telling us, “Dear Humanity, It is time to change the rules of the game of life.” Become  more tolerant, have more sympathy towards each other (Remember John Lenon?...) Learn to truly embrace world peace, begin to really take care of our beloved mother Earth with deeds - not just lip service.

A timeout is a very good thing. Can you imagine boxing matches without a brief time out between the rounds or a basketball game when the coach cannot ask for time out to regroup the team or exchange players?

And the timeout that we are experiencing? This is an opportunity given to mankind as a gift by G-D and Mother Nature. A wake up call to all nations. It is a time to pause  and reflect, a time to reset and redefine who we are as humanity and as dwellers of our precious Mother Earth.

Indeed, This gift doesn't come cheap. We pay a hefty price for it  both in money and in human life and suffering. So let's take advantage of this very expensive opportunity and make our time out a time within.

As we sit for the Passover Seder next  week and as we mention the 10 plagues inflicted upon the Egyptians, may humanity overcome this plague with a new understanding and desire to live in harmony and peace.   

Rabbi David 

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Most people who know me also know I love to set tables and create beautiful tablescapes! Of course, cooking is another matter!  

Since my husband, Rabbi David, and I will be hosting our very first Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat! (Welcoming in Shabbat)  of course I wanted to set the table for it!  

When setting a table I just let the ideas flow, knowing that I am being inspired and guided by my Higher Self. With this table the guidance was to make the table golden and filled with Joy! Somehow this was all related to the fact that corona means crown. But I had no idea why or how it was all connected. But I went with the inspiration and played with the dishes setting my table. 

I ended up with this table filled with golden Joy!

The coffee pot represents the pouring out of compassion and love for each other and our earth. The dove represents the inner peace we can still feel now and for a whole new world of Peace and Love. The flowers represent rebirth that yes, we will all experience! 

    

Creating a tablescape and then enjoying it always fills me with Joy! And this tablescape is no exception! But it seems it has an even greater purpose especially now as  being filled with Joy is one of the best ways to keep my frequency or vibration very high. And that not only boosts my immune system but helps me stay above the fear.

I looked up more about the word “corona” when I was done and learned that one of the definitions of corona refers to the fiery halo around the sun. But it can only be seen during a solar eclipse or with special instruments. It is also the hottest part of the sun. thttps://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sun-corona/en/

Well that just fascinated me. I know as a Jewish person and Lightworker my job is to bring Light into the world. But I personally only see that actual spiritual Light when in  meditation, prayer or going deep within. But just like the sun’s corona, it is definitely there!

In contemplating this further I realized that just as we do with interpreting the Torah portions there can be so many additional interpretations for my table. One interpretation can be that right now the world is going through a deep cleansing and awakening leading us into the Golden Age. Perhaps that is why the table needed to have gold! 

I so hope you will also feel Joy with seeing my table! And perhaps you will find your own interpretation of what it means. I would love to hear it!  

 

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(Disclaimer:  It is a custom on Purim to create satires from the story of Queen Esther. So this is it. All in fun though - no political messages intended…. Whatsoever...)          

This  story was told to me by my great grandfather who heard it from his cousin twice removed.

A long, long time ago in a far away galaxy in a city called Shushan lived a king in a palace which was all white. He was a jolly old king. He was also very wealthy from all his real estate investments all over the world. 

One starry starry night the king was entertaining all the very, wise extremely important sons and daughters of god who came all the way from Hollywood. It was a nice party, really, where  all the VIP’s were congratulating each other and walking on red carpets not to spoil their shoes. They all ate and drank. Alot.  

After the guests could not find any more ways to praise each other, they got bored. The king (his name, If I remember correctly, was Achashverosh) who was at that point a little drunk himself, demanded that his wife Queen Vashti dance with minimum clothes on in front of his guests. She refused  (who can blame her?) claiming that her minimum wage job description does not include dancing. 

Since the king did not know the laws regarding  queens who refuse to dance, he went to the local district judge asking for a verdict.  But this judge was too conservative so he went to a highly reputable liberal judge but he was too liberal. The king then became very desperate looking for a judge who will render the kind of verdict the king wanted. Since he could not find the right judge, he decided  to banish the queen from his kingdom. Well the media was all over him. They condemned his decision claiming that the king was influenced by foreign agents. 

It only took a few days for the king to realize  that he needed a new queen. He organized a whole Women’s Talent Competition (The now famous  “Shushan has Talent “) and in order to be fair he invited all transgenders as well.  

There was a  Jewish young lady who lived in the city of  Shushan by the name of Esther. She wanted to devote her entire life to fighting global warming because she was afraid that in five years, the earth will be flooded from the melting glaciers and burned from rising temperature. When she was forced to participate in the king’s new talent competition she got to the finals and actually won. Since she became a queen  her life long dream of becoming a major advocate for Mother Earth, to give lectures and sell lots of books, all vanished. From all the Jewish princesses in our country she became the first Jewish princess to hold such a high position.   

That's when the story gets interesting. You see, the Shushan senate minority leader (or maybe it was the house minority leader- who remembers!) was a man named Haman. From all historical records at the Pentagon we know that he wasn’t a nice dude. As if he needed a reason, he did not like Jewish people (what else is new?) He went to the king and explained to him that there is a nation of undocumented immigrants called Jews who managed to climb the 60 ft tall wall the king built around the city. They used tall ladders and hot air balloons in order to infiltrate the kingdom. “Now,” said Haman to the king, “them Jews are all over the  city.” The king agreed to let Haman kill all these Illegals Jews on the 14th day of the month of Adar.  

I would be remiss If I do not mention the president of Shushan’s AIPAC, Queen Esther’s cousin from her mother’s side (I think), the honorable Mordechai the Jew, a well known advocate for Jewish matters. Haman and Mordecai did not see eye to eye on all national security and health care matters or all other matters including the Jewish right to exist. So when Mordecai  heard about Haman's evil plan and about Haman’s plan to hang him on a tall Christmas tree, he felt that it might be a good Idea to do something about it. After all, he really wanted his legs to be firmly touching the ground and not be dangling somewhere. He also thought that Jewish survival would be a nifty idea as well. 

So he tried to call little cousin Queen Esther on her cell phone but got no answer. He tried texting her, even Tweeting her- nothing happened.  He tried to write on her Facebook wall - no response. He tried Instagram -nada .So he decided to do what any nice Jewish boy would do. He dressed in sackcloth and put ashes on his head and paraded back and forth for three hours in front of the queen’s window. She got the message.  She asked Mordechai what was going on so he briefed her on the situation and they both set down to strategize.  

After much thinking they came up with a brilliant Plan. It was kind of complicated but the gist of it was that Esther would find a way to tell the king that if he allowed Haman to execute his evil plan not only the kingdom’s economy would collapse, but also Ms. Ginsburg would be missing from the Supreme Court, half of the liberal professors from all the universities in his kingdom would be gone and he would not be able to celebrate  Passover in his palace. More importantly, his beloved wife, being Jewish, would be killed as well 

The only danger in the plan was finding a way to deliver the message to the king. Since the king was told by his secret service not to use a cellular phone or a laptop,  the only way to get his attention would be face to face.  

But since you do not come to see the king uninvited,  appearing in his palace by one ‘s own initiative could be deadly to say the least.  

So Queen Esther  did what Jews do best. She Prayed. She also fasted for three days just to lose the little extra weight she had put on recently. Then she asked the royal hairdresser and the make-up artist  to make her look exceptionally pretty (not that she was not pretty, of course). Then, she bought the most beautiful dress. She made sure not to have any wardrobe malfunction. She put on the glass shoes which she borrowed from Cinderella and went to meet the king, come what may. 

But you see, there has been a royal secret which was very well guarded  for many generations and never leaked to the NY Times or the Washington Post despite these papers’ desperate efforts to get the story. Do you realize how many more papers they would have sold if they had the story? Maybe even claim the rights for a movie and two  sequels or even a TV series. But no! The secret was kept safe in the royal palace. Recently, however it was leaked by an anonymous source known as the “mysterious leaker”. Allegedly, he was from the opposite party who wanted Haman to be the King.   

Ladies and Gentlemen you read the truth here first: What really happened! 

You see, the queen had an agreement with one of the king’s guards who shall remain anonymous.The deal went like that: the queen would help the guard’s two daughters who never finished high school to be accepted to the University of Shushan School of Art Supplies on a Crayon Coloring Scholarship. And in return the guard would slip to the king a bunch of his  favorite Corona beers so he could be half drunk and in a very good mood. This would insure a favorable reaction from the king when Esther would show up.    

Indeed, that is exactly what happened. The queen invited the king and Haman to a private candle light soft music dinner. At the self served dinner (she did not want any else there) she revealed her Jewish identity. She told  the king that executing Haman’s evil plan would mean eliminating her as well.    

Well,  let me tell you. The king hit the roof. You should have seen his face. It was all red from anger, veins bulging everywhere, not a happy camper.

He immediately voided that evil decree, ordered that Haman and his 10 sons be hanged and sent a warning  through his kingdom saying that anyone who dares to hurt the Jews will be punished severely. (wouldn’t this kind of warning  come very handy nowadays in the Middle East, around the world and in many American campuses?)   

So  the 14th day of Adar became a day of celebration for us. It’s a day that symbolizes Jewish survival. And that’s good. Very good. 

And it’s a day to find humor in everything and everyone! So have a laugh!

Chag Sameach!

Happy Purim!

Rabbi David 

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People in the local Publix already know me, the famous person that I am... I am the “no bags please person”. I am that crazy guy who would bring a bunch of Publix Green bags to avoid wrapping anything in plastic bags. Crazy because who wants to bother with bringing their own bags to do the shopping at a grocery store. In all honesty, I do see people bringing their own bags to Publix every once in a while but they are far and few in between.

Does that mean  people do not care about Mother Earth? Of course they do. It’s just that in our busy life we have so many things to worry about that the welfare of Mother Earth is not regularly  on our minds. Besides, with everything around us made of plastic and so little being recycled, does avoiding a few plastic bags really matter?

The “Save the Earth” advocates among us say that what creatures who lived on earth over hundreds of millions of years were unable to do,  we humans managed to do in about 100 years or less. We have begun to put Mother Earth in a true existential threat. With our non degradable, often  toxic materials dumped on Mother Earth by the tons every day all over the world, how long can we continue being nonchalant about it? 

One of the most important Jewish principles  taught by our sages over many centuries is based on recognizing  the vulnerability of our Mother Earth. While generations ago there was not much toxic or non-degradable material  to worry about, our sages did recognized the need to guardMother Earth from deteriorating. 

That Jewish principle is called  “Bal Tashchit”, which basically translates  as “Be Careful Not to Destroy.” Judaism has always advocated that we are here on earth as a privilege. When our time comes to depart, we should leave Earth in as good condition or better than the way we found it. 

Indeed, the ideas of “Tikun Olam,''  repairing the world, encompasses human relations as well as Human-Earth relations. The State of Israel  is a shining example of this principle. Within a few decades of existence the Israelis have been turning a barren desert into a viable land growing fruits and vegetables on it. Israel leads the world in water conservation and recycling as well as reforestation on a large scale.  Israeli scientists are working on ways to disintegrate plastic. Imagine being able to inject certain plastic consuming bacteria into thousands of landfills all over the world…

How is that for repairing  the world? 

This is what Tu B’Shvat, (Feb. 10th this year)  the Jewish 3300 years old Arbor Day is all about. In fact, I believe Tu B’Shvat is a more important holiday now than ever before. It reminds us that we must be more aware of our Mother Earth’s welfare. It reminds us that doing the smallest thing for for the sake of our Earth should not be overlooked.   

Besides, It’s a wonderful Mitzvah.     

Rabbi David

Plant a tree in Israel for Tu B’Shvat!

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From Cantor Lee: As Jews we not only have the Jewish New Year as a time to reflect and evaluate our lives but the secular new year as well. As Rabbi David and I were discussing this I was quite surprised that a memory came up from two years ago as it didn’t seem to have anything to do with our conversation.  But you know how those things go. It turns out it did. It was actually a facebook message I received from a woman who lived in our neighborhood in New Jersey over 30 years ago. She was a friend of our son. I didn’t remember her and still don’t! But I will always remember her message! 

She had reached out to  thank me for including her and all the neighborhood children in our Jewish holidays, for teaching them to be open to other religions. She went on to say I had a huge impact on her and she wants to do the same for her young children and expose them to many different religions and cultures. 

I tried to think back. What did I really do?  I remembered how I would have all the children help us decorate our sukkah each year, make latkes with us at Chanukah,  have them taste matzah for Passover. Invite them to the celebrations. Is that all it took? It wasn’t anything really extraordinary in my mind. But yet, these small acts had a huge effect on a child’s life and it is being extended now to her own children.  

So perhaps that is the message my Higher Self wanted me to understand when bringing this memory.  It is the little things we do, that every act has the potential to affect others in ways we can’t even fathom! 

From Rabbi David  Our unexpected seemingly minute experiences can have a profound impression on us. Recently as I was visiting an assisted living facility here in Boca Raton I was struck  by the sadness of many of the elderly.  

With various levels of disability  they sit in their wheelchairs in the hallway for endless hours with hardly any life in their eyes. With no one to talk to, many close their eyes  and fall into intermittent dosing perhaps trying to escape their sad reality. Frail and helpless they yearn for a friendly look or just for a simple hello and a smile. 

Most rarely receive any visitors maybe because their children live far away or are  just busy. People who come through the door don׳t seem to pay much attention to any of it. 

But another day I had the honor to witness the profound impact  of a small act of kindness. A woman came in with some chocolate kisses and gave each resident one  accompanied by a smile and a simple.“How are you?”  

Seeing  how the residents’ faces lit up when they saw her sent  shivers down my back. I quickly realized that this was not a one time act but a daily “routine.”  

I was also there during Chanukah and saw the woman giving out latkes. She offered me a latke too. I tried to refuse as they were  meant for the residents but she insisted. The latke was still warm and tasty. Obviously she had just made them. As she was walking and talking to the residents, each came to life and smiled.  

And I? I learned first hand what a  small act of kindness really means.  

The rabbis teach that the world rests upon three things, Torah, Avodah (worship,) and Gimilut Chasadim, acts of loving  kindness. In this New Year of 2020 may we all bring more acts of loving kindness into our world. 

Happy New Year! 
Rabbi David and Cantor Lee

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As a long time teacher, I often feel that I learn more from my students than they do from me!  This was certainly the case recently with a set of 12 year old twins. These two girls are absolutely adorable and so identical it is very difficult to tell them apart!  One does have a face that is a tiny bit fuller but that doesn’t help me too much. I still get them mixed up! The only way to really tell them apart is that one twin has a small birthmark on her hand. 

Rabbi David and I are preparing the girls for their B'not Mitzvah service  and see them for weekly lessons.  As any Bar or Bat Mitzvah student can attest to, learning to chant the Torah portion definitely requires diligence to master!   

To make this process easier we incorporate meditative focusing exercises (1)  into the lessons. The twins are always delighted that the weekly lesson becomes easier and that it has helped with schoolwork too!  

So here is the “far out part.” The exercises also enable the twins to see and read blindfolded. I know, sounds crazy! But we only use a fraction of our brain power. As children, no one ever taught us that we have this ability to use our Inner Light Vision rather than our physical eyes to see and read. 

As in regular reading children progress at different rates with blindfold reading. One twin has advanced to reading sentences blindfolded while the other is at the level of seeing  colors and shapes and occasionally words. 

During this one particular lesson Rabbi David believed he was working with the twin who could read sentences so he certainly wasn’t surprised that she was able to do so again. But halfway through the lesson he saw the birthmark and realized he had the other twin! 

He immediately understood it was his consciousness that enabled this twin to read on the level of her sister! With his belief that he had the other twin, he had certain expectations of how she would perform! 

Since these techniques require working with energy and different mind states, we are both certainly aware that our consciousness is a vital factor. In the past we have even seen that certain children are not able to continue reading blindfolded when a parent walks into the room The parent’s belief system is energetically affecting the child. 

But Rabbi David's experience providing such a concrete example has had  a profound impact on both of us! It has certainly brought us to an even deeper level of awareness as to how we as teachers and parents are affecting our children.

During the next lesson, Rabbi David  told me to send him a twin but to not let him know which one I was sending! 

And so it is….

(1) Meditative Focusing Exercises are from our program, the Infinite Child Institute

(2) Video Examples of Blindfold Reading & Seeing

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From Cantor Lee: During a recent dinner with friends, a facebook post with Yiddish  words was being passed around the table. Yiddish words do have that knack of making us laugh! And yes, there was definitely much laughter as the phone was being passed from one person to the next! 

But when it came to my turn I said, “I won’t look at this post. Whether I am politically aligned with someone or not, I won’t have anything to do with putting down or degrading another person.”   

You are probably getting the gist of the post. Yes, the Yiddish words were quite derogatory and were being used to describe some of our political leaders. I know there will be those reading this who will want to know where they can find the post! And others who will think this is a political statement of who I support. 

But this has nothing to do with political support or taking sides of any kind. Well, except the side of G-d. One of the most basic teachings of Judaism is Lashon Hara - do not speak negatively about another person. 

As I told my friends that night, what good does going to synagogue and praying if we don’t try to practice the core values of  Judaism? Even just making fun of someone else with a negative intention is setting the stage for bringing more hatred and violence into our world. It opens the door. 

As one friend said, what I am asking isn’t easy to do. No it isn't. But what we have been doing hasn’t been working. We need to begin making  changes somewhere.   

When we speak or even think negatively about another person that energy also affects us. So what we say to another we are actually saying to ourselves. If that isn’t a reason to change I don’t what is!   

As we approach the High Holy Days what a perfect time to start!  And when we get to Yom Kippur we can even add to our fast from food, no negative words at all. Not about others, not about ourselves.   

Who will join me? I hope you will! 

From Rabbi David: The Bible tells us that  G-D created the world simply by talking. The sages explain to us that the creation story demonstrates the tremendous power of uttered words. They warn us to watch what we say since our words carry much power. Indeed, words can be very destructive or can be creative. They can build bridges between people  and can easily demolish them, destroying people’s lives. 

The Torah in the Book of Leviticus makes it a point to warn us against speaking ill against anyone. That includes the use of certain words even in an indirect  way. Moreover, even a seemingly innocent remark which could be possibly construed as a hidden derogatory comment is forbidden. In fact, the Torah puts into action this all important Jewish edict. When prophetess Miriam, Moses' sister, speaks ill of her brother's wife she is severely punished with leprosy. 

For us, in our modern world, it is just as important to follow that biblical command. All too casually we slip from expressing criticism of someone’s actions which is perfectly okay to using insults or derogatory words in order to describe or demean others. And in today’s climate this is especially the case with those who do not follow our political/social views.

Saying it is all in harmless fun is far from an excuse. There is no "harmless fun" in going after people's dignity. I pray that this New Year we all be a bit more careful when talking about those with whom we don't agree with or those who irritate us. Speaking no evil is good for the soul, it's a good way to cleanse ourselves for the coming year.          

L'Shana Tova, 

May we all have a sweet new year and may we work together with our words to make it happen! 

Cantor Lee and Rabbi David

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