Greetings from Hong Kong, where I am spending a few weeks visiting with my daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons. It’s been so much fun celebrating Sukkot and Simchat Torah with our grandsons on the other side of the world.
One of my favorite things that I’m doing right now is co-teaching a class called “Repentance and Repair” with Rabbi David Markus. As some of you know, we started off by assigning a little bit of spiritual homework.
I’m always reluctant to face the reality that summer will eventually end. I love the slower pace of a season without the pressures of school days. I love the vibrant green of our hills at this time of year. I love the profusion of produce (yes, even the excess of zucchini). I love the long days and warm evening light. If I could freeze time right here and now, I might be tempted to do it! Maybe fortunately, that power hasn’t been offered to me, so days keep ticking by at their usual pace.
A month ago, I returned from a trip to Central Europe, traveling on the Danube River and visiting Budapest, Bratislava, Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague. It was my first time in this part of the world, and the trip made a huge impression on me, especially my visits to synagogues, most of whose members were wiped out by the Nazis in WWII or by the Russians following the war during the Communist era. I was moved by the sights and descriptions of these lost communities and the beauty of their synagogues and ritual objects. I realized anew how fortunate we are to live in a time where we are free to practice our faith and be part of a thriving Jewish community.
Lately I’ve been humming the opening of the Simon and Garfunkel tune “The 59th Street Bridge Song.” Many of you probably know this one. It begins, “Slow down, you move too fast. Got to make the moment last!” It has an apt spiritual message for us at this time of year.
This guest post is the D’var Torah that CBI member and cantorial soloist Ziva Larson offered at Shabbat Morning Services on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
This guest post is the D’var Torah that CBI member and cantorial soloist Ziva Larson offered at Shabbat Morning Services on Saturday, January 27, 2024.
Happy 2024! I love having two opportunities each year to begin again – first in the fall at Rosh Hashanah, then in the winter with New Year’s Day. Beginning again is a valuable spiritual practice, a reminder that we don’t have to be stuck in what was but rather can cultivate the promise of something new.
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