A little Torah will return in September.
In the meantime, be kind, be patient and be present.
In blessing and friendship. Shabbat shalom,
Laurie
7.22.16 A little Poetry
Written by my friend Jen Fecu on July 4, 2016.
Jen is a mom of two adult daughters, studying towards her Bachelor's degree. She is smart, beautiful, warm, thoughtful and curious. Jen is currently an inmate at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility serving "25 to Life".
"Positive"
How can I counter
the maladaptive culture
I am Immersed in
The very nature of the beast
That incarcerated me
Is to divide and conquer.
---------
Education
and sharing
and understanding
and using it wisely
to up-lift self and others is
the only weapon
we have to use
against the oppression.
----------
Education OPENS my eyes
to what is and why.
I can CREATE real growth.
Cultivated, it is developed from
within me. Immersed
IN a culture that IS violent,
HOW CAN IT NOT BE
Internalized.
----------
I brace myself
with Honesty and Integrity
to build myself up and
to lead by example, My Daughters.
---------
Can there be a greater
Purpose in this life than
to become a conscious
driving Force in the Fight
for equality amongst this human race.
Jen is a mom of two adult daughters, studying towards her Bachelor's degree. She is smart, beautiful, warm, thoughtful and curious. Jen is currently an inmate at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility serving "25 to Life".
"Positive"
How can I counter
the maladaptive culture
I am Immersed in
The very nature of the beast
That incarcerated me
Is to divide and conquer.
---------
Education
and sharing
and understanding
and using it wisely
to up-lift self and others is
the only weapon
we have to use
against the oppression.
----------
Education OPENS my eyes
to what is and why.
I can CREATE real growth.
Cultivated, it is developed from
within me. Immersed
IN a culture that IS violent,
HOW CAN IT NOT BE
Internalized.
----------
I brace myself
with Honesty and Integrity
to build myself up and
to lead by example, My Daughters.
---------
Can there be a greater
Purpose in this life than
to become a conscious
driving Force in the Fight
for equality amongst this human race.
7.15.16 BE KIND! The rest is commentary.
It seems we have reached a new understanding of normal. Terrorist attacks are happening daily and we only know about the ones that are carried out. There are may more attempts, I am sure.
We are saddened and shocked (but perhaps not as much as before) by the news of yet another terrorist attack in France. On July 14th, at least 84 people were killed and more than 100 injured when terrorists drove a motor vehicle into a crowd in Nice, France, that was celebrating Bastille Day.
We have a responsibility to speak out against this evil, and to stand against the hateful ideology that fuels it. As we move into Shabbat, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the people of France and all of those around the world who are victims of terror.
Let's start by being kind to one another and to the other. Let this not simply be thoughts in our minds or words we utter. Kindness is possible. We can all be kind - IF we choose. Let's choose to intentionally and actively show kindness throughout our day. Who knows what is possible?
Makor Ha'Chayiim, Source of Life, may we commit to action that helps ensure safety and dignity to everyone.
We are saddened and shocked (but perhaps not as much as before) by the news of yet another terrorist attack in France. On July 14th, at least 84 people were killed and more than 100 injured when terrorists drove a motor vehicle into a crowd in Nice, France, that was celebrating Bastille Day.
We have a responsibility to speak out against this evil, and to stand against the hateful ideology that fuels it. As we move into Shabbat, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the people of France and all of those around the world who are victims of terror.
Let's start by being kind to one another and to the other. Let this not simply be thoughts in our minds or words we utter. Kindness is possible. We can all be kind - IF we choose. Let's choose to intentionally and actively show kindness throughout our day. Who knows what is possible?
Makor Ha'Chayiim, Source of Life, may we commit to action that helps ensure safety and dignity to everyone.
7.8.16 A little Israel
Hello from Israel. I hope everyone is well and able to enjoy a little R&R during these summer months.
I am writing from Israel where I am attending a 10 day study seminar at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Close to 200 rabbis from North America and Israel, are exploring the topic of Jewish identity. We are blessed to learn from a wide array of great scholars. I am looking forward to sharing my learning with all of you.
My first trip to Israel was with my family in 1978. I was ten years old. My father was a volunteer dentist on Kibbutz Nachshonim for two months. It was an incredible summer. Coming from life in suburbia, I tasted my first layer of independence. I was sleeping in the "10 yr old house", taking buses into the city of Petach Tikveh with my friends (and without any adults) and speaking Hebrew. It was heaven. I have returned over 25 times and am grateful for all of the incredible opportunities I have experienced.
I have often said that my soul was born in Israel and my body in America. I love America and I love living in New York (Go Harlem!). But, there is a part of me that feels I breathe more fully when I am here. How can it be that the place I love so deeply can also break my heart?
This past week I learned about the extensive work of "Leket Israel", Israel's largest food bank providing surplus food to hundreds of thousands of people and visited Palestinian villages in the southernmost West Bank, where most residents are poor, living in temporary structures and subsisting on farming and grazing of flocks.
To say Israel is a complex country is insufficient and simplistic. Israel experiences tremendous successes and challenges, overcomes many hardships and makes decisions that do not always demonstrate respect for all people. Successes include the invention of INTEL, Natafim - drip irrigation enabling millions to have food through developing a way to have agriculture in desert areas, and the PillCam (aka capsule endoscopy). The religious, economic and political challenges are vast and permeate all facets of society. There are many who wonder if they can ever be resolved.
My hope is that we will each find ways to be engaged and involved in Israel. My prayer is that Israel will be a place where equality and justice are available to everyone. Our commitment to be involved plays a critical role in bringing the prayer to fruition. I look forward to exploring possibilities together..
Shabbat Shalom,
Laurie
I am writing from Israel where I am attending a 10 day study seminar at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Close to 200 rabbis from North America and Israel, are exploring the topic of Jewish identity. We are blessed to learn from a wide array of great scholars. I am looking forward to sharing my learning with all of you.
My first trip to Israel was with my family in 1978. I was ten years old. My father was a volunteer dentist on Kibbutz Nachshonim for two months. It was an incredible summer. Coming from life in suburbia, I tasted my first layer of independence. I was sleeping in the "10 yr old house", taking buses into the city of Petach Tikveh with my friends (and without any adults) and speaking Hebrew. It was heaven. I have returned over 25 times and am grateful for all of the incredible opportunities I have experienced.
I have often said that my soul was born in Israel and my body in America. I love America and I love living in New York (Go Harlem!). But, there is a part of me that feels I breathe more fully when I am here. How can it be that the place I love so deeply can also break my heart?
This past week I learned about the extensive work of "Leket Israel", Israel's largest food bank providing surplus food to hundreds of thousands of people and visited Palestinian villages in the southernmost West Bank, where most residents are poor, living in temporary structures and subsisting on farming and grazing of flocks.
To say Israel is a complex country is insufficient and simplistic. Israel experiences tremendous successes and challenges, overcomes many hardships and makes decisions that do not always demonstrate respect for all people. Successes include the invention of INTEL, Natafim - drip irrigation enabling millions to have food through developing a way to have agriculture in desert areas, and the PillCam (aka capsule endoscopy). The religious, economic and political challenges are vast and permeate all facets of society. There are many who wonder if they can ever be resolved.
My hope is that we will each find ways to be engaged and involved in Israel. My prayer is that Israel will be a place where equality and justice are available to everyone. Our commitment to be involved plays a critical role in bringing the prayer to fruition. I look forward to exploring possibilities together..
Shabbat Shalom,
Laurie
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