Lifting us all up - November 18, 2021

I saw myself 

Standing atop a mountain 

Not too far from the edge

With a large group of people

But in a place where we could comfortably and safely

Remain 

With no fear of falling. 

All of us who had gathered there thought we had just arrived

But we had not realized how close we had been to the precipice 

For so long. 

What prevented us from falling? 

Compassion, which was strength, not weakness

Knowledge, which was enlightening, not misleading

Truth, which was mostly consistent, and not as relative as some thought

Cooperation, which led to shared benefits, not defeat in a competitive war

Fellowship, which led to bonding even across lines of disagreement 

Understanding, and even love, which overcame any temptation to succumb to hatred. 

But there were those who began 

To seek power

To worship their own position 

To thirst for personal preservation of their status, even when it was an illusion

To sow seeds of discord that could, in their view, put others in “their place’

To pursue revenge for anyone who would question them 

And the edge of the mountain where they had assembled

Which no one realized had been thinner than they expected

Began to crumble 

Under the weight of these new believers - or doubters, depending on one’s perspective

We saw them fade from our view as the precipice shattered into small pieces

They landed, mostly safely, on the next ledge down

Shouting up at us 

Blaming us for their fate 

Telling us that they would find a way to bring us down to their level 

As we huddled ever closer to one another

Hoping to hold on to all that had preserved us

At the mountaintop. 

They did not realize that their new ledge below 

Was even weaker than the one 

from which they had fallen. 

And so, we resolved to try

In some way

To save them 

So that we 

Could save us all.

The Island of Song - Two readings for the Closing Program/Havdalah at the Shabbat Shira Virtual Conference on November 8, 2021

 The Island of Song 

Deep within an island in time 

Where rest and renewal reign 

Not far from the outer boundary of land and water 

There is  a deep blue lake…

And in the center of that lake

There is a place

Called the island of song. 

When the wind blows through the branches on the trees, 

Melodies suffuse the air and reverberate in the waves of the water 

Waiting for the voices that sometimes  venture to this hallowed space

To add their exquisite harmonies

And sacred sounds. 

Most of the time, heartfelt gifts of soul 

Have passed through the lips 

Of the children of the Eternal 

Who gather in that very place

So that the music would engulf and surround them 

In ways nearly impossible to describe to those who had not traveled 

to this incredible island. 

There came a time 

when the island of song

Found its way to a virtual venue

Where some of those same sounds could be fashioned and imagined

In the consciousness of the singers

Based on the memories 

of past gatherings.

Each scattered source 

of vocal wizardry

Learned to add special touches 

To the one single voice 

that could be heard

Once again creating the joy and spirit

That had always graced the island 

Within the island. 

As these creators of musical expression

Prepare to leave this island of song

Found deep within the island in time

May learning and connection 

Remain in mind and soul.

May the joy of togetherness linger.

May sweetness be reflected in the harmonic holiness yet to be shared. 

May the light of the Eternal 

Shine on our faces 

And in our hearts

So that while we may leave the island of song,

We know

That the island of song

Will not leave us

And will ever be 

A source of strength 

And love

And hope. 

******************************

The Lingering Sweetness 

Wine at havdalah

Is like a song that has journeyed

From creation to completion. 

Wine is fashioned from sweet grapes 

Growing on the vine.

Songs emerge out of the fruits 

Of our labors and experiences

Which are often manifestations of

Our dreams and our hopes. 

The fruit of the vine turns Shabbat into sacred time

At its beginning

And, as Shabbat concludes, 

It transmits the accumulated holiness

Of rest and renewal

To the days of the coming week. 

Songs sanctify our stories

And the feelings embodied in them

So that their essence can be shared 

With a community of partners and listeners and creators

Again and again. 

The sweetness of wine at Havdalah 

and the joy that the fruit of the vine represents

Will return six days after the light of the candle 

Is extinguished. 

A song takes on a life of its own 

So that it can be performed by its composer

And by anyone for whom its message resonates

In the depths of the soul. 

May our gathering be like the fruit of vine 

That will return to us 

When we need refreshment and renewal

In the days and months to come. 

 

Praised (for the approaching anniversary of my birth) - October 1, 2021

You are praised, Eternal One,

For blessing the singer and the song

For inspiring storyteller and dreamer 

For enabling poets and songwriters to find their voices 

For residing in hands that form notes and chords and clap in rhythm 

For enlightening thinkers and students of any age as they discover new wisdom

For lifting the spirits of travelers on difficult journeys 

For transforming new surroundings into familiar territory, and strangers into beloved neighbors 

For turning hearts of children to parents and parents to children. 

For bridging divides to bring peace ever closer 

For reminding us that anyone’s heart can be a wellspring of love. 

You are praised, Eternal One,

Who consistently fashions darkness into a new day

So that we will do the same.

Separately Together - Yom Kippur 5782 - September 16, 2021

The bimah is not imaginary

When I am not in the physical worship space

It is a stream

Live or recorded

Where the leaders seek to create 

More than a simulation 

But an experience 

To bring us into their space 

On the right day

At the right time 

As much as possible. 

Perhaps my own habits as a congregant

Sitting on my sofa at home

Are drastically different than if I were in a sanctuary

But I listen to the words, spoken and sung

And, once in a while, I am moved to sing or even harmonize

As I might have in years past. 

There were messages on this fast day 

That did penetrate into my mind and soul

My head and heart

Perhaps the most important message 

Is that not being present in person,

And not serving in the role I have assumed for 40 years

Did not stop me from feeling like a part of a community

Where the Shechinah could sense that our home was 

Truly a Mikdash M’at, a small sanctuary, 

Like it always has been.  

I pray that a time when a feeling of comfort

 to pray in indoor public spaces

Will descend on us soon. 

Gratitude goes to those whose expertise made possible

Participation in the rituals of this Sabbath of Sabbaths. 

Safety and healing will offer primary direction for the days to come

Along with the desire to pray, to connect, 

And to find inner tranquility and communal peace.

May we be sealed for a year of understanding and togetherness

That will lead us to back to each other’s side.

Enduring Lessons - from the Union Station Kansas City exhibit, “Auschwitz: Not Long Ago…Not Far Away”

Rhonda and I visited the exhibition at Union Station Kansas City, “Auschwitz: Not Long Ago….Not Far Away” on September 9, 2021. 

   I am still processing what I saw and read and heard on the commentary. 

   Some of the lessons I learned from the exhibit are starting to come to the surface.  

  *Eventual catastrophe can happen gradually, slowly, step by step, and you can’t see the progression towards the tragic conclusion until it is past.  At that point, the only thing you can do is keep your eyes and ears open to new events that happen in similar succession. 

*Beware of multitudes of people being taken in by a demagogue who claims to be a victim but, is, in reality, an aspiring perpetrator who wants to make hatreds harbored inside come to life.   If these people say they hate, they despise, they consider certain people not to be human or worthy of life, BELIEVE THEM.  STOP THEM.    If they try to undermine laws that accord people with respect, UNDERMINE THEM!  One photo of a large Nazi rally at which Hitler spewed forth his bigotry has had way too many echoes in recent years around the world, and in this country.   WATCH.  LOOK.  SPEAK OUT.  

*Jewish life in Europe was vibrant before the Nazis came to power, and Jews found ways to sustain their community life and learning even after the process of taking citizenship away from Jews began.  Jews in Auschwitz found ways to continue to sustain and observe their faith in their most dire of circumstances, because it gave them a sense of God’s enduring presence, a connection to their worldwide community, and, perhaps, some inner peace at a time of outward turmoil and, often, certain death.

*Seeing the detailed allied photos of Auschwitz-Birkenau taken from the air, which offered a possibility of destroying the railroad lines into the camp, was chilling.   What was happening there was KNOWN.  Something could have been done secretly.   It would have saved lives and frustrated the Nazis.  The Jews in the camps who resisted, on the other hand, showed courage that we should recognize.  

*The photos showing the Nazi officers and volunteers at the camp joining together some miles away to “live it up” a bit, posing in group shots and singing, illustrated how they had become totally desensitized to the fact that their tasks related to real human beings.  Of course, they didn’t believe that for a minute. 

*The lack of detailed reporting in the media after the liberation of the camp in late January, 1945 was inexcusable.  

*The charts showing the symbols that were put on the striped uniforms of different people who were targeted by the Nazis illustrated the Nazi fear of diversity and pluralism. 

*The survivors who shared their stories in the exhibit’s recordings were/are sources of inspiration and bravery.  They have now bequeathed their experiences to us to tell and retell.    This exhibit has come at an important time as we continue to battle against antisemitism and other hatreds in this world.

Remembrance - Union Station KC Auschwitz Exhibit High Holy Days ceremony- September 12, 2021

My remarks on remembrance at the special ceremony at Union Station Kansas City in conjunction with the High Holy Days and the exhibit, “Auschwitz: Not Long Ago…Not Far Away.”

Remembrance at Auschwitz Exhibit - 9/12/2021

We remember.

We remember even when we may not want to recall 

events that cause anguish

Or bring to mind painful losses of the past. 

Still, we do remember.  

In this space, laid out for us, are exhibits

 that enable the remnants of dark days 

To teach us lessons of how to respond with resolve 

to past inhumanity and persistent hatred 

By engendering greater understanding, acceptance, respect and love. 

On Rosh Hashanah, Jews who gather for worship 

for the New Year hear the sound of the shofar, the ram’s horn.

The shofar calls out to offer a poignant reminder 

Of the divine presence that is with us, and does not leave us,

Urging us, even in a place where there is no decent human being, to continue to strive to be a decent human being. 

Through tragedy and times of sorrow,

And through moments of connection and triumph, 

we remember, and God remembers along with us, 

inspiring us to sustain a covenant of life in our world.  

On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonment, Jews around the world engage in a solemn time of fasting and introspection

And recite prayers to address their grief. 

During a section of the Yom Kippur service called Yizkor, remembrance, 

we remember loved ones, friends, community members, 

And even people we don’t know

But whom we are committed to honor for lives well lived.  

Our time in the world is limited, but our days offer us the possibility of touching the hearts of others,

Hoping that the contributions

Which we leave upon the human family 

Will be enriching and enduring.  

So when we pray to the God of Compassion 

to bind in the bond of Eternal life

The souls of loved ones who have died, 

We remember 

That we should never see ourselves as divided or distant from one another. 

Even now, we can all find peace and protection 

Under the wings of the shining presence of the Eternal One. 

May a comforting and enduring spirit unite us 

As we join together to remember  

Here

Today

Tomorrow

And in the time to come.

A Prayer for the Sabbath of Return/Shabbat Shuvah 5782 - September 10, 2021

Blessed are You, Eternal One, our God,

Protector

Traveling companion

Palpable spiritual presence

Walking beside me

Invisible as You stand next to my aisle seat at 30,000 feet

Directing me to where I need to go 

Lifting me from sadness and despair

Wellspring of encouragement in moments when I need reassurance

Force for inspiration when my words, my melodies and my thoughts are spent

Powerful connector when circumstances suggest the wisdom of physical separation 

Persistent source of vision when division, hatred, and cruelty would lead me to look away from realities around us that seem unredeemable 

Hope of my life and the lives of many that any action that would bring repair and change in this world would make a significant and lasting impact. 

Lift me up 

Lift us up

Every morning

Every night

Every moment

So that we will ever be

Your messengers 

Of peace, 

Of love,

Of life.

Blessed are You, Maker of Peace.