Time to Lighten Up!

My last blog post was in August - when I was "still waiting". And in many ways, I still am. But all that waiting got in the way of moving on. It got in the way of sending out a Rosh Hashanah mailing (and oh how I missed your good new year wishes in response). It got in the way of fully enjoying the holidays. It got in the way of seeing how much kindness and generosity has come out of this pandemic and in how many ways I'd like to think I'm growing as a result of it.

A wonderful and very wise woman who I am honored to count among my readership, commented on my last post. She said: "I hope that I can say that I am mitzapeh for the geulah (await/anticipate the final redemption), but there are so many things of beauty that surround me every moment that in truth this takes up most of the space." 

In short: Lighten Up, Sharon.

I accepted her gentle rebuke but didn't actually do anything about it until now. 

And what better time to Lighten Up than Chanuka? The Chanuka hymn that we sing as we light our menorahs states: "k'day l'hodos u'l'hallel..." - we celebrate Chanuka in order to thank and praise G-d for all His miracles, wonders and salvation. It doesn't say "...except during a pandemic". Because even under lockdown, in quarantine, masked and socially distanced there are miracles, wonders and salvation everywhere. Yes, even here, even now. Which reminds me of my Chanuka POem, written in 2003, revisited on this blog eleven years ago, revised and updated below. 

But first, how are you? I hope you're finding ways to stay simultaneously safe and sane. Unemployed since corona came around, I've been keeping busy with small projects, volunteer work, being available for the grandkids and...

...baking cookies! Trying not to eat up the profits lest I have a whole 'nother kind of Lightening Up to do ;-)

I'm zooming in to some excellent Torah classes, some live from the holy Land - and video chatting with friends there as well. These days, I don't really have to *Remember* Jerusalem. I just click on the link and I'm there! Wouldn't it be nice if I could bite into a hot caramel sufganiya (Chanuka donut) via Zoom...? On that dreamy note, Happy Chanuka to you. May the flames of the menorah Lighten Up your week and your mood and illuminate all the miracles and wonders in your life. And now, that POem...

The Land of PO

If you know me at all then you surely do know

that at Chanuka time I loved being PO.

PO, of course, means here, which I am

but "here" is only POetic in our holy Land.

In Israel, the dreidel knows just what to say: 

Nes Gadol Haya PO*! which is spelled with a pey. 

But here we say "there" which is so much less fun. 

Here, the pey on the dreidel's a shin as in shom.

 

Here, everything's all lit up green and red. "Seasonal" tunes are forced into my head. There, the streets are aglow with menorahs at night

and the sufganiyot are a month-long delight.

Yes, I’m here now, not there. (Or am I “there” now – not “here”?)

But wherever I am, the memories are clear.

If I’ll just close my eyes, I will see once again

Chanuka lights of the Land, all a'bren**.

And I won't let corona get in the way

of the happiness built into this holiday.

I will speak words of thanks and sing songs of praise

to Hashem on each one of these eight special days,

recalling the time when those nissim*** took place

and the re-dedication of our holiest space.

We can all celebrate any place that we are

because, in our hearts, we are never too far

 

from the Light that will draw us back Home very soon,

a light brighter still than the sun or the moon.

Let us hope that Mashiach arrives any day

so that all of our dreidels next year will say pey.

*Nes Gadol Haya PO - a great miracle happened here

**a'bren - burning

***nissim - miracles

Still Waiting

My last post was written as the world was closing down due to the pandemic that is now simultaneously historic and continuing to unfold before our eyes. With each passing day, week and month, I held off on blogging as I waited...

...to attend a full wedding in person instead of "zooming in" or rushing out, not wanting to be in too crowded a place for too long.

Mazal Tov to all the Amazing Couples
whose guests lists were/are limited but
whose joy knows no bounds!

...to smile, unmasked, at friends and acquaintances in the supermarket and welcome guests back to our Shabbos table.

...to plan a much-postponed visit Home.

I'm still waiting.

Let me clarify. I am grateful beyond words that we have gone back to our shuls - though hosting a minyan in our backyard is a pleasant memory that stands out from the many stressful ones.

One of several "backyard" minyanim on our block.

I am grateful that my grandchildren are having fun in summer camps (with corona precautions in place) and able to join us - one family per week - for socially-distanced Shabbos meals.

Above all, I thank the Almighty for sparing all those who have not been struck by the virus itself. May it be His will that everyone who is well stay that way and anyone who isn't be granted a quick, complete recovery. This won't be over til it's over but there's some comfort in knowing that we're all still waiting together.

Last week, we marked the 17th (Gregorian) anniversary of our return from Israel. This year, it coincided with the eve of Tisha b'Av - the Ninth of Av, the most intense day of mourning for the destruction of our two holy Temples and our national exile from the Land. In a way, I think it was a Divine kindness that the anniversary of my personal exile from the Land usually falls sometime during the three week period of national mourning. It's easy to Remember Jerusalem when the entire Jewish Nation is remembering with you.

Every day, every year since the destruction of the Second Temple nearly 2,000 years ago, we've waited...
...for an end to the spiritual distancing.
...to see G-d's presence unmasked in our world and in our lives.
...to gather again with all Am Yisrael (the Jewish Nation) in a rebuilt Jerusalem.
Another Tisha b'Av has come and gone and we're still waiting.

This Wednesday is Tu b'Av - the 15th day of the month of Av. For secular Israelis, it is similar to Valentine's Day but its origins are actually Biblical and Talmudic. In Temple times, it was a festive day when lots of matchmaking took place. That spirit is still in place today. I look forward to rushing out of not one but two miraculous weddings this Wednesday!

If you know a single who is still waiting to find his/her soulmate, check this out: www.TuBavTogether.com. And to all you singles out there, may your prayers soon be answered and celebrated with an unlimited guest list and joy that knows no bounds!

Everyone is still waiting for something - for something unpleasant to end or something beautiful to begin. As King David famously and prophetically said, when the waiting is finally over, we will be like dreamers (Psalms 126:1). Click here to see what that might look like and have a very happy Tu b'Av!

closed...OPEN!

closed...closed...closed...

our shuls, our schools, our homes to guests

and all non-essential businesses 

even the Old City gates...closed

Open...Open...Open...

crocuses, daffodils and magnolias

Hashem, please OPEN...OPEN...OPEN

our eyes, our hearts, our minds, our souls
the gates

to the Awesome possibilities
that await us all!

Thinking of You 

and praying that you are well and will stay well (or get well). 

Spoiled, yes! Rotten, no!

When we were blessed with our first grandchild, a family member gave us a gift: a needlepoint pillow with the words "Grandchildren spoiled here".

Thank G-d, the pillow has been used as a head rest by several more grandchildren since - and more, please G-d, to come. But the wording made me think about the idea of being "spoiled". Generally, when something is "spoiled", it is ruined or no longer edible. Webster's definitions are chock full of negative connotations. And yet, grandparents are known to "spoil" their grandchildren. And for added emphasis, they spoil them rotten! 

Where oh where am I going with this? Well, wherever I'm going, I'd better get there quickly because Tu b'Shevat is almost over in the holy Land and more than halfway done here. And that's the point. I'm here. Not there. I was getting somewhat "spoiled", feeling indulged, having spent the last two Tu b'Shevats - and the last three out of five - in Israel. (Feel free to go back in the archives of this blog to recall my personal pleasure and gratitude for being "there" then.)

Our intentions were to continue the trend again this year but G-d had other plans - most of them great "consolation prizes"; some not as much so but all for the best. And guess what? I'm still feeling spoiled - by the dear friends who, unsolicited, shared their photos of this year's sh'keydiah porachat (blossoming almond tree) with me to warm my heart and make my day. 

Thank you, Sharon A. of The Real Jerusalem Streets (www.rjstreets.com) for the photo

credit: The Real Jerusalem Streets

and for everything else you do so well!

Thank you, Shani G., for the photo and for being such a dear friend for more years than I want to admit.

It's a rainy Tu b'Shevat "here" - in fact, the first of a few rainy days ahead - but my weather app tells me that the Jerusalem rains have stopped in time for my friends to be spoiled by G-d's promise of spring.

According to vocabulary.com, "when a person is spoiled, they're damaged by having been given everything they want". I beg to differ. I believe that when a grandparent spoils a grandchild, when someone spoils a faraway friend to make her feel closer to Home, when G-d spoils us by making some of our dreams come true, the spoilee feels loved, cared for and grateful - not damaged and certainly not rotten!

And if everyone on the receiving end of the spoiling would take it, turn it around and spoil someone else, oh, what a wonderful world this would be!

When I sit down to our festive Tu b'Shevat feast in a few hours, I will Remember Tu b'Shevat in Jerusalem - the flowers, the friends, how fortunate I am to be somewhat spoiled - and I'll wish the same for you!

Tu b'Shevat Sameyach!