This dark where we live seems barbaric to me;
Gun-shots that ring in the night;
I see them; I hear them, and try to forget.
But my heart is still shocked by the fright. Continue reading
Category Archives: Congregant Voices
Notes from France
I felt a little like a pioneer woman as I planned for Passover 2022. For the first time ever, I was spending the entire holiday outside my own home since I was finally getting to see my daughter and her family who live in northern France. Continue reading
Enveloped In Love – Our Kiddush Experience
On Feb 26, 2022, my family hosted the kiddush for Brian’s 10th birthday party – first time double digits is an exciting chapter! The moment we entered synagogue, congregants wished Brian a happy birthday. Rabbinic Intern, Lily Lucy, welcomed us into the Hinei Ma Tov JLC event, by wishing Brian a good birthday and pointing out to the other students that the birthday table covers, balloons and food items were all set up so that the congregation could celebrate Brian entering his double-digit birthday. It made Brian feel so special. Continue reading
A Guy Who Likes Everything: A Defense
Recently my positive comments about an event were dismissed with the statement “Oh, you like everything.” I laughed and said it was in my nature. But, the truth is I don’t like everything. In fact, I can be very judgmental and at times enjoy being so. But, the point being made by my “accuser” was that I was being indiscriminate, lacking in discernment, and therefore my judgement was suspect or not to be taken seriously. My father (of blessed memory) was also criticized for liking “everything.” After all, how could anyone take someone seriously if they like everything! Continue reading
Poem to God
I love you, God, because you created the universe from nothing.
I love to look at the moon and stars.
I love to wake up to the sunlight on the grass.
Thank you, G-d for letting me wake up every morning to another precious day. Continue reading
Shabbat In A Time of Division
When the pandemic began, I missed the office, I missed restaurants, I missed travel, but most of all I missed synagogue on Shabbat. There is something deeply comforting about seeing the same people at the same time, in the same place, in the same seats each week. I especially love being at synagogue on a snowy winter day. During kiddish I would sit with members of our congregation, and watch snow fall through the large widows in our social hall while eating bagels and lox, salad, and cookies. It is an “all is right with the world” experience. Continue reading
Macaroni and Cheese …. Perfect Together
Around Thanksgiving, I kept seeing articles for Thanksgiving meals that included a side dish of macaroni and cheese. As someone who does not think that cheese and poultry belong together in the same meal, that sounded awful. But it did get me thinking about mac-n-cheese. So here are some recipes that I’ve accumulated over the years. Continue reading
A Squirrel in the Pear Tree: That was then; This is now
Editor’s note: This article was first published in 2013 in the print Kol Emunah. See the update below.
Have you noticed the little tree right opposite the pre-school playground? I finally did late in July [2013] when I saw some brown blobs hanging from its slender, leafy branches. When I examined the tree more closely, I realized that it was a pear tree with small, brownish pears-hard as rocks- hanging from almost every branch.
There were more than twenty of the little brown fruits. From that moment I dreamed pears: pear relish, poached pears, pear pie, sautéed pears, a true Sukkot treat from Shomrei’s very own pear tree. Continue reading
Chicken on the Grill
Our grill sits on our deck and we use it most of the year, but particularly in the summer. We started to grill a lot when we purchased our first gas grill, over 30 years ago. So much easier and quicker than cooking with charcoal.
Having a gas grill came in handy when we redid our kitchen and were without a stove and oven for 3 months. We do have a funny story about that, though. Usually I buy fresh chicken, but this one day I was using chicken that had been frozen. It wasn’t quite defrosted so I left it on our dining table for a bit. When I came back an hour later, the chicken was gone and there was Donny, our little dachshund, in the corner of the living with just a bit of bone still hanging out of his mouth and a bulging tummy. Seems that he had managed to jump onto one of the chairs and then on to the table to get the chicken. No grilling that night. We ordered in. Continue reading
Attending in person Shabbat Services at Shomrei
We’ve all been home so much during this past year, who would expect to enjoy being “even more at home?” But that’s what it felt like walking into Shomrei and up the stairs and into the service on Shabbat.
Of course I picked up the wrong prayer book but didn’t even notice the pages being called were the wrong pages, because I could not pay attention to the prayer book at all. It was the Rabbi – live on the bima – the congregants – live surrounding me – the singing – reverberating through the room – the Torah on the bima (I was late…) being chanted live so beautifully – it was all I could attend to; the prayer book would have to wait. Continue reading