Khag Sukkot Sameakh

Judaism

Greetings this Jewish holiday season. I love Tishrei (the current Jewish month) and its never-ending series of holidays.

Today I began building my very first personal sukkah. I lived in apartments for many years and couldn’t have my own Sukkah. Now that I’m in a house, I bought a Sukkah kit. I can’t wait to finish it over lunch tomorrow and use it for all of Sukkot.

You can learn about many different aspects of Sukkot from basic to indepth on My Jewish Learning.

Sukkot challenges us to reflect on the meanings of shelter and the fragility of shelter. This year, with the recent devestating earthquakes, mudslides, hurricanes and storms all over the world, the message seems especially poignant. Each of us is responsible to help the homeless, the displaced and all for whom fragile housing is a daily event.

May the Holy One shelter all, whatever our ethnicity, our faith, our status or orientation.

Praticing Teshuvah, Living Repentance

Judaism

I spoke with a friend this evening and we talked through some rough moments in our friendship. It was a long and sometimes difficult conversation. In the end, I we improved our friendship and repaired some past hurts. This is part of what teshuvah (turning inward and bettering the ways where we have missed the mark) is all about.

I pray that your process of teshuvah, growth, reflection and repair is going well.

G’mar khatimah tovah,
May you and yours be sealed in the Book of Life.

Shanah Tovah & Ramadan Mubarak

Judaism, Muslim Blogs

Tishrei and Ramadan are here. On this third day of the month, as we glimpse only a sliver of the new moon, I pray that our lives are waxing as well. Waxing, growing and filling with hope, health, joy, learning and faith.

May the Eternal Wellspring of life grant those celebrating the New Year blessings, hope, joy, health in this New Year.

May the One of Blessing bring depth and meaning to all living the daily fast/feast cycle of Ramadan.

May all of us and the world soon know peace.

Baruch dayan ha'emet

Judaism

This morning as I awoke I was greated with the news that one of the heroes of our time, Simon Wiesenthal, died overnight. Wiesenthal was a survivor of the Holocaust who spent his life in search of truth and through that truth, freedom. His search for Nazis hidding from their past inspired a center named for him, The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC).

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean and Founder of the Center, said,
“I think he’ll be remembered as the conscience of the Holocaust. In a way he became the permanent representative of the victims of the Holocaust, determined to bring the perpetrators of the greatest crime to justice,”. (Quotation from Ha’aretz.)

Many have written about his life much better than I can. Some links include:
Simon Wiesenthal Center Obituary
Ha’aretz Obituary
Biography of Wiesenthal’s life (by the SWC)
Jerusalem Post Obituary
Comments by general people on Wiesenthal’s life and death
Ynet Obituary

[By the way, if you are unfamiliar with the phrase “baruch dayan ha’emet” it means “blessed is the true Judge” and is a phrase which many Jews say when they hear of a death.]

May his family find comfort in this difficult time.
May his soul rest with the Divine Holy One.

Some Thoughts on the Anniversary of 9-11

American Politics

It is hard to believe that the tragedies of September 11, 2001 happened four years ago today. In far too many ways, nothing has changed since that horrible day. We aren’t any closer as a country (in fact, I think recent events show that we are farther apart than ever) and more parts of the world dislike American than before.

This afternoon I participated in a small, quiet and reflective memorial. We each left the service with a clear marble for a tear and a flower for hope.

I pray that all those touched by 9-11 find some comfort and I pray that the day comes soon when our world will be focused on peace and not hate.

May salaam, shalom, peace spread throughout the world.