Wake up, awaken live with heart speak wisely open your eyes listen well walk with purpose pay attention be generous be kind accept blessings appreciate the good do something with this life
Prayer
A Blessing for the Day
May you wake up rested. May your day be filled with meaning. May you do something that brings you joy. May something unexpected and good occur either to you or through you. May you hear music. May you find a moment to be in nature. May you breathe well and fully. May you find yourself […]
A Blessing Upon a Child’s First Siddur
Many Jewish educational settings have special celebrations during which children receive their first siddur. I wrote this prayer with the intent that it be offered by community rabbis but it could easily be offered by teachers, parents, or anyone else that wishes to offer a blessing for such an occasion. A Siddur is a […]
When We Sing We Pray Twice
Every so often our complicated Middle School academic schedule allows for a moment of Jewish creative inspiration. That was the case recently when we were able to offer a “breakout” Tefilah during our regular Tefilah time. Advertised as a “singing Tefilah” the “cost” of admission was that anyone who came, came ready to sing. 60 […]
The Awesome Light
This song is a bit of a paradox. It’s a Nigun with words. The paradox is that Nigun (plural Nigunim) is a style of Jewish music that has no words. So a Nigun with words is a bit of a paradoxical concept. Having said that, this Nigun has only four words: ora, nora, yisa, and […]
A Prayer for Healing
We need healing. Our world needs healing. I need healing. You probably do as well. To be human is to be broken and whole at the same time. To be human is to know that our bodies are beautifully imperfect vessels. To be human is to know that our souls can soar to the greatest […]