We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
As 2021 comes to a close this Shabbat, 2022 begins. I share Amanda Gorman’s extraordinary poem, New Day’s Lyric. As we leave the old year behind, may we be open to the possibilities that the new year can bring. Shabbat Shalom and Happy New Year.
“New Day’s Lyric”
May this be the day
We come together.
Mourning, we come to mend,
Withered, we come to weather,
Torn, we come to tend,
Battered, we come to better.
Tethered by this year of yearning,
We are learning
That though we weren’t ready for this,
We have been readied by it.
We steadily vow that no matter
How we are weighed down,
We must always pave a way forward.
This hope is our door, our portal.
Even if we never get back to normal,
Someday we can venture beyond it,
To leave the known and take the first steps.
So let us not return to what was normal,
But reach toward what is next.
What was cursed, we will cure.
What was plagued, we will prove pure.
Where we tend to argue, we will try to agree,
Those fortunes we forswore, now the future we foresee,
Where we weren’t aware, we’re now awake;
Those moments we missed
Are now these moments we make,
The moments we meet,
And our hearts, once all together beaten,
Now all together beat.
Come, look up with kindness yet,
For even solace can be sourced from sorrow.
We remember, not just for the sake of yesterday,
But to take on tomorrow.
We heed this old spirit,
In a new day’s lyric,
In our hearts, we hear it:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
Be bold, sang Time this year,
Be bold, sang Time,
For when you honor yesterday,
Tomorrow ye will find.
Know what we’ve fought
Need not be forgot nor for none.
It defines us, binds us as one,
Come over, join this day just begun.
For wherever we come together,
We will forever overcome.
Tonight, Christmas Eve coincides with Shabbat. Beethoven’s Ode To Joy summons us to remember the extraordinary things that can unite us. This flashmob in Nurenberg is a fitting reminder “Behold, How good it is to dwell as brothers.”
Shabbat Shalom (and Merry Christmas)!
Sara Bareilles leads this international ensemble from Playing For Change. A lovely prayer to set the mood for Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom.
When we went to grandma and grandpa’s house to visit, some things stood out. Among them was a giant breakfront that contained the unique items they had collected over the years. I remember the porcelain figurines on display, delicate and colorful, gracing the shelves just behind the beautiful curved glass. But there was something even more extraordinary; it was a secret that only my grandpa knew. He would call us over and open the top right drawer and withdraw a box of campfire marshmallows. The box had eight marshmallows, so my brother Jeff and I always enjoyed the special treat and even got seconds.
As I got older, I got a bit bolder, and the allure of those marshmallows was too great. So, I decided to sneak over to that drawer and get a marshmallow for myself. I waited for the appropriate time and stealthily made my move to the treasure chest. I opened the drawer, but the marshmallows were not there. I was crestfallen. I was sure grandpa put the box back in the drawer. But like magic, they disappeared. What was amazing to me was that the same thing happened the next time. Grandpa produced the box of marshmallows and put the remaining ones away, but they disappeared when I went back to look. It was truly magic. 
I never did ask my grandfather about the magic disappearing marshmallow trick. But now that I am about as old as he was when he performed that trick, I think I figured out how he did it. I hope that someday I will be given the gift of performing that same magic trick for my grandchild. For, the breakfront now sits in my study. I have replaced the porcelains with special books and mementos, including a picture of my grandparents on their 50th wedding anniversary. It is magical.
Lecha Dodi, at the heart of Kabbalat Shabbat, is shared by the Maccabeats.
Beautiful harmonies a capella to welcome Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom
It is the Shabbat within Hanukah (as it is an eight-day holiday, there is always one)
Six13 brings us this great medley mash-up of Hanukah meets West Side Story.
Enjoy, with candles and sufganiyot!
Chag Urim Sameach and Shabbat Shalom
In the mystical realm, there exists
Wishing you Chag Urim Sameach, Freilechen Chanukah, and Endless Donuts!!!
The extraordinary philanthropic work depends on the generous giving of those supporting the vision. Without money, these efforts cannot exist, and people who rely on their good works will go without them.
So, on this #GivingTuesday, we need to make sure that we support the causes we believe in. So please give.
My mailbox is overwhelmed by people asking for dollars, and it is easy to become insensitive to the ask. Those who only contact you when it is time to solicit funds might not resonate with you, but we still need to support the causes that touch our hearts. So, reach out today and support your cause with what you can give. They need your help. And the act of giving feels good, which is something we can all use.
I wish everyone blessings of the Holiday season and a happy, healthy new year.
