Jewish Relationships Initiative

Tag: gratitude

  • Eikev- Gratitude-Shabbat Shalom

    This Shabbat Parshat Eikev gives us many things to contemplate.  Foremost is gratitude.  v’achalta v’savata u’veirachta: you shall eat and be satisfied and bless. The obligation to feel gratitude in moments of abundance.“Eikev warns us: don’t forget God when things are good. George Harrison wrote this song after a long dark winter. Gratitude is hardest — and most necessary — when the sun finally returns.”

    Shabbat Shalom

    עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל כָּל יוֺשְׁבֵי תֵבֶל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן

    May the One who makes peace in the high places, bring peace upon us, and upon all Israel, and all humankind, and let us say: Amen.

  • Memorial Day- Thank You

    Take a moment to give thanks for the many blessings we have; many result from those who gave their lives defending American ideals. We remember them with reverence and hope that we do the work necessary to keep those ideals alive so that their deaths will not have been in vain and future generations might not have to die defending them.

    Thank you.

  • Find gratitude this Thanksgiving

    This Thanksgiving, let’s be grateful for our many blessings. Celebrate with those you care about, and be thankful for our special time together.

    And let’s share our blessings with those less fortunate. Allow them to enjoy it as well.

    Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

     

  • Happy Thanksgiving

    A Thanksgiving thought~

    It is easy to focus on how far we’ve yet to go and forget how far we’ve come.  I am reminded of the classic family vacation/car trip.  No sooner are we in the car before someone cries from the back seat, “Are we there yet?” which is drowned out by “I need the potty!”  The finish line never seemed so far away.

    But for those familiar with the experience, the fact that we got everything packed into the car and started the trip (without leaving any children behind) is quite an accomplishment.

    So, by way of silly segue and flawed metaphor, let us find grace and thanks on this Thanksgiving.  Our journey is far from over, and the aspirations for a free and just society are far from realized.  But we have many blessings for which to be profoundly grateful. So, find the space in your heart to embrace these and share them with others.  They become the wellspring from which to draw strength in all of the work we have yet to do.  For no my sweet child, we are not there yet, but we are on the way!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

     

  • A pre-Thanksgiving reflection

    Hoping you enjoy a happy Thanksgiving

  • Gratitude for the next generation of leaders

    The courage of our young people is a source of hope.  Gen Z, which includes many professional athletes, are stepping up to fight against injustice.

  • What are you grateful for?

    A friend and rabbi introduced me to this question at the Friday night Shabbat dinner table.  She asked everyone there to share the highlight of their week, that thing, person, or event for which they were most grateful.

    We have since embraced this beautiful tradition at our Shabbat Table.  It gives us a chance to welcome Shabbat with gratitude and a fuller heart at the end of what is often a very tumultuous week.

    Each day the news seems overwhelmed with negative stories about how we are in decline as a culture, a nation, a world.  War, famine, climate change; we are, to quote Barry McGuire, on the eve of destruction. But the world is filled with beautiful things.  Good people acting with love and selfless generosity.  The beauty and majesty of our planet. And many other things that often get overlooked by the current crisis or calamity.  We need to find space to appreciate the good so we can help it to spread.

    As we enter Shabbat, take a moment to embrace that special thing that happened this week worthy of gratitude.    Welcome Shabbat with something special.

    What are you grateful for?

    Shabbat Shalom

  • Shabbat Shalom

    As we move toward the conclusion of Kabbalat Shabbat, we share Psalm 92.

    Nava Tehila shares their beautiful music with us. A song for Shabbat,  It’s good to give thanks to the Eternal.

    Shabbat Shalom

     

  • I/Thou and a parking ticket

    I saw the meter maid stepping towards the back of my car to get license plate info.  The meter had expired a few minutes before and like clockwork, she was there at the ready to write the ticket.  I called out “Excuse me Ma’am!” and started to cross the street hopefully catching her in time.  As I stepped off the curb, I felt a snap in my knee and down I went.  The pain was excruciating.  She looked up and saw me.  I knew I had to get to her so I limped over as best I could, needing to catch my breath before I could say anything.  She reached out to me to help me and asked if I was okay.  We started to talk and she made it clear that she would not leave me until I was safely in my car.

    She went from “meter maid” or “traffic enforcement officer” to caring human being.  Actually, she was a lovely caring human being all along.  It took me a while to realize that.

    I do not know who she is.  I never got her name.  I reached out to the Parking Authority to try to find her and say thank you.  They likely do not get too many of those kinds of letters.

    And as I was sitting in my car, gaining my composure, I could not help but notice the person a couple of cars behind me frantically waving a ticket in his hand as he ran towards a confrontation with my good Samaritan.

    So thank you my nameless good Samaritan.  Thank you for sharing your humanity when I needed it.

     

     

     

  • Happy Thanksgiving 2017

    Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.

    This is an interesting year indeed. It seems that each day brings new issues testing us in new and often uncomfortable ways. However, this Thursday is Thanksgiving. Let us take time to celebrate our many blessings. For many of us enjoy a bounty. Try to use this time to gather loved ones, families and friends, and recognize the many reasons you have to be grateful.

    Let us also use the time to acknowledge we have a long way to go on the journey to fully realize the values that guide us. For there are too many in our country who do not fully enjoy all of its blessings. This is the time to rededicate our efforts to make this a kinder, gentler and fairer place for all.