Jewish Relationships Initiative

Tag: gratitude

  • Happy Thanksgiving

    Happy Thanksgiving

    thanksgiv-dayA simple Thanksgiving message

    I invite us all to take a moment to express gratitude this Thanksgiving Day for the blessings we share.

    Eat a lot, watch the parades, watch football, and be with family and friends.

    Our country remains among the greatest on earth. We still have much work to do to bring the full blessings of America to all Americans. Now is the time for each of us to figure out what we need to do to make this a reality, to roll up our sleeves and rededicate ourselves to the values that make America great. Perhaps, Black Friday is the day for us to do that. But on Thursday, take the time to enjoy and share with others.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

  • Daylight Savings Shabbat

    Daylight Savings Shabbat

    Persistence of Memory-Dali
    Persistence of Memory-Dali

    We turn back the clock this weekend. The extra one hour of sleep isn’t such a big deal, I thought I would be much more excited if we were turning it back by about 20 years. But that is not the case. In fact, trading the past twenty years for the experiences during that time is not something I would do. I like who I have been becoming (I am still a work in progress) and the past twenty years have been an integral part of getting here.

    Without those twenty, I likely would not be a rabbi nor would I be married to my wife Naomi, to name just two wonderful things that help define me now. The period was not without struggle and real challenges in all aspects of life, but these challenges also helped to shape me into the person that I am today. Today, I wish perhaps that the ground was not so far away when I drop things, or my arms did not have to be so much longer to read things, or that there was more hair to comb. But the blessings I enjoy I wouldn’t trade for any of those (although the hair makes me briefly pause).

    So I come to this Shabbat with a sense of gratitude for what I have and I will use that extra hour to catch up on some sleep after a long workweek and a Saturday night spent with my wife.

    Shabbat Shalom!

  • Shabbat Shalom

    I lead Shabbat services for a couple of elder communities in our area.  As we welcome Shabbat, I ask the group for what are you grateful this week?  For some, the question is more difficult.  But finding at least one thing that may have happened, for which we can express gratitude is an expression of hope and joy.  Something always wonderful for sure, but even more so during Elul.

    What is that thing that happened for you this week for which you can express gratitude?

    Shabbat Shalom~