Eve. of Tues., May 23–Wed., May 24
28th of Iyar–Omer 43
I am never alone. …
- Physically and spiritually …
- Body and soul …
- Now and eternity …
- Always belong to a community for support and to support them
- “God is with me, I have no fear”
- Last line of Adon Olom
- Adonoy lee, v’lo eero
—submitted by ‘Surrounded and comforted with Judaism’
Eve. of Wed., May 24–Thurs., May 25
29th of Iyar–Omer 44
Judaism is the tree of life.
The strong trunk of the tree represents the covenant between God and the Jewish people. The branches represent the dispersed Jewish people who are connected through the trunk. The roots represent the laws and commandments that anchor the tree to the land. The leaves represent the prayers that we say to bless God and give our thanks for all He has done for us. Judaism transcends space and time as the tree of life lives forever. As new branches grow, we celebrate together, and as old branches fall from the tree, we mourn together. We persevere as a people and pass our traditions and learning to our children.
—Greg Casher
Eve. of Thurs., May 25–Fri., May 26
1st of Sivan–Omer 45
What does being a Jew mean to me?
Being a Jew means, going to NFTY events with my friends and meeting new ones.
Being a Jew means, planning J-Serve with other Jewish teens from Pittsburgh.
Being a Jew means, celebrating Jewish holidays with my family at my grandparents’ house.
Being a Jew means, respectfully discussing world issues with others.
Being a Jew means, encouraging the younger kids to embrace their religion.
Being a Jew means, moving on to the next level and attending Hillel.
Lastly, being a Jew means interpreting Judaism my way, and learning what it means for others in the Jewish community.
—Danielle Brand (Age 17)
Eve. of Fri., May 26–Sat., May 27
2nd of Sivan–Omer 46
Simply stated, being a Jew to me means ‘exercising my understanding’. It means truly living my life, with purpose, not just experiencing or merely passing through it. For me, every day Jewish living, means Action, fueled by Study, tempered by Compassion.
To explain, Torah to me is all about relationships — with ourselves, with our families, with others, with our community, with our nation, with our world, with God. From perception, to inclination, to motivation, to action, to impact, to consequence, Torah addresses it all. Being a Jew to me, is feeling (understanding) that with every pore, and responding to it.
And the distillation of that, means being open to the opportunity of the moment (mindfulness), and a commitment to respond, by actively making the world better, through love.
—Deb Scheib
Eve. of Sat., May 27–Sun., May 28
3rd of Sivan–Omer 47
Growing up with Jewish family traditions, completing religious school, and becoming a bat mitzvah and confirmand, gave me a strong educational foundation about Judaism that allowed my own definition of what it means to be a Jew take form when I went on a Birthright trip to Israel.
Being a Jew is the feeling I got when brought to tears hearing Hatikvah at Mount Herzl, stood in awe before the Western Wall, experienced the true peacefulness of Shabbat, tasted Israeli food, and was immersed in a culture where Jews are the majority. When we say “next year in Jerusalem” at the end of the seder, it makes me think of the ways I bring that feeling of being a Jew to life in the United States through observing Jewish holidays, praying with the Jewish community, teaching about Judaism, participating in social action, and doing deeds of loving kindness each day.
—Emily Kryger
Eve. of Sun., May 28–Mon., May 29
4th of Sivan–Omer 48
For me, liberal Judaism is a language in which I can express what Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel describes as the core of human religiosity: first, radical amazement at everything that is, and second, the blossoming of our amazement into an awareness that something is demanded of us.
While on a search for answers to the ‘big questions’ of life – a search that ended with my conversion – I once read of a person who maintained a little drawer in her mind labeled ‘Awaiting Further Light.’ I have lots of things in that drawer, and I love it that I now thrive on the questions, instead of needing to know answers. And I have the words I need — Baruch atah Adonai – when I stand in awe under a sky full of stars.
—Marcia Walsh
Eve. of Mon., May 29-Tues., May 30
5th of Sivan–Omer 49
Tues Night is Erev Shavuot
For me, being Jewish is all about connections. My first connection is my connection to G-d, the one and only G-d. My second connection is to Jewish children. I have been teaching Jewish children, in both early childhood and K-7th grade, for over 25 years about why it is important to be a Jew, what it means to be a Jew, and choosing a moral code of conduct because one is Jewish. Teaching students keeps me continually learning, which is a third connection to Judaism. Lifelong learning, discussion, and questioning are an essential part of my being a Jew. A fourth connection is to my synagogue. Temple David is like a family, a place where I can be Jewish among Jews. A fifth connection is my connection between being Jewish and Israel, the country and its people. And last, my connection to Am Yisrael, the people of Israel, my fellow Jews anywhere in the world.
—Gail Schmitt