Day 12 of the Omer
[Sorry for the gap in Omer reflections – you can find them all here: Spirituality on Jewishand.org – here’s the latest…] Hod in Gevurah – awe in our smallness, in power and rigor. To recognize humbly the power that we wield often unknowingly brings greater wisdom to our actions. A small lack of consideration may […]
Day 6 of the Omer – the firm footing for giving
Yesod in Chesed – the bridge, or lens, or foundation, in compassion. Yesod is where we start, a firm footing for our first step into exploring deeper meaning in our lives. It is the bridge to broad horizons from which we can see destinations and ideals. In attempting to achieve kindness we must have a […]
Day 5 of the Omer – Compassion requires sympathy
Hod in Chesed – grace, the sense of our smallness, in compassion. When we see ourselves as small, we connect sympathetically with every one, even every thing. Sympathy can be a source for compassion, and can be essential for kindness in a helpful way. When we offer help, we often want to contribute in our […]
Day 4 of the Omer
Netzach in Chesed – victory of the self in compassion and kindness. Netzach is often associated with a powerful sense of self, even to the exclusion of others so perhaps a challenging fit into to world of compassion and loving kindness. Kindness towards others begins with understanding that we have something worth giving. We need […]
Day 3 of the Omer – Compassion for the long term
Tiferet in Chesed – harmonious balance in loving kindness. Tiferet often connotes beauty, perhaps a supreme harmonized balance between important values – in this case between Chesed, compassion and kindness, and Gevurah, strength and rigor. Perhaps the beauty we find is the balance between immediate needs and long term needs. In order to enact kindness […]
Day 1 of the Omer – Second Night of Passover Too!
Tonight is Chesed in Chesed – Compassion and loving-kindness in itself. Each of the 49 days between tonight and Shavuot, the next big Jewish holiday represents an Omer, a sheaf of barley brought in for the spring harvest. Since we were dependent on that harvest for food in the summer, this became a time of […]
Temple Beth El’s Passover Seder Supplement – 5773/2013
Chag Sameach! Happy Passover everyone! Check out TBE’s Seder Supplement – feel free to use any or all of it for your own Passover Seder! Reflections and insight on today’s issues as they apply to our celebration of Freedom by Rabbi Judy Schindler, Cantor Mary Thomas, and Rabbi Jonathan Freirich. Download the file from here: […]
Soul Prints – Rabbi Judy Returns from Interfaith Journey to Israel
It is great to be home after a most inspiring journey to Israel with our decades long partner in dialogue Myers Park Baptist Church. I missed my husband and kids. Here is the poem I wrote this morning called “Soul Prints (Interfaith Journey 2013)” Toward the altar of old, Jews travelled from the farthest places […]
Temple Beth El Welcomes People Seeking Judaism
At Temple Beth El we welcome people exploring Judaism as an option, and Rabbi Judith Schindler carries on in her father’s teachings about doing so – check out an article that mentions Rabbi Alexander Schindler on the topic here: Opening the Gates of Judaism
