Years have worn on. When will You hear us – and
Zodiac's prayers, and angels on high?
The Journey of Return
Standing on that hilltop in Waibstadt, Germany, I have to say that I indeed felt like I was returning, even though I had never been there. This great-great-grandfather whose grave I stood at shared his name with me – as I discovered he did with his own grandfather, and with his grandson, my Grandpa Irwin, whose birthday is tomorrow. This succession of Yitzchak Kellers made me feel a little bit like a cat with if not nine lives then at least four. Yes, his life was a blank slate to me but, oddly, chillingly, a slate with my name on it.
Read moreFirst Jewish Lesson: Blessings of a Broken Heart
It's a good story. About how real we feel when we are brokenhearted, sometimes the most real we ever feel. And how close to God, how in dialog we can be, in those moments of suffering, in the moments when we groan.
Read moreRachel Weeps (and Leaps) for her Children
We also live in a broken time. We walk the streets filled with grief. We are in exile from our highest vision. Our dreams of peace and justice lie in ruins. Now, more than ever, we need Rachel. We need to be Rachel, changing history by following her example.
Read moreGrieving Orlando
And through all of that, we believed that by our labor and our suffering and our defiance we would make a better world for the young people who would come after us. That one day young people would be able to come out without fear of rejection; they'd be able to work in their chosen professions; they'd be able to live where they want and love who they want and be who they want. They could find love and even get married. And above all, they'd be safe.
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