Four Days of the Omer
Four Days of the Omer

Four Days of the Omer

Netzak of Chesed
Determination of Lovingkindness

Erev Shabbat/Shabbat
Evening of April 26 through April 27

I wonder if they still dream of water. After 40 days and 40 nights of rain, 150 days of flood before the water receded I think even all these years later I might still dream of water. Water as endless as this desert. On the other hand, walking through day 202, 150 days feels . . . different. Sighing heavily, I notice that Na’amah has linked her arm through Noah’s and she is regaling him with a story. With her free arm she gestures dramatically and when she pauses he chuckles. It’s a very Jewish chuckle and it carries over the din of people walking and chatting.

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Jewish HolidaysAmy ArielOmer, Noah, Na'amah, Day Four, Netzach, Endurance, ChesedComment
Three Days of the Omer
Three Days of the Omer

Tiferet of Chesed
An older woman has joined us. She has joined us only for this day; she is walking beside Sarah. The weight of their story seems to cling like pendants along their spines. There isn’t ease between them, they have history. They have bitterness and insult and jealousy and harshness and enslavement. Their gaits are a little stiff, but most of all not rushed as they walk together. 

I wish I could hear what they are saying.

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Jewish HolidaysAmy ArielOmer, Sarah, Hagar, Day Three, Tiferet, ChesedComment
Two Days of the Omer
Two Days of the Omer

Day Two of the Omer

Gevurah of Chesed
Boundaries/Discipline in Lovingkindness

I’m thinking about Yitro, Moses’s father-in-law and priest of Midian. I can see him there, just ahead of us. His eyes are sparkling as he walks with Caleb and Joshua. It’s hard to say what they might be talking about, but I think Joshua is . . . laughing? Yeah. He’s definitely laughing.

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Jewish HolidaysAmy ArielOmer, Gevurah, Chesed, Sefirat haOmer, Day Two, YitroComment
אָנוּ קוֹרְאִים Anu Korim
אָנוּ קוֹרְאִים Anu Korim

One Sunday in January I asked our minyan members for the words and phrases and ideas and feelings on their hearts as we turned to praying for the hostages held in Gaza, the people of Gaza, Israelis, Jews, Palestinians, and everyone in the Land. Within moments words began to populate the chat - words that held pain and hope and despair and questions. So many questions. I asked, and I told them I asked, with the intention of taking the words and thoughts and adding my own and crafting a prayer. I wrote Anu Korim.

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PrayerAmy Arielliturgy, prayer for the captives, prayer for Israel, prayer for Gaza Comment
Guidance for Jewish Grown-Ups: Helping Schools and Organizations Respond to Antisemitism and This Moment
Guidance for Jewish Grown-Ups: Helping Schools and Organizations Respond to Antisemitism and This Moment

Antisemitism means prejudice against or hatred of Jews. I am 49. I reflected this morning that when I was in 7th and 8th grade my peers in a small town in Missouri said things to me like, “You would fit so well in an oven.” Antisemitism affects us, but it is not about us. It feels hard right now because it is hard right now. It’s real.
I’m here to help however I can. 

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Jewish Values, Jewish EducationAmy ArielAntisemitism, guidance for antisemitismComment
Vayakhel: Every Letter, Every One
Vayakhel: Every Letter, Every One

I was invited by T’ruah (the rabbinic call for human rights) to write a d’var Torah for this week’s parsha for their weekly (M)oral Torah. Having an opportunity to write about any social justice issue, anything that keeps me up at night, I considered many possible themes from Vayekhel before I accepted that what I needed to write was personal.

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TORAHAmy ArielVayakhel, Torah, T'ruahComment
Days of Comfort
Days of Comfort

These seven weeks of 49 days are a time of consolation.
They are a time to ask ourselves and to ask each other questions so specific we can answer them in this particular moment. Where am I right now? How am I right now? What do I need right now? What good can I bring into the world right now? What is one thing I can do to comfort someone right now? What comfort do I need right now?
These are the right now weeks.
They are tender.
I’ve included a link to my Sounds of Comfort playlist with this post.

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Jewish ValuesAmy ArielDays of Consolation, Sounds of Comfort, Mourning, Tisha B'Av, Jewish MourningComment
Body and Soul
Body and Soul

When I come in contact with something, touch something, or someone, it’s my skin-and-bone self touching and it’s also that deep, personal Self. When someone touches me, the me they are touching is also both my skin-and-bone self and that deep, personal Self. I am a whole being: Skin and bone and soul.   

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PrayerAmy ArielSoul, Elohai NeshamahComment
The Priestly Blessing is a Math Problem by Evan Hymes
The Priestly Blessing is a Math Problem by Evan Hymes

I am so very honored to share a guest post!
My student Evan Hymes, a member of Mount Zion Temple, has given me permission to share his words of Torah on Naso, and quite honestly, I find them brilliant. He shared them yesterday on the bima at Mount Zion.
I’m thinking about God in new ways because of Evan, and you might, too.
He celebrated becoming bar mitzvah on May 27th, 2023, 7 Sivan 5783.
Mazel Tov & lots of love, Evan! You did it!

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TORAHAmy ArielEvan Hymes, Naso, B'Mitzvah, Bar Mitzvah Comment
When Elmer Died
When Elmer Died

The first thing you need to know is this: I do not know when Elmer died.
Well, that’s not entirely true.
I know he died in October.
Seven months ago.
And also before you know that you also need to know that this is a draft.
A first draft.
I am writing without a plan and anything could happen.

The second thing you need to know is that I found out that Elmer died on Wednesday.
Not “a” Wednesday.
Wednesday.
Two days ago.

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TORAHAmy ArielElmer, Emor Comments
Tending Our Flames: Tetzaveh, Exodus 27:20 - 30:10
Tending Our Flames: Tetzaveh, Exodus 27:20 - 30:10

However we make sense of this, tending these lamps is our job. You see, it isn’t only Aaron and his descendants who are priests. Back in Exodus 19:5-6 we learn that we are to be a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. Elevating one another’s light? That’s up to us. So I want to invite us to read it this way: We are the lamps and we are the ones charged with tending them. It is not our job to create sparks of life. It is our job to nurture life sparks for one another so that each and all of our flames can rise. 

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TORAHAmy ArielTetzaveh, 5783, 2023, ner tamid, eternal flame, Aaron, kingdom of priestsComment