858 all hands on for solidarity at my temple 11 10 2018

11/10/2018

I am going to my Synagogue, my temple this morning to give thanks for the Jewish Veterans who fought for my rights as an American
I am going to my Synagogue, my temple this morning to show my solidarity for the 11 victims in Pittsburgh.
I am going to my Synagogue, my temple this morning to stand up against antisemitism around the world.
SHALOM ; AHAVAH
Peace and love

I was not prepared for the emotions I would shed of joy, sadness and hope on this day.

I went to temple wearing a suit. It was still the morning services; I sat and listened as Jewish veterans were called to the Bima to do an aliyah. It was beautiful.

Before the morning services were over, a steady streem of people came in and found empty seats in the back of the sanctuary. It wasn’t till the morning services completed and the next part begin did I start to understand what I was about to be a part of on this day.

“Remembrance and Reflection”

Service reflecting on the events of October 27 in Pittsburgh

Special readings, songs, poems, and talks will be offered

This was an interfaith gathering to show solidarity for the 11 people killed in Pittsburgh.

The president of our temple was the MC. She did great.

She introduced each speaker.

There was the Mayor, 2 congress people, a leader of a church, a mosk, a democratic group and a community engagement specialist as well as a person representiting our temple.

I was blown away.

All these people coming together at my temple, my Synagogue for one cause, to show solidarity for the 11 Jewish people who lost their lives.

Each talk-speech-poem-song was beautifully moving.

My mom said that there was at least 100 people there to show their support. On a normal Saturday, we would get 10-15 people.

I wish I had a transcript of what everyone said. It was all so beautiful.

One person read a poem that was familliur to me and made me re-think and I will post it at the bottom of this entry.

I feel so apologetic that this entry won’t do even a percent of justice to express the way I felt. My cheaks were staned with tears of both happy and sadness but mostly it was hope and optimism.

I am going to stop rambling now and post the poem. This poem makes me check myself to make sure I am doing everything I want within my powers, to do everything I want to do in my life.

I first read it in high school. I thought it was beautifully introspectful.

THE DASH

Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak at a funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning… to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears,

but said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth

and now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own, the cars… the house… the cash.

What matters is how we lived and loved and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard; are there things you’d like to change?