Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.
“But it’s Thursday,” you’re saying!
That is correct. But since I will be in transit to Minneapolis tomorrow–and since many folks will be heading offline for the concluding weekend of Pesach fairly soon, I figured I’d post early this week.
See you all next week.
Three years ago, Moment magazine and its poetry editor, Faye Moskowitz, did me the great honor of publishing my poem “Dayenu.” As I explained when the poem was shared again on RJ.org during Jewish Disability Awareness Month in 2014, “Dayenu” emerged from a family Seder during which I’d been especially moved by the participation of my young nephew, who as a toddler was diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech.
Fast forward to 2015/5775. And listen to “our little boy” summarize the Passover story. He continues to inspire and impress me — as do his amazing therapists and teachers (not to mention his amazing Mommy!).
Which reminds me: If you’re reading this and you happen to know S. “in real life,” please don’t mention this post. He can be rather camera/video-shy, and although his mom/my sister has approved my sharing this recording-via-iTalk, he isn’t aware that it exists. Thank you.
(Oh, there’s a bonus—you get to hear Grandma and Grandpa speak/participate, too!)
“God, Master of the Universe, please make this world safe for our people this year. Next year may we be in Jerusalem, but this year please take care of the Jews in our holy city and in so many other cities: in Marseilles and Copenhagen, in Argentina and Buenos Aires, Kansas and Seattle, Paris and Tunis, Sderot and Toulouse, Brussels and Donetsk. This Passover evening is a ‘night of vigilance’ [Exodus 12:42]. Please watch over us with divine care and compassion. Protect our sacred tombstones and graves from desecration. Protect our synagogues across the globe from Swastikas and shattering glass. Protect our innocent children on their day school playgrounds and our Jewish communal workers in embassies and community centers. Pour out Your wrath against the world’s injustices so that one day, You can pour out Your love. Ani Ma’amin — I believe that day will come. It is not here yet. Together, we will await that day. We will not wait passively. We will partner with you in a covenant to protect our people and remove them from harm’s way. And we will re-affirm in word and deed our daily commitment to justice, goodness and kindness.”
From Dr. Erica Brown’s “Pour Out Your Love?” in The Jewish Week
Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.
Shabbat Shalom, and Chag Pesach Sameach!
Earlier this year, I shared one line from a poem by Lesléa Newman (“Sitting Shiva,” which I’d discovered thanks to Keshet/MyJewishLearning.com) as a “Sunday Sentence” on the Practicing Writing blog. Simultaneously, I ordered a copy of the collection in which that poem appears, I Carry My Mother, in which the poet recounts her mother’s dying and her own grief. But it took me until this week to sit down and actually read the book.
It is a searing collection. I dare anyone to read it without shedding tears at least once. (Maybe I suspected that would be the case, and maybe I needed some time to steel myself before engaging with the full collection.)
It is also a remarkably instructive volume for anyone interested in the practice of poetry. And since April is National Poetry Month, it seems appropriate to comment on this quality. (more…)