Hi all! A special Shabbat update from Jill!

Dear friends, good Shabbos to you! 

To our Hineni community - I have missed bringing in Shabbat with you and seeing your beautiful glowing faces. I am hoping that I’ll be back with you soon. Don’t forget that next Tuesday April 30 Rabbi Larry Kushner is going to be teaching our whole Hineni community and I’m so excited for you to learn with him. 

Today I have two doctor appointments and that pretty much constitutes my day. It’s amazing to me how much I take for granted - like driving, walking, taking a shower - and now - that I need help to do those things!

The surgeon assistant said that with regards to my back healing that I am “right on target”, even though I’d like to be further along. The doc said that at this point in the process, many people feel impatient. (It’s very validating to hear this!)

Something that is rolling around in my head is the truth that “I am not in charge.” Yes, I know that intellectually - however - it is so ingrained in me to attempt to “make things happen” - and my trusty body reminds me time and again that there is a deeper, wider, process that has a rhythm of its own.

Listening To:  

The verse in Psalm 118 I created a Spotify playlist of some of my favorite tunes for Min Ha-meitzar karati Yah, Anani b’merchav Yah

“From a narrow place I called out to YAH; God answered me within the expanse.”

What I’m Reading:

Here’s what I’ve been reading and I hope that some of these books might find ways into our conversations about Hineni being a community of virtual community and how do we do this. 

1 - The  Amen Effect by Rabbi Sharon Brous, If you read this book think about how we might be able to extend our circle of care to each other while we live far apart physically. Or perhaps clusters of people who might even be able to get together, 

2 - Judaism is about Love by Rabbi Shai Held. . This is such an important book. It completely turns on its head way of thinking about Judaism that many of us have just accepted without a deep dive. It is simply untrue that Christianity is about “love” and the Judaism is about vengeance and an angry God. One thing that has stuck with me so deeply from this book is imagining God as an Inexhaustible Source of Love. It’s the wide expanse that we hope for from our narrow places. 

3 - Unalone  by Jennifer Jacobs is a gorgeous book of poetry. She has written a poem for every portion and her ability to go into the depth of each portion feels revelatory. I learned about this book and poet from R. Pam Wax. 

4 - People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn. For some reason when this book came out, I didn’t read it. It is an absolutely fascinating book and if you’ve read it, let me know what you think of it maybe even we can have a book night to discuss the book

5 - Einstein and the Rabbi by Rabbi Naomi Levy this book is focused on the soul and our purpose. It goes really well with Rabbi Held’s book that each of us is here to complete some unique “mission” that only we can do.And I love how she weaves in Jewish wisdom it’s also reads like a novel. 

6 - And the other book that I’ve been reading a lot is called The Healing Power of Psalms by Rabbi Samuel Chiel. It was recommended to me by a friend and I have found it enormously comforting.

One of the things that come out of this experience is has been my dipping into the ancient practice of reading Psalms.

Thank you everyone for hanging in there with me especially he was special shout out to Anita our intern. And to Lynae, who has been holding down the fort and even though she’s not talking to my doctors, I think she’s channeling their you know putting their brake putting the brakes on, so I don’t go too fast or take step steps back so thank you both of you into every single person who has wish me well and loving and supportive to each other.

I’m also doing a bunch of knitting. I am right now working on a baby blanket (yes you read that right) and you can imagine how much joy we are all carrying forward right now!

Shabbat shalom.