Rabbi Bruce's Reflections on Life

  Dear Friends, Today we read the Biblical portion Balak which deals with the Prophet Balaam being asked to curse the Jewish people. In the end, Balaam blesses the Jewish people. I want to discuss the fine line between blessings and curses and how or whether it is possible to ascertain whether something is a blessing or a curse. In the Biblical portion we are reading, there is a discussion about the Jewish people being a people who dwells alone.  In the midst of the antisemitism in today's world, the discussion is very relevant. Are the Jewish people supported or alone in the midst of the challenges we are facing in the Middle East and around the world?  How do we know whether people will support the Jewish people or whether the Jewish people will ultimately be on our own to face adversity?  There is this fine line where one wonders whether there will be support or whether there will be ongoing aloneness.  I do not have a crystal ball but hope that there wi...

 Dear Friends, I am grateful to all of you who are reading these and who are taking the time to respond to me.  Writing these blogs has become cathartic for me and I hope they are not a burden to you.  You can always delete them:-) It has been 13 weeks since Sue passed away and as I think about what I miss the most and the issues with which I wrestle, I wanted to share the following thoughts. There is a song from the broadway show, "Camelot" that has made me think a lot about one of Sue's many gifts to me.  Please listen to the song ​ ​ ​YouTube • Julie Andrews - Topic So I wonder what does a simple guy do, to escape when he is feeling blue...What would Sue do to deal with sadness? Her love of the simple things in life was inspirational.  She was not a whistler, and those who know me know I certainly am not a singer.  She used to love Israeli dancing and in the past year attended some sessions at a local synagogue. I think her gift to me now would...

 Dear Friends, I wanted to share some reflections 11 weeks after Sue's passing.  Please let me know if you cannot open the links below. As I think about everything that has happened, I am overwhelmed by grief and by the kindness that has been shown to me. I was listening to Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah which you can click on below.  The broken and cold and lonely Hallelujah are a reminder of all the heartbreak I am experiencing and the joy that Sue and I shared over the years and her ongoing legacy of kindness.  (see below) On this Shabbat when we read the Portion Shelach Lecha (Numbers 13-15), we read about the scouts who check out the Promised Land.  They come back with differing reports about whether the Israelities will be able to successfully enter the Promised Land.  I am continuing to learn about the various ways to experience the grieving process and move between moments of intense grief and moments of sacred joy.  We all know the ...

  Dear Friends, I am not as timely as I would wish but I wanted to send a blog about Memorial Day. As you read the poem below, I hope that we will give meaning to the lives of those who have died so that we can enjoy freedom. I also hope we will find ways to give meaning to those innocent victims around the world who have died since last Memorial Day.  We live in a world that is cracked and we must bring in light. We also remember the tragic deaths of Sarah Pilgrim and Yaron Lischinsky who died at the Capital Jewish Museum.  The Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak   Archibald MacLeish The young dead soldiers do not speak.  Nevertheless, they are heard in the still houses:  who has not heard them?  They have a silence that speaks for them at night  and when the clock counts.  They say: We were young. We have died.  Remember us.  They say: We have done what we could  but until it is finished it is not done.  They say:...

 Dear Friends, It has now been five weeks since Sue passed away and I wanted to share a couple thoughts.   I was teaching a zoom session today about where we find holiness and we discussed the burning bush and how Moses had to turn away from the spot where it was burning because it was holy ground.  Please see the article below from My Jewish Learning.com about the flames which ignite within us passion and love.  May we share those with people we love and may we find causes where our passion and love will help us make a difference.  Sue certainly shared her love and light and ignited flames of love which will never die. I feel like I am a burning bush and the difference is that the bush Moses encountered was not consumed.  I try not to be consumed by tears and anguish but the waves of grief are strong and her passing is still so fresh. As I continue to miss Sue and write this blog through tears, I have to remember the holiness of our relationship ...

  Dear Friends, As we celebrate the conclusion of Passover, I am sharing with you some very sad news. Sue died two weeks ago when her aorta suddenly burst.  Our last days together were filled with joy, travel, humor, and we had no idea that this might occur. Honestly, I am incredibly sad but surrounded by hundreds of people who wish to support me.  I wish I knew what to ask for...I have been told that people get through this, but at this point it seems hard to imagine that this will occur. In honor of Sue, I hope you will learn from the following teaching by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks of blessed memory.  In a posting, he writes that at the Passover Seder we hold up a piece of matzah (unleavened bread) and declare that it is the bread of affliction.  We also open the door in order to invite those who are hungry to join us for our festive meal. It seems rude to offer guests a "bread of affliction."  But as we offer the matzah to others and invite them in, the matza...