Rabbi Bruce's Reflections on Life

 Dear Friends and Family, As we prepare for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, I wanted to write a brief note to share where I am turning for inspiration this year. I was attending a Selichot service at a local congregation last Saturday night (a service that helps folks prepare for the new year) and the following lyrics were part of the service. (See below)  When I had my heart attack almost four years ago, my Dentist told me that she thought that the reason I survived was because G-d had a purpose for me and that I needed to fulfill that purpose.  As I celebrate Rosh Hashanah, this song encourages me to do what I can do to create a more peaceful and just world.  As I write this, Iran has attacked Israel and the Middle East is teetering on the brink of a more wide spread war. Our thoughts and prayers are for peace and security for Israel and for all in the Mideast who only want to live together peacefully. May all who are reading this find the courage to make your lives a blessing (c

 Dear Friends, As I write this blog, we are less than two weeks away from the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. In the month which precedes the new year which is called Elul, we begin our preparation for the new year with reflection and contemplation about our lives and changes we wish to make in the coming year. Recently, while traveling and listening to satellite radio, I heard that it was Jackie DeShannon's 83rd birthday.  One of my favorite songs when I was younger and even today is the following: Put a Little Love in Your Heart Song by Jackie DeShannon Overview Lyrics Listen Other recordings Artists Composers Lyrics Think of your fellow man (today, she might say person) Lend him  (today she might say them)  a helping hand Put a little love in your heart You see it's getting late Oh, please don't hesitate Put a little love in your heart And the world will be a better place And the world will be a better place For you and me You just wait and see Another day goes by Still

 Dear Friends, When I served as a congregational rabbi, each Labor Day weekend I would share the following poem by Carl Sandburg during Shabbat/Sabbath services: FISH CRIER I KNOW a Jew fish crier down on Maxwell Street with a      voice like a north wind blowing over corn stubble      in January. He dangles herring before prospective customers evincing      a joy identical with that of Pavlowa dancing. His face is that of a man terribly glad to be selling fish,      terribly glad that God made fish, and customers to      whom he may call his wares, from a pushcart. I share this because it reminded me of the stories that my parents would tell about  the jobs their parents had. As I recall, (my older brothers, who may be reading this, could fact check me),  my paternal grandfather had a wagon or pushcart and would sell coal in the winter and ice in the summer. I suspect that he too was grateful to have customers who would buy the coal and ice during the seasons in which they needed them

  Dear Friends and Family, We are back from most of our travels and I wanted to share a blog about the Jewish Commemoration of Tisha B'Av which we are observing today. Tisha B'Av is the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av and we remember the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies that have occurred to the Jewish people. As we remember these events this year, we think about the horrible Hamas attacks on Israel  which took place on Oct. 7 of 2023 and the subsequent tragic loss of life which continues.  We are all hoping and praying for the release of the hostages and for peace in the region.. I recently gave a talk about what makes this year's observance of Tisha B'Av different from other years.  I spoke in response to the significant division in our Jewish community and beyond, about what an appropriate response should or could have been to the attacks on Oct. 7. This blog is not an attempt to respond to that question.  My desire is to encourage us to

 Dear Friends, I thought I was done with blogs for the summer, but I was leading a service at a senior facility yesterday to celebrate the Festival of Shavuot on a day when we remember our loved ones,  I had a revelation I wanted to share.  I guess this is appropriate on the Festival of Shavuot when we celebrate the revelation at Mt. Sinai. As we remembered our loved ones yesterday and as I think about my father on this Father's Day weekend, I have often been conflicted by the recitation of the following Psalm at funerals and memorial services.  Psalm  103:13-16 As a father has compassion for his children, so the L ORD   has compassion for those who fear Him.   ׃   For He knows how we are formed; He is mindful that we are dust. Man, his days are like those of grass; he blooms like a flower of the field;     a wind passes by and it is no mor o its own place no longer knows it.  My father, of blessed memory, did not like this reading.  I have hesitated to read it but yesterday it was

Special Note: This will probably be my last blog for awhile although who knows what may occur to  inspire a message. Enjoy the summer. Bruce  Dear Friends, This week we experience the Jewish Festival of Shavuot which celebrates the revelation at Mt. Sinai when the Jewish People received the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai. I  want to talk about the revelations we have in our daily lives.  How many of us are aware of the  miracles that surround us.   There is a beautiful  Jewish teaching that G-d appears whenever and wherever we let G-d into our lives. In Jewish worship, we have a prayer  which is based upon the words  of the Prophet Isaiah.  "Holy holy holy, the whole earth is full of G-d's glory. I  hope that during the summer when we all (hopefully) have an opportunity to relax and reflect, we  will recognize that there may be holiness in our everyday experiences.  I was surfing the internet and found the  following poem and comments about Martin Buber that I hope will inspire