Rabbi Bruce's Reflections on Life

Dear Friends, The year long journey from the ER to the OR to mourning and grief, toward silent shrieks and loud screams to a funeral and cemetery, to countless acts of kindness, to meeting angels sent by G-d or Sue, or who are just here and I didn't see them,  took me to the shore of the Red Sea last Wednesday morning.  The Scriptural reading for the seventh day of Passover is from the Book of Exodus and includes reading the Song at the Sea when Miriam celebrates freedom with music and dance. So, as I write this blog which will be the basis of the conclusion of the book which will contain these blogs and which is currently being edited by a very special student (maybe another angel?), I reflect on where I have been and where I am going. Many mornings as part of the religious service that I attend periodically by zoom, we often read the Biblical verses that say "I place before you the blessing and the curse, life and death, therefore choose life." It is more than past ...

Dear Friends and Family, I have asked this question many times throughout the past year..."Who knew????" It was a normal (whatever that means) day on April 1, 2025. I was sitting on the loveseat, Sue was sitting at the dining room table, and who knew that this would be Sue's last full day of life as we knew it???? I was on the phone with our insurance agent and after I told her a joke, she said she had told clients that she has a client who told good jokes. I put her on speaker and asked her to repeat that for Sue. I said to Sue that even our insurance agent liked my jokes and Sue just nodded her head. Then the insurance agent called out "April Fools" and I realized that I had been set up for an April fools joke about her telling people that I told good jokes. Sue thought that was very funny (I may never recover:-)) and then I left to teach and Sue went to the dentist to see if her mouth pain was a dental issue. I came back later that night (who knew ...