Shabbat Inspiration with Diane

  It’s been hard not to think about the shootings at the Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo. Ten innocent lives lost, more injured, countless lives, including ours, forever changed. Our collective memories recall names like Oklahoma City, Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, Tel Aviv, drops in the bucket of an ever growing list. . .   Below is the Shabbat encouragement I sent out in November 2018 after the Tree of Life synagogue shootings. Although the place is different and has its nuances, fear and hate of the other is the same motive for the Buffalo shootings. Such hatred finds multiple groups to hate, applies differing rationale, and is non-discriminating as to the individual targets, but... Read More →

  As some of you may know, Sid and I have spent the last four months in Florida. Although our time there has truly been blessed and fruitful, we are so happy to be back to New England. We’ve landed in Westford for a week at sister Wendy’s home and plan to make it all the way back to our home in Maine next week.   On our way back from Florida we planned a little side trip to Nashville to catch a show but were also hoping to add two more state stickers to our RV map of states we had traveled – West Virginia and Kentucky. To do that we actually had to go a little out of our way but decided it would be worth it since it’s such a long drive anyway, a little further wouldn’t matter.... Read More →

  Oy, my bobbe/grandma would talk about the tsuris/trouble in the world. And she certainly had a life of tsuris, watching her cousins killed by the Cossacks during the pogroms in Russia, losing everything, living in poverty, fleeing to America as a child, later to start her family here, blessedly living with our family until her death in 1981. She and my mom’s speaking Yiddish as the household language was the blessing bestowed on us children who then could learn it, as well as her apple strudel. 😊   It seems wherever we turn, tsuris is part of our daily lives. We all know there are seasons when it seems that things aren’t going our way. The word “seasons” connotes the varying... Read More →

  Last week we explored the necessity for relationships in order for each of us, and mankind, to grow closer to whom we were created to be. We actually considered that the more adverse the relationship, the more we need each other for the opportunity to grow. The harder it is to love another, the more we develop our Mussar skills and mature in our character development. The open question, and challenge, remains – to think about the divisiveness in our world, and our personal interactions that result from such divisions, as a training ground to make closer our walks with each other and with our Abba.   This past week I had the opportunity to take on this challenge. There... Read More →

  I love when Passover and Easter line up. Although I know it is not exact, this year’s first night seder falls a couple days before Easter just as Yeshua’s last supper and his resurrection were within days of each other, the holy timing helping to bring us into the rhythm of these days as when He dwelt among us. As we partake of this holy meal we can more deeply experience what it may have felt like some 2000 years ago. . .   At Passover we commemorate our freedom from bondage as slaves in Egypt. What a joyous time, Mi Chamocha!  And yet, after that, we wandered in the wilderness, some never to even make it to the Promised Land. How similarly must the Apostles... Read More →

  We try not to think of what is happening in the Ukraine, but we can’t help ourselves. It is in our consciousness, and in our subconscious as well. We feel an overwhelming, underlying sense of sadness for those suffering. We fight to not think about it, for if we did so as much as we are drawn to, we would be overwhelmed and in a constant state of prayer.  Not that that is a bad thing but we are in this life called and pulled in many directions with responsibilities not only to ourselves, but also, for others. How can we feel happiness when so many are suffering? How can we worry about being late to work when people are being killed in the streets? So we work to integrate these... Read More →

  The recent Oscar ceremony provided a vignette representative of so many of the feelings swirling in these days of unusual influences, skewed values, and raw emotions. The events were a vivid reminder of the slippery slope we walk each day trying to act in a godly way during these stressful times filled with misplaced boundaries.   In case you missed the drama of that evening, Will Smith became so upset about a comment Chris Rock made as a joke about Will Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith that Will went on stage and slapped Chris, then returned to his seat with follow up statements laced with profanities. Pinkett Smith suffers from a medical condition alopecia that made t... Read More →

  In previous Shabbat encouragements we have pondered the reality of the tension we live in between joy and sorrow in this world, trying to understand the how and why, concluding this is the way of mankind’s life in this realm. As the weeks of battle in the Ukraine have continued, it’s been harder than ever to walk this narrow precipice, the daily joys in our lives sometimes seeming so out of place against the horror of war on civilians.   My maternal ancestry came from Tulchin, Ukraine. In reading of its history as it pertains to Jews, it’s a wonder I’m even here today for so many of my ancestors were deliberately killed over the centuries.  As you may know, that part of... Read More →

  Participating in the Maturing in Messiah (MIM) class has brought so much richness to my life – new practices, new perspectives, new interactions in existing relationships, new knowledge about my faith, and more. The havruta method of such life learning with another member or members of our spiritual community is clearly an inspired concept that has withstood the test of time.   In conversations with my sister who is my havruta partner, we both have grown in our understanding not only of Messianic Judaism, but perhaps more importantly, through this interaction we each have learned more about ourselves. We not only discuss our individual prayer practices and study the Bible... Read More →

  The past couple weeks have been extremely happy times personally. A very hard comment to make since every day I am watching the developments in the Ukraine which are so heartbreaking and inscrutable. Yet we acknowledge that in this life we often live in the tension between these extremes, these recent days being a strong evidence of that reality.   I have had two siblings, plus children and grandchildren visiting our home here in Florida for the first time since we bought it, so there was much to see and do! Each day was filled with so many activities and fun experiences, jam packed! From the very early morning walks with my sister to the beach days with the kids to the... Read More →

  During my morning Shachrit recently, I ran across a fascinating footnote in my siddur on the subject of the Shema:   “ ’The Lord is One’: among the many meanings of this phrase are: (1) there is only one God; (2) God is a unity, indivisible; (3) God is the only ultimate reality; (4) God is One despite the many appearances He has had throughout history; and (5) God alone is our King. . . “   As a Messianic Jew, by far one of the most often heard criticisms of our faith by mainstream Jews relates to the concept of a “triunum” God, that we can understand Him as able to be “three mints in one” (for those of you who are old enough to remember Certs commercials’ two mints in... Read More →

  Some of you know my mantra is “Conversation leads to understanding”, a phrase shared with me by the Camp Director at Surprise Lake Camp in 2010, the first year SLC hosted our Camp Or L’Dor. Since then I’ve let that wisdom guide my interactions with others and find it is a very profound statement, one that would heal our world if universally applied.   My morning routine for decades has been to jog and during that time listen to Messianic Jewish music as I talk with God. It is my time with Him, uninterrupted, just He and I. Such times always brought me more intimately into our relationship and often were, and still are as I write this, the place of inspiration for most of my... Read More →

  As you know, I typically send out a little Shabbat encouragement on Thursday evenings. This week was exceptionally busy, so that didn’t happen. Today, however, I finally had time for my jog time with HaShem, but instead of listening to my usual Messianic Jewish music soundtrack, I listened to one of Rabbi Nathan’s Maturing in Messiah YouTube classes.   The message was so compelling. In so few words, he summarized one of the most enigmatic concepts of our faith, the relationship of Yeshua to the Holy Spirit (the Ruach), and to the Father, our Abba. He unpacked through his presentation this simple, yet profoundly deep statement that summarizes the relationship: “We draw near... Read More →

Recently, the world observed International Holocaust Day. Straying from my usual format and inspired by one of the coverages in particular, I wanted to share the following video: So much can be said. So many take-aways. The mere fact that Lily Ebert, a 97 year old Auschwitz survivor was able to team up with her 18 year old great grandson Dov to be able to tell her story through social media is astounding. She proves through her TikTok outreaches how one person can make a difference as she reaches millions to educate. Her essence is overflowing with those qualities that not only made her a survivor, but also, strengthened her voice to motivate others – perseverance, honesty,... Read More →

My morning jog with HaShem again did not disappoint. . . As I jogged around our community here in Florida today I thought about the history of this small island. Although Nettles Island is on the east coast where more East Coast residents tend to winter, this particular area by far has more Midwesterners. Being from Ohio for most of my life and living there until 18 years ago when I married Sid, I feel very at home here, not counting my real home in New England, of course! Anyway, as I was making the rounds this morning I was struck by the number of college football flags displayed in the various yards. Being an Ohio State Buckeye, myself, Big 10 (from the older days) schools catch my... Read More →

This week I attended a memorial service for Jason Dobbs-Hyer. I didn’t know him very well but remembered from the short interchanges we had what a special person he was. I knew of him really more through Sid since the two of them shared a love of cycling which they would discuss at oneg at Ruach during the times that Jason and his son Izzy would join us for services. What I did learn as I listened to person after person share their experiences about this exceptional young man was that the impression he made on me in the limited time I knew him was true – he walked closely with Yeshua and evidenced that by his very presence. I learned of his gift of giving of himself to others in so many... Read More →

Sid and I are here in Florida for this season. It’s hard to believe we’ve been coming to Florida for the last eight winters, the first several times just passing through or staying for a short time, the last several actually living down here for a number of months. Doing so has allowed us to live deeply while here, restoring relationships with family who live nearby as well as experiencing meaningful dialogues and interactions with those here who had never heard of Messianic Jews before meeting us. Each year has brought us into deeper intimacy with HaShem and I can’t wait to see what this season will bring. This year we got a later start than anticipated due to several factors but once... Read More →

As this new year begins, we are once again given an opportunity to start anew, set new goals, look back and move forward to be the person HaShem has created us to be. We are given yet another time to become energized to live life moving closer to walking with Him, a time to choose to do so. Many of you know my sister Wendy who is also a member of Ruach. She has given me permission to write the following. Wendy has been a believer in Yeshua ever since the Oklahoma City bombing. She has walked with Him for so many years and does so in the ways that have been her journey, as is true for all of us. In our busy lives we sometimes find it difficult to do what in our hearts we know we should... Read More →

Do you ever just walk around your house or outdoors and become overwhelmed by God’s blessings? Not all the time (as we probably should), but just now and then when you just can’t help yourself? So it was this morning. I woke up at our home in Maine. Granted, we’re only here for one day. We drove up from MA last evening to drop our dogs off to be taken care of by a lovely family here while we go to Vermont for the holidays. I have a days’ worth of last minute gift wrapping, bills to pay, and other “desk stuff” to attend to after being in Dallas for so long. Yet as I puttered around gathering gift wrap and bills, I looked out the window and said, “Thank you, God, for all t... Read More →

How we don’t know what we don’t know. . . Last Erev Shabbat I flew back from Dallas to Boston. After six weeks with my dear ones and after the passing of my loved one there, it was time to come home. Other loved ones were there to take my place as we could all look forward to being together back in New England for the end of the year holidays coming soon. My music group was up to lead worship on Shabbat morning, and so, I came to rehearsal and assumed Shabbat would be just like I left it, that I would be able to jump right in where I left off so many weeks ago. I was so ready to engage in worship together, yet found it hard to do so. I couldn’t bring myself to chat at oneg, actually... Read More →

The inevitable has happened. My beloved brother-in-law passed on Sunday evening. Although it was expected, it was sooner than anticipated and not without suffering at the end despite the best efforts of hospice. It has been beautiful to see the love that has made this journey the least bit tolerable. The care given by the home health aides has been phenomenal with them checking on his health even when not their day to work. So many family members and friends have been here to help and love on him and support each other, not to mention his loving wife by his side through the end. What was most transfixing were the deep looks of love between him and her. They were not just superficial,... Read More →

A Shabbat encouragement from a couple years ago, still timely today: At this time of year when surrounded by festive lights and reminders of Christmas, we often hear the expression, “’Tis the season!” Although used in the 19th century previous to the well known Christmas carol “Deck the Halls”, that song popularized the expression which has come down through the ages to us today. Over the years its use has expanded beyond the Christmas season reference and has become part of our vernacular. Watch out, ‘tis the season for ticks, for colds. . . . By far the most common usage, however, does relate to this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. ‘Tis the season to celebrate these festive... Read More →

This week I saw a great movie on Netflix – “Freedom Writers” – a 2007 film depicting the true story of Erin Gruwell (brilliantly portrayed by Hilary Swank), a teacher in Long Beach, CA, who profoundly changed the lives of her students. The story takes place two years after the 1992 Los Angeles riots and gives the viewer an intense window into the darkness these young people endured through lives steeped in gang violence and poverty. Interestingly, a major turning point in her students’ transformations centers around educating them about the Holocaust as they journal and begin to heal their hearts and change their perspectives on themselves, and on life. As these young lives slowly begin... Read More →

Each day being with my loved one whose husband is in hospice has brought me new ways to think about one’s passing, and loving him or her through it. Although it’s a road not easily chosen, to walk alongside the deeply hurting family member as well as the person soon leaving this world, I know it is one important to experience. Last week I shared with you the moments of joy in the small interactions – the lopsided smile, the deep exchange with just our eyes, the squeeze of a hand. This week the eyes are closed, the grip no longer strong, reminding me to cherish each fleeting day. I’ve also learned another important lesson brought home by such a dramatic set of circumstances, and... Read More →

Often when a person knows they have a limited amount of time left, he or she may plan exotic trips or want to try daredevil experiences. Being here with my loved one’s spouse whose every normal function is being diminished daily, I’m instead struck by the beauty of the seemingly small, but most meaningful joys in life. I must admit, when I arrived here the first week since I had not gradually experienced the precipitous decline since my last visit, I couldn’t help but sob at the loss of what was. Seeing my dear one’s shift from walking and feistiness just a few weeks ago to being helpless, bedridden, and unable to communicate other than with his eyes, or with groans when agitated, at... Read More →