Lev

I’ll start by saying that I was raised by a mom who claimed to be an agnostic and our dad was, (and is) a staunch atheist.  If anything, our family fit into the category of “cultural Jews.”  If I wanted spirituality, I needed to seek on my own.  I tagged along with friends to their houses of worship.  I started practicing yoga at age 13.  At the time, not only was it was part of my spiritual journey, but it was also socially comforting.  I liked connecting with others, even if I didn’t understand the rituals of the services.

In recent years, I wanted to learn more.  Maya and I decided to each become a bat mitzvah.  In July 2013, we met with Rabbi Jonathan Kligler and soon after, joined the Woodstock Jewish Congregation.  Our studies began.  I purchased a pile of books, attended classes, went to services and began to understand those rituals from 45 years ago.  (The connecting with others aspect feeds me now, more than ever.)

It’s been quite an intense time recently.  Maya’s Yarzheit was just a few days ago.  Maya died during the festival of Sukkot.  Today, the last day of this seven/eight-day festival, a Yizkor service is held for all people who wish to remember a loved one.  I went to services this morning; I was extremely moved.

As Sukkot ends, the holiday, “Simchat Torah” is observed.  It is a joyous time that both the completion and the beginning of the reading of the Torah is celebrated.  I was not up for dancing with the Torah tonight, but I was reminded of something fascinating that I learned last year.

The background is that during the celebration, the entire scroll of the Torah is unrolled.  Many hands hold the Torah to make a huge circle.  It can be a time filled with mystery; what story of the Torah are you grasping?  What messages are in it for you at this time?  The fascinating something that I learned is that the final word of the Torah is “Yisreal” (G*d wrestler) and the first word of the Torah is “Bereshit” (in a process of creating).  When the scroll is connected, completing a circle, the word that is formed by connecting the last letter of the last word and first letter of the first word is, “lev” (heart).

There was something so touching for me to learn that Maya left us right around the time of this “heart connection”.

In October of last year, the Lev Shalem Institute of the Woodstock Jewish Congregation, hosted a conference of women Torah scribes.  The role of Torah scribe has been held only by men until very recently.  I did not attend this conference.  Considering I was in such awe of the word, “lev” and the meaning it held for me, I had a special request.  I asked Rabbi Jonathan to please ask one of the scribes to write it for me, even if it were on a piece of scrap paper.  Within a few days, Rabbi Jonathan was delighted to hand deliver, not one, but two works of art collaboratively created by several of the women who came from different parts of the globe.  I am honored that these beautiful pieces have a place in our living room.  They are a reminder of the love that lies within our hearts.

Thank you to the very generous Torah scribes who gifted our family with these treasures.  To find out more about the workshop, click here.  Ongoing appreciation to our dear Rabbi Jonathan, who continues to be a pillar of support.