ZSIPORAH’S FIRST BLOG – ACRES OF DIAMONDS

I have always wanted to write a Blog, but was too nervous. What would I say, and worse, because of the commitment necessary  to Blogging – what would I continue to say! But my husband has assured me that I have lots to say.  Anyone catch the intended irony there! I wish I could use a laugh track or put in lots of ‘HaHa’s’ and ‘LOL’’s so you would know where not to take me too seriously.

So, as the school season commences and the Fall Feasts are around the corner I see this time and blog as an opportunity of newness. I am inviting you to share my journey with me. Sometimes, it will take us around the world as it has for the past few years of my life. Sometimes it will be in my own backyard. Because of that I am tempted to call it “Acres of Diamonds”, the title of a famous book, actually an essay from the 1920’s, which my Father gave to me to read when I was very young. While it has become a  very cliché title, it has great meaning to me.

My Father gave

ROSH HASHANAH?

Hi Friends, normally I would have a separate blog from Zsiporah in her own corner, but as we are approaching the High Holy Days, I wanted to ensure that you heard our hearts about this special time of the year. Here are her thoughts and, at the bottom of the page, a link to the video of our blowing of the shofar at the National House of Prayer in our nation’s capital, Ottawa, Canada.

Rosh Hashanah?

When I was a very little girl, half a century ago, the only people who cared about Rosh Ha’Shanah were my relatives, we were Jewish. We lived in a big city, and all our community gathered at one of the three Synagogues, and we ‘Davened’ all day, reading the Torah in a chant like fashion. Men had competitions with each other to see who could read it the quickest.I don’t remember the rabbi teaching or sharing, perhaps he did, but we children were given ridiculous amounts of freedom to run around the synagogue and to visit and play with each other. I didn’t understand that in post war America, this freedom was not typical of how the Jewish peopled celebrated or honoured