Dear all,
Holidays, Holy Days, and Festivals are remarkable times. But they can also be sad and lonely times. We think of family members who are far away. We remember loved ones who have died. We wonder if we can still create holy space when there is no one around to join us.
Is it still worth it to bring out the candles and light them? I’ll be honest…. I didn’t feel like it Wednesday night.
Ron had to travel during Hanukkah. We wanted to light candles together by video, but the timing didn’t work. So I took out his photo, as well as the photo (not pictured) of our dog, Daisy, who died two years ago. And even though I was alone, I was joined by incredible souls as I lit my candles.
My mood shifted.
And my heart lifted.
I know… It’s not the same for those who don’t have a Ron that will come home soon, and I don’t want to create a spiritual equivalency.
And yet, it’s still powerful to surround ourselves with those whose goodness produces hope, and whose light pierces darkness – even for just a moment in time.
With love and shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
A change in perspective can shift the focus of our day – and even our lives. We have an opportunity to harness “a moment in time,” allowing our souls to be both grounded and lifted. This blog shows how the simplest of daily experiences can become the most meaningful of life’s blessings. All it takes is a moment in time.
Rabbi Zach Shapiro is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Akiba of Culver City, a Reform Jewish Congregation in California. He earned his B.A. in Spanish from Colby College in 1992, and his M.A.H.L. from HUC-JIR in 1996. He was ordained from HUC-JIR – Cincinnati, in 1997. He was appointed to the HUC-JIR Board of Governors in 2018.
