A Moment in Time: “Moments that Shape Us”

Dear all,

I had my first piano recital when I was in second grade. I can still picture it—the two songs I played, the little introduction I gave, even the necklace my teacher wore. That single recital, more than forty years ago, was more than a performance. It was a moment in time that shaped me, planting in me a lifelong love of music and a deep respect for those who teach it.

We all carry moments like this—experiences that leave their mark and never fade. Some are shared across the world. We remember where we were on September 11, 2001, or when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded.

We remember the joy dancing at Israel’s Independence, hearing Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream, watching Neil Armstrong take his first step on the moon, or seeing the Berlin Wall fall.

And then there are the personal ones—the moments no one else may notice, but that change the course of our own lives.

What have been those moments for you? Which ones inspired you, or unsettled you, or shifted how you see the world?

And perhaps the most important question: how have those moments helped you bring your own light more fully into the world?

With love and shalom,

Rabbi Zach Shapiro