Kesher Talk

L'Chayim ul'Shalom, L'Sasson ul'Simcha, Lishua ul'Nechama . . .: Howard, thank you for your blog hospitality.

Since the resurgence of the intifada two years ago and then the Durban-berg Rally last year, I had been bombarding friends, email lists and news site forums with URLs about Muslim fanaticism and increased anti-Semitism worldwide. When the planes hit the WTC, I was actually relieved. "Now this shit will come out in the open and we can draw some lines," I thought.

I have always described myself as socially liberal, fiscally conservative and associate with "political progressives" much of the time. I have seen leftist anti-Semitism before, and although I am angry and disappointed at its resurgence, I can't honestly say I'm surprised when people who I thought were independent thinkers swallow Palestinian propaganda without questioning.

Even so, I was discouraged by the time I discovered the blogosphere around March. A new outlet for my outrage! I excitedly sent URLs and commented to bloggers, several of whom urged me to strike out on my own. Howard is actually the 2nd blogger to offer me guest privileges (which I think of as blog training wheels), but I was leery of feeding the blog addiction until I decided that I wouldn't be spending any more time at it if I did it under my own name rather than in someone else's comment section.

Today - Rosh Chodesh Ellul - is a good day to start a rewarding new activity. Not only does a new month begin today, but it is a special month in which Jews traditionally begin spiritual preparations for the intense self-reflection of the High Holy Days. Although not a morning person, not only did I show up at morning minyan at 7 AM, I also chanted one of the special Torah readings for this day.

In addition to the psalm of the day, on every Rosh Chodesh we recite Psalm 104 (my favorite of them all), and throughout Ellul and into the Yamim Noraim we also recite Psalm 27 (which certainly has resonance for Jews and our friends during these frightening times). So a plethora of psalms this morning.

Just in case anyone misses the point that they had better apply themselves to cleaning up their internal shit before Yom Kippur, at the end of each morning service during Ellul we also blow the shofar, which is the best incentive to get up this early, because it is a sound unlike any other on earth, an untamed animal sound that grabs you by the lapels and shouts in your face: "Listen!" Our shofar blower had a beautifully long twisty ram's horn (much like the one in this picture) with a forceful yet mellow sound, something like a French horn.

I am going to try to get to minyan every morning this month - wish me fortitude and the desire to go to bed early.

posted by Judith @ 8/09/2002 06:06:17 PM