Congregation Shirat Shalom Rabbi & Cantor's Messages

The Struggle for Freedom by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 19:00:28 GMT

The encounter between Moses and Pharaoh, retold each Passover, is more than a story of liberation. It is a study in how freedom is born.

Moses, eighty, and Aaron, eighty-three, arrive from the desert, dusty, unannounced, yet they pass the guards and stand before Pharaoh. How?

The Torah says, “Bo el Paroh”-come into Pharaoh. The commentators in the Gemara teach that the Divine Presence was already there. Moses and Aaron did not enter alone; they were carried by a strength beyond themselves. Power recognizes power.

Yet, Moses does not demand full freedom. He asks only that the people go into the desert to serve G-d. Is this a ruse? The sages say no as freedom comes in stages. A slave must first taste inner freedom, spiritually and mentally before he can bring it into his physical life. The journey into the desert was not an escape, it was preparation.

This is not merely a political struggle. It is a confrontation between worlds: Pharaoh, the embodiment of human power posing as divine, and the G-d of Israel, unseen yet absolute. Each plague chips away not only at Egypt, but at Pharaoh’s self-image.

The plagues have unsettled Pharoah so he negotiates. First the men can go, then, when Moses flatly refuses to compromise, the families can join, but not with everything they own. Pharoah understands the risk. If he fully releases the slaves that means he is admitting there is a higher authority. Even accompanying them with his mighty army would concede too much.

Why does he not yield completely? Why not believe in this new Divine Authority? Because true faith would limit him. To serve a true G-d is to surrender the illusion of being one. It is too much for his ego.

So Pharaoh resists, not only Moses, but the truth that is right in front of him. He eventually loses his army and his prestige in the Sea of Reeds yet he clings to the final illusion of control.

The Exodus story teaches us that liberation begins within. Only those willing to release their inner Pharaoh can walk into freedom.

Something to think about…

May we all be released into freedom this Passover!

Chag Sameach,

Rabbi David

Purim-The Story Behind the Story by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 15:05:40 GMT

Jewish people have been celebrating the holiday of Purim for about 2400 years. It is, as we all know, a fun holiday of parties, dressing in costumes eating hamantaschen and enjoying the day. It is a celebration in remembrance of the great salvation of the Jews of Persia who were under a great threat of annihilation only to be saved by the Jewish queen Ester and her Uncle Mordechai.

But the story of Purim has much deeper roots. It involves a very old and bitter political rivalry between two royal families. which goes all the way back to King Saul and King David some 3,100 years ago, way before the events of the story of Purim in Persia.

While all of the 12 tribes that inherited the land of Israel were considered one nation, there was friction between the ten tribes who lived in the center and northern part of Israel, known as the northern region tribes, and the two southern region tribes, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

King Saul, the first king of Israel, came from the tribe of Benjamin of the southern region. This created friction with the northern tribes who wanted the king of Israel to come the northern region. Nevertheless, King Saul in his wisdom was a unifying king who treated all the tribes fairly and therefore all of the tribes of Israel considered him their king.

However, things did not work well for King Saul. G-D explicitly ordered him to totally annihilate the Amalekite nation, men, women and children and completely destroy all of their property. (Indeed, we do have some moral issues in the Bible.) King Saul granted "professional curtsey" to the Amalekite king, Agag, as well as his wife and did not kill them. He also allowed the people to take booty from the Amalekites’ possessions against G-D’s explicit instructions. In order to follow G-D's order, the Amalekite king, Agag, was eventually killed by the prophet Samuel. With King Agag’s death it was thought that this was the end to all living Amalekites.

But that was not the case. Our great sages explain that even prophet Samuel neglected to kill Agag's wife who happened to be pregnant . The Amalekite line therefore continued throughout the generations.

G-D was furious with King Saul. He took away the kingdom from him and gave it to King David who was from the tribe of Judea. The ten tribes considered the anointment of David to be a king as another insult since he too like King Saul came from the southern tribe region.

Unlike King Saul, King David and his son, King Solomon, had an ongoing animosity towards the northern region. They treated the northern tribe very unfairly. Among other things, they imposed heavy taxation, long military service as well as other national duties. That unfair treatment came about probably because the northern tribes refused to accept David as their king for seven years until they finely capitulated.

Fast forward centuries later to Persia where a large Jewish population had formed over centuries of exile.

King Saul's descendents never forgot the humiliation of tearing the kingdom from them and giving it to the house of David. They were hoping to regain back the respect of G-D and maybe even any future kingdom of Israel. At least part of the Jewish population in the Persian Diaspora who centuries earlier belonged to the ten northern tribes probably preferred the house of Saul as well since he was considered a national unifier as opposed to King David and his son King Solomon who held a grudge against them.

The major characters of the story of Purim which took place in Shushan, the capital of Persia, have a direct connection to the story of King David and King Saul. In fact Mordechai who was most likely the leader of the Jewish community in Shushan and Ester, the heroes of the story, were direct descendants of King Saul. It seems that the house of King Saul was still enjoying a leadership position among the Jews.

We know that because the narrative refers to Mordechai as "the son of Kish", referring to Kish, the father of King Saul who was also called "Saul, son of Kish." Obviously the narrative is making sure that we are aware of the connection between Mordechai and King Saul. The narrative refers to Haman as the Aggagite, making sure we understand that Haman is a direct descendent of Aggag the king of the Amalakites.

So now we see the story of Purim clearly. This is the second round of the conflict between the house of King Saul and the house of Agag the Amalekite. Mordechai knows that this time around that all the descendants of the Amalekites must be killed in order to comply with G-D's order as well regaining the honor of the house of Saul. This is about an unfinished business that must be completed.

When Mordechai suggests to Queen Ester that G-D had made her the queen of Persia for a specific reason, this is the reason to which he is most likely referring.

But the story of Purim does have a twist at the end. While Haman and his ten sons were hanged, his wife and possibly daughters were not. So yet again the Amalekite line was not completely annihilated and may have continued through the wife who might have been pregnant at the time or through the daughters.

However it is interesting to note that from this point on Judaism takes a more philosophical approach to the line of the Amalekite. We consider every enemy of Israel who is trying to annihilate the Jewish people as a descendent of the Amalekite king, as Haman was. We certain can see the reference also to Hamas here - there is only one letter difference between Haman and Hamas.

Haman and the rest of the cruel enemies who throughout the generations have tried to destroy us, are considered the manifestation of evil in the world. That evil is what we are trying to eradicate by spreading throughout the world the Light of G-D which dwells within each and every one of us, in order to make our world a better, more peaceful one.

May this holiday of Purim be joyful to all of us.

Rabbi David

Introducing the Infinite Child - A Throwback from 2017

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 13:46:15 GMT

Here is the original article when we first introduced the Infinite Child to our congregation back in 2017. We have since expanded our program for families of all religions, traditions and cultures and have worked with families throughout the world! Join our new program for children, parents and playful adults beginning Jan. 17th!

Introducing the Infinite Child

If you have heard rumors that Rabbi David and Cantor Lee have been putting blindfolds on children, yes, they are true! It is actually part of our new program, the Infinite Child Institute where children are taught focusing and mindfulness techniques. The results of the program thus far are not only interesting but enormously exciting!

Not only are children having an easier time learning and reading Hebrew (as one student put it, “it was magic when I had to practice for my Bat Mitzvah the next day!”) but they are also improving in secular school subjects as well as having transformative changes socially and emotionally.

Just to prepare you, the next sentence may be initially difficult to fathom…With training the children are actually able to see and read while wearing the blindfold as well as perform other activities such as coloring, doing a puzzle or walking around the room! It seems we all have the ability to use our inner eyes, our Infinite Light Vision. It is just that we were never taught or encouraged to use this sacred gift of our inner sight.

As people learn of our work with the Infinite Child program, it has been interesting to observe the gamut of reactions which range from utter amazement to total disbelief! We sometimes think we can in a small way relate to Abraham’s feelings with bringing the idea of monotheism into the world. Not only did he declare that there is only one G-d but this included the difficult perception that this One G-d is invisible!

But Abraham as the first Hebrew (the term Jew wasn’t in use yet) crossed over into a new realm of consciousness, a new way of being. The word Hebrew actually means to “cross over.” For the last 3000 years the Jewish people have crossed over into many new realms of consciousness, bringing to the world revolutionary ideas such as justice for all, caring for the helpless, for animals and for our environment as well as repairing the world through acts of good deeds.

Even Congregation Shirat Shalom when it was first conceived over twenty years ago crossed over from the status quo with our own revolutionary ideas. And one of those ideas was that the main focus would be the children. We somehow understood at the deepest levels that it is our children who will create a world of Peace and Love.

Perhaps they are beginning to create it right now. For as these Infinite Children show us what we perceive as impossible really is possible, we too cross over into a new realm of consciousness. And with this new way of being, of believing our possibilities are unlimited, a world of Peace and Love doesn’t seem too far away!

May it be soon....

Rabbi David and Cantor Lee

Infinite Child Institute

In this video a seventh grader has reached the stage of reading blindfolded.

The Shift by Rabbi David and Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 15:08:11 GMT

In addition to Yom Kippur, there are other days during the year set aside for reflection and fasting. This month we observe the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tevet, which this year occurs on December 30th. It comes just before our secular New Year, a time many people also use for reflection.

From an historical perspective, the tenth day of Tevet marks the first day the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem in 588 BCE. That siege ultimately led to the destruction of the majestic Temple of Solomon, our First Temple, and the exile of the Jewish people to Babylon. Out of this great loss emerged a profound spiritual shift. Prayer and connection to the Divine were no longer centered on a physical building or animal sacrifice, but on inner spirituality and direct communication. This marked the beginning of a deeper understanding of what it means to be a Light unto the Nations.

Every Hebrew month also has a Hebrew letter associated with it. The letter Ayin is assigned to Tevet. Ayin means eye and represents our inner divine vision.This inner vision became especially important after the destruction of the Temple, when spiritual connection could no longer rely on a physical place. Instead, the focus shifted to the inner sanctuary—the heart and the soul where the inner vision resides.

The prophets have foretold there will be another great shift which will include deep darkness which we believe we are experiencing right now. But out of that darkness there will arise a new Light bringing a new way of being not only for the Jewish people but the rest of humanity.

We believe that in some small way the teachings we have brought to our Shirat Shalom children throughout the years are a part of this great shift and also includes our Infinite Light Vision program which helps the children connect more deeply to their Inner Divine Light. We have even adapted this program for the secular world which we first began in our Hebrew School over eight years ago and have worked with children and families all over the world!

Here is our original letter to the congregation about this back in 2017!

We are excited we are offering a new program for children and parents (and playful adults) for all faiths and traditions beginning Jan. 17 to connect more deeply to our Divine Light! If you feel called to this, wonderful! Come join us! Find out More Here

Shalom, Rabbi David and Cantor Lee

The Light of Chanukah by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:21:46 GMT

In a few weeks we will once again celebrate Chanukah, the Festival of Lights. While the holiday celebrates a war victory of a small group of Jews over the mighty Greek empire, the Chanukah celebration itself is over a partial victory. We remember the successes of the Maccabees, Jewish rebels, in chasing the Greek army away from the city of Jerusalem and surrounding area only, not from the entire Judea area. A full victory of freeing the entire Judean territory from the Greek empire came some years later. At that point the Greeks decided that it was not worth it for them to lose so many soldiers during constant battles with the Maccabees. They then withdrew their army from the rest of Judea.

During the initial victory as the Maccabees entered the Jerusalem Temple they cleansed it from Greek statues and pagan religious articles everywhere and lit the seven branched golden menorah in order to bring back the Light of Holiness to the Temple. They then rededicated the temple to the G-D of Israel. Hence the word “Chanukah”, dedication.

This Light is the true spiritual meaning of the celebration. In the absence of Godly light at the temple, G-D’s spirit was absent from the soul of the people. That absence of the Shechina, the spirit of G-D resulted in many Jews becoming Hellenists, Jews who followed the Greek pagan religion and customs. The Maccabees considered the Hellenists to also be enemies of the Jewish people.

During Chanukah today, we also celebrate the power of our own inner sacred Light which dwells in each of our souls. It is the sacred Light of inner peace and love. As we celebrate the holiday of Chanukah we pray that our Light grows stronger and will illuminate the dark parts of the world, that it will shed peace and hope for people under oppression and despair.

We light the ‘Chanukia', the special 8 branched Chanukah menorah every night of the eight nights of the holiday. There is also one extra branch for the “Shamash”, the server branch, used to hold the candle which lights the rest of the menorah. With every night our sacred Light deepens in our souls, gaining more power, strengthening our resolve to hope and work for a better, peaceful world. This is our Light of Peace among ourselves and among all the nations.

May it be so.

Happy Festival of Lights!

Rabbi David

Appreciation through Water by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:15:46 GMT

Emerging from the High Holy day season ending with Simchat Torah, we enter the second month of the Jewish year, the month of Cheshvan. While there is no major holiday or a date of religious / national importance, it is nonetheless an important part of Jewish life. On the seventh day of Cheshvan, we begin to pray for rain, for the badly needed water in the mostly semi desert state of Israel. Water means much more than a quencher of a very thirsty land of Israel. It is in fact a major part of Jewish practices. It symbolizes the Jewish covenant with and trust in G-D as well as the sanctity of life itself. Jewish people express an appreciation for the creator through religious and spiritual acts involving water.

During the second day of creation G-D brought water under the heavens as a crucial part of life’s creation on Earth. The flood story is about using water to rebuild, restarting life the way G-D intended it to be. Some of the biblical water related stories are highly symbolic. Abraham offers water to the three strangers coming from the desert as a way to “inject” life into them so they can bless Sara with new a future life with baby Isaac.

The symbol of water as a source of life repeats in the Bible many times. Moses brings water from the rock not only to revive exhausted and thirsty Israelites but also to enhance their belief and trust in G-D, the source of life. Gideon, an army leader, chooses only a few hundred soldiers to fight the Midianite army. He chooses only the ones that lay down to drink water from the river and not the ones who kneel to drink. Those who lay down to drink are the ones who refuse to kneel, the act of idol worshippers, exhibiting an absolute trust in G-D. The prophets use water as an allegory to G-D, the source of life.

During this month of Cheshvan, not only do we pray for rain, we also express our appreciation for water, for life and for abundance. Jews consider life, a G-D given present as holy and should be preserved at all cost. It is said in the Talmud that anyone who saves one soul is as if he saved the entire world. This offer of appreciation for life and abundance is expressed through prayers and is a big part of the holiday of Sukkot, the last holiday of the agricultural year.

With Thanksgiving approaching, it is said that the Pilgrims, highly appreciative of surviving the harsh initial time in the new world, used the holiday of Sukkot as an idea to create the holiday of Thanksgiving. It is therefore a good time to adapt the Jewish custom of showing an appreciation of everything around us. The blessing, “Baruch Atah Adonai,” "Blessed are you Adonai,” is the Jewish way of showing an appreciation for our life by blessing and thanking the Creator. The rabbis of the past even declared that one should offer 100 blessings a day as expressed in our prayerbook.

May we all blessed with much for which to be grateful!

Rabbi David

Faith, Doubt and G-d by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:06:50 GMT

Rabbi David's Yom Kippur Sermon

Today we come to the synagogue for different reasons. We come to face both G-D and ourselves, our adversities, our hopes. Some are here to be with fellow Jews, to be inspired by the profound melodies.

Some of us struggle to understand, to make sense of unresolved issues of family concerns. Some struggle to keep the faith in the face of serious adversities or painful personal issues.

For the most part, we carry our pain silently. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov used to say: “Nothing is as whole as a broken heart and nothing shouts louder than silence. “

At times we struggle to carry the weight of uncertainty, of doubts, when our belief, our emuna, becomes questionable, unclear, when we don't see the light at the end of the tunnel,

Welcome to the Jewish faith experience.

Our struggle with doubt in our religious beliefs or with G-D, himself, is not a flaw. It is the heart of Jewish faith. Indeed, Jewish philosophy is unique when it comes to faith. Doubts and questioning cleans the soul. It makes for a stronger faith. It builds it up.

The Torah heroes are not flawless with blind faith. Biblical heroes often struggle with doubts, even questioning faith. Avraham argues with G-D over the city Sodom. He challenges G-D saying, “Shall the Judge of all the earth not act justly?” His faith is the courage to question G-D. He struggles to understand the mysterious ways of G-D’s justice. Will the G-D of mercy destroy an entire city full of people?

Moses, at the age of 75, doubts G-D’s reasoning for sending him to free the slaves: Moses says: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” Moses is filled with uncertainty. Despite being chosen by G-D he struggles with G-D’a decisions. Yet, he does exactly as he istold. For the next 40 years, his doubt turns into an unwavering faith in G-D.

David, cries out: “Why, O Lord, do You stand far away?”—and in the next breath declares: “But I trust in Your kindness.”

Doubting faith in G-D has been a part of our Jewish experience for millennia. It is part of our personal modern world. For Jewish people doubting and questioning G-D is not the opposite of faith. For us doubting and questioning is in the fabric of our faith.

When Jacob wrestles all night with the angelhe is given a new name: Yisrael, “One who struggles with G-D.” That is what our faith is all about. We, the great descendants of Jacob are G-D’s wrestlers as well. For us, to be Jewish is not to have simple answers.

We define our relationship with the All Mighty through life’s uncertainties and challenges. That is what enhances our faith. Our faith, our emuna is not a simple straight line of unwavering trust.

Imagine the path to faith as a stretched line that may go nicely and straight for a while, then turns sideways, then may even go backwards, then another sideways turn, then finally stretches straight again.Imagine seeing the straight line that finally emerges as much brighter and profound. This is faith enhanced

At times some people feel darkness all around with no end in sight. But darkness is not the absence of Light. It is Light hidden.There is a Chassidic saying: “ The light of faith penetrates best through the wounds of the soul.”

Therefore, questioning and struggling with uncertainties soothes the soul and builds a stronger faith.

Moreover, substantive doubts and questioning have always been welcomed in our most sacred literature. Even when our Jewish core beliefs are being challenged.

Talmudic scholars embraced meaningful arguments and uncertainties as a path to a stronger faith. The Talmud itself is about uncertainties. It is based on different valid opinions, sometimes completely opposite points of views for the same legal challenge.

The rabbis preserved all opinions, because they considered every voice as important and mattered, every doubt carried wisdom. They went as far as saying: ”Doubt in faith engages us with holiness and godliness even when our questions get no answers.

This does sound paradoxical. The idea that faith gets stronger with lack of answers, and understanding is indeed strange. The irony is that this paradox is the core, The essence of the Jewish faith.

Nothing demonstrates it clearer than the story of the binding of Isaac. All his life Abraham saw G-D as unique among all the idols and pagan gods around him. Hiis G-D was a true, living, compassionate G-D who cares much about people, and a G-D of justice and love.

As he takes his son Isaac to Mount Moria to slaughter him, his entire body is torn apart from agony, from the shock of what he is about to do to his beloved son. He does not understand any of it. Offering his son as a sacrifice made no sense at all, not for the compassionate G-D he knew all of his life. Somehow, deep in his heart he knew that G-D does not change his ways. He is always compassionate and merciful and therefore there must be some mysterious plan for all this beyond his lack of understanding. Abraham trusted G-D com pletely. That meant having a strong inner feeling that somehow the slaughtering will not happen.

We, like Abraham, understand and realize that we are G-D creatures with human spiritual limitations.

Faith in G-D when it is beyond our ability to comprehend some of our life’s experiences makes for enhanced faith, enough to settle the soul and stir it to a stronger faith

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught: “Faith without questions is no faith at all.”

Rabbi Heshel, a great rabbi of the 20th century said that, “Faith is uncertainty, it is the courage to live with doubts, with unanswered challenges, with what we cannot comprehend.”

In modern times the Holocaust is considered the ultimate challenge for the Jewish faith. For many Jews the Holocaust created the greatest doubt in religion. Where was God? How can we believe after such darkness?
Some, like Elie Wiesel, spoke of silence, of the greatest doubt. Yet he and his fellow prisoners kept the Jewish tradition as much as they could. They never stopped praying. Elie Wiesel explained that keeping whatever traditions they could despite all the death and atrocities around them, gave them hope and spiritual strength.

Jewish faith has never been about easy answers. It has always been about holding onto G-D even when the questions are overwhelming.So on this Yom Kippur, let us gather all our doubts, all uncertainties, all personal adversities and merge them all into a strong unwavering faith. My prayer is that our faith will give all of us, G-D wrestlers, our brothers and sisters wherever they are a neverending hope and strength.G’mar Chatimah Tovah—may we all be sealed for life, blessings, and peace.

Rabbi David

Kol Nidrei Sermon by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:26:43 GMT

The biblical account of the creation of the universe seems mysterious. Using the relationship between cause and effect, G-D is the ultimate cause, creating the entire universe from nothingness. No black holes, no big explosion, just nothingness.

In the biblical narrative of creation there was no physical work, chemical interaction or any kind of building blocks for the universe. G-D created the entire universe simply by commanding it to happen.

However, the only thing that was created differently in the entire universe, were human beings. G-D actually physically sculpted the shape of a human from the dirt of planet Earth and when he was satisfied with his prototype, he then blew his Godly living spirit into him. Therefore, the phrase “In the Image of G-D” does not refer to the physical shape of Adam, since G-D has no physical image. It actually refers to G-D’s spirit which was blown into him.

Evidently, Adam and Eve were perfect human beings in every way. However, after the fruit of the tree of knowledge fiasco, when Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit of knowledge, they suddenly had enhanced intelligence and sophistication way beyond their original creation. This became imparted to all the generations that followed.

But with all those smarts, Adam and Eve also acquired some bad tendencies and emotions which made them less than perfect. As a result, Adam and all generations that followed became creatures with the spirit of G-D inside but also imperfect.

Jewish tradition says that there is a constant daily conflict between godliness and negative feelings and emotions as we go about our modern daily lives.

Later on, as the biblical events folded, starting with Cain murdering his own brother, Abel, the biblical narrative talks about generations of mankind with negative tendencies and even cruelties. This is a time when the spirit of G-D has begun to fade. G-D then realizes that something has to be done to try to control human flaws to save mankind from itself.

In the Book of Exodus, G-D designates the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the great G-D believers as the guardians of G-D’s spirit among people. This was done to prevent the spirit of G-D from completely fading from the hearts and minds of humanity.

That means that we, the Jewish people, are entrusted with preserving the divine spirit of G-D, among people, to make the world a better place by shining G-D’s light among mankind.

We all know it as “repairing the world,” Tikun Olam through acts of kindness and good deeds.

In order to make our world a better place, our soul yearns to be in constant contact with its creator for strength and encouragement, like a lamb constantly searching for his mom.

The Rambam, Maimonides, explains that we pray to our creator, so that our soul reunites with its creator in order to draw strength and holiness.

The Chasidic philosophy, while not taking away the importance of actual praying, stresses the value of meditating as a way to help bring the soul close to its creator. Meditating is awakening the inner feelings of closeness to G-D and a sense of holiness.

We become better human beings, performing acts of kindness and pursuing justice. This is the essence of Tikun Olam, making the world a better place. In turn, this makes our world a better place for all. We repair the world through our prayers and deeds.

Prayers do not need to be perfect, not in text, not in hymns. It is the intention, or "kavana" in our meditative state that elevates our soul close to our Creator. Judaism maintains that such a meditative state makes our prayers rise to heaven and opens the gates of heaven.

The following is a Chasidic story that demonstrates the power of kavanah, intention.

It was the Kol Nidrei night; the synagogue was very crowded, all waiting patiently for the rebbe to begin davening Kol Nidrei. But the rebbe was quiet and just stood there as if he was waiting for something.

People around him quietly and respectfully urged him to start but he just stood silently. Minutes went by and nothing happened. Then, suddenly, a wide smile appeared on his face and he started a powerful ”Kol Nidrei…

Later he explained, “I heard a child from the back of the synagogue talking to the old mighty saying, I cannot read to say the prayers but I know the alef bet. As he recited the letters, they went straight to heaven as a powerful prayer. The rebbe, known as the Baal Shem Tov, explained, “I waited until the child’s holy prayer was finished and accepted in the heavens before I began.”

The great rabbis of the Talmud taught that it is ok to ask for our needs and even our wants because even personal requests of both wants and needs, strengthens the bond between us and the Creator, drawing our souls closer to him.

May our prayers for ourselves, for our families and friends, for all souls who are hurting in silence, may we all be a shofar to their sorrow. May our prayers for all who suffer, for a more peaceful and tranquil world be accepted in heaven for a Happy New Year.

Shana Tova,

Rabbi David

The Lady in the Sukkah by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:12:47 GMT

Even though I was only a child, after all these years, the memory is still etched into my mind, into my very essence…

I was four years old at the time, living in Yonkers, NY, where I attended our Temple’s nursery school. It was the time of Sukkot but the sukkah was in the sanctuary on the bimah. I still wonder today, why it wasn’t built outside but I suppose that is just how things were done there.

Our teacher had us line up in front of the side stairs going up to the bimah. One by one we each had a turn to stand inside the sukkah. When it was my turn, as I looked above to see the hanging fruits, I was embraced and experienced a Joy and Love that I still can’t put into words to this day. In my child’s mind, it was the invisible, magical lady of the sukkah who hugged me.

When our son was three years old and came home from his pre-school saying his friend’s daddy built a sukkah, that was all Rabbi David needed to hear. And so began our yearly tradition of building a sukkah in our backyard. In those days, living up north in New Jersey, the Autumn weather was beautiful and we would host a yearly party for which we became famous.

But each night I would sit quietly inside the sukkah and again experience the Sacred Presence that embraced me as a child. It would renew me, fill me with peace and joy! It is a tradition that I still follow after all these years.

I suppose the rabbis knew what they were doing when they instituted that it is a mitzvah to have people visit a sukkah one builds. For they too can be infused with the Healing, the Renewal, the Joy that being underneath the sukkah can bring. What a beautiful gift after the intense inner work of the High Holy Days!

Love, Cantor Lee

The Heavenly Commission by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 13:30:12 GMT

Cantor Lee: What would the High Holy Days be without an account of Rabbi David's yearly meeting with the Heavenly Beings. Shana Tova!

Rabbi David: Once again, as the summer draws to an end and the High Holy Days are in the air, as my yearly rabbinical custom demands, I used my Divine facebook account to send a message to the Heavenly Department for Jewish and Kosher Affairs, alerting them that I am filing an application for the World’s Jewish Status Review. I used the appropriate heavenly mandatory form titled “Rabbinical Request for Complaints Hearing and Jewish Review”

Much to my surprise, a few days later, UPS left me a small package from an undisclosed sender. Inside was a letter and a map. The letter notified me that Angel Shmuel Rabinowitz, my long loyal contact, will not handle my case this year since he was reassigned to a different detail in Washington DC. Go figure.

My case will be handled by Superior Angel, Mottel Berkovitch. Angel Mottel presides over a special non-partisan angelic commission for rabbinical complaints. My case will be heard at that kosher bagel and cream cheese store in the wilderness of West Boca Raton. I was asked to bring to the hearing all supporting documentation including maps, graphs, videos and written testimonies from Jewish people around the world. All the presented material will be evaluated in an orderly fashion during the heavenly hearing.

A date was set. I was busy gathering all the supporting documents. On the date of the hearing I got up early, got dressed, put on my favorite “Am Yisrael Chai” shirt, nice pair of pants and tie, ate an abbreviated breakfast and got ready to leave quietly so as not to disturb my beloved wife, Lee Ellen, who was still sleeping.

It course, nothing slips past my beloved wife. She rushed downstairs to perform her regular daily husband clothing checking. Upon hearing where and why I was going, she rolled her eyes and murmured ”another mishegas”. As usual I was made to change my pants, shirt, socks and shoes because she detected a microscopic unseen spot at the bottom of my pants. The tie passed and could stay.

I finally got to the bagel place. The commission was already sitting around a long table. They had already finished their breakfast and were drinking their Turkish coffee. There were four lady angels and four gentlemen angels, all looking very angelic and serious. Superior Angel Mottel Berkovich was presiding. With him was his heavenly edition apple laptop and a large screen.

I pulled the documents from my briefcase and handed them to Angel Mottel. He scanned them and displayed them on the screen. He was also streaming the procedure in real time for the big guy, the Higher Authority to see.

“Go ahead dear, we are listening, we are all human ears”, one of the lady angels was saying with a heavenly smile.

The supporting documents were now flashing on the screen. All the testimonies of hostilities against Jews around the world including Israel’s struggle in the last two years were there. I started my presentation: “As you can see for yourselves your honorable angels, the Jewish world is experiencing a dangerous rise in physical and verbal hostility. In many countries. Jews are living in fear for their lives. Our beloved Israel is struggling in a never ending war for survival against extremely ruthless enemies. They are exhausted physically and mentally. The hostages that were dragged to Gaza two years ago are still held in despicable inhumane conditions. "

The commission was quietly watching the testimonial, pictures and videos on the screen. I continued, "We in the US and other places around the world are experiencing a dangerous rise in Antisemitism on our campuses, on our streets and social media. Lies about the Jewish people and State of Israel have proliferated everywhere. We, the Jewish people, have suffered enough. It is time for some changes. It is time to improve human moral standards and eliminate Jewish persecution once and for all. "

One of the angels raised what appeared to be a hand and got permission to talk. “Rabbi, he said, “we have been dealing with bigotry and antisemitism for many, many centuries. Our almighty boss has closets full of documents like these. He had to build additional heavenly closets to store them all. As you know, Rabbi, the Jewish people have been traumatized by war and bigotry since Moses’ time. Angel Mottel took over, “Rabbi, just as we have been saying for centuries, do not despair. The Jewish people are an evergreen nation, forever alive. They are here as long as the world turns. You see, said the good Angel Mottel Berkovich, the Jewish people are blessed with Divine Light and nothing can destroy it. They are a giant tree with roots so deep in the ground, no hurricane can possibly topple it, not even category five. Be not afraid. G-D almighty, my boss, has your back. Keep the faith.

Another nice angel said: you must trust that what is good and decent will always prevail, trust that the good and decent will always defeat the darkness and evil. However,” he continued, ”Our Boss, the big guy, is watching these proceedings in real time. He is aware of everything. Trust in him and pray to him. With his help things will get better."

With this the Angelic commission officially wished all of us a great new Jewish year, a year of peace and tranquility all over the world. The meeting ended.

I was left there with my carefully chosen clean shirt and pants and my nice new kippah. I trust that the angels of the special angelic commission were right, talking about the Jewish secret of survival and that our eternal Hope for a Peaceful world will never fade and will become a reality.

May we all be blessed with a Happy and Healthy New Year, a year of peace. Shanah Tova,

Rabbi David

Elul Month of Love by Rabbi David and Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:26:40 GMT

In just a few weeks, Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Sept. 22nd. As we all know, it is a time of inner work, purification and forgiveness that lasts for ten days though Yom Kippur. This work is so important that preparation actually begins 30 days beforehand during the Hebrew month of Elul, which is known as the Month of Love. The Hebrew letters are an acronym for the famous phrase, "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" taken from Song of Solomon, 6:3 in the Bible. This phrase is commonly used at weddings but it is really about the Love that G-d has for all of us, that we are in sacred partnership, co-creators.

As we go through self evaluation during the month of Elul which began Aug. 23rd at sundown, we do so with this Divine Love. It helps us discern what we would like to keep in our lives and what we would like to discard. The daily process of inner reflection which is to be done without guilt is meant to also help us become more aware of our emotions and perceptions, allowing us to eventually have control over them rather than having the emotions and perceptions control us.

One of the best ways to go through this process is with kavanah which means, intention. It is one of our most powerful practices. Even before praying we set the intention that our prayers are connecting us to G-d. Therefore, with kavanah, set the intention that insights will come with inner reflection that will help you grow spiritually. Cantor Lee keeps a journal to help with this process. If you would like to follow the practice of inner reflection during Elul, please let us know know how it goes!

May we all be blessed with awareness, discernment, peace and joy during this most special time!

Love, Rabbi David and Cantor Lee

Survival Secrets by Rabbi David and Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:13:37 GMT

Cantor Lee Years ago for a college assignment I asked Rabbi David what his earliest memory was. He said it was when he was 3 years old. Sirens were sounding outside his family’s apartment in Israel. All the windows had to be covered with dark paper and no lights were allowed to be put on. As Rabbi David has always said, this is just a part of life, this underlying threat of attacks. Many US young adults who signed up for summer programs in Israel have and are still experiencing this first hand. I guess the closest we in Florida come to this fear for our safety is when severe hurricanes hit and unfortunately when schools are locked down.

Rabbi David Over the centuries, as world religions evolved, they have become less fanatic and violent (with the exception of the antisemites of the world- a disease that does not seem to have a cure.) Christianity certainly went through changes. Islam is different. While there are of course moderate Muslims, as far as I know, there hasn’t been any adaptation of their draconic laws or any modern interpretation for a modern world including the violent antisemitic passages in Moslem holy books.

Iran as we all know has been a violent explosion waiting to happen for years. The ayatollahs are leaders of an extremely religious fanatic regime. This regime will not hesitate to completely eliminate the state of Israel. It will be considered a great religious obligation which will please Allah. As the ayatollah once said: “ It only takes one nuclear bomb.” This is key to understanding the frame of mind of the Iranian Muslims in power who are terrorizing their own people in order to stay in power.

This is a conflict between two civilizations with opposing and competing values. Israel's struggle to survive is not new, neither is the threat of total destruction. As the threat of nuclear disaster, courtesy of Iran, became very real for the Israelis, I was taken back to the 1967 war when the large armies of Egypt, Syria Jordan and Iraq were ready to eagerly pounce on Israel. I remember the tension, the fear, the sirens piercing through the nights and yet I remember the calmness of the IDF as they amazingly eliminated those armies one by one.

In the Israel-Iran war the heroes are not only the IDF that along with the US air force dealt devastating blows to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program. The heroes are also the Israeli citizens who day in and day out have had to endure life in shelters, death and the destruction of neighborhoods all over the country.

I remember the horrific war of 1973 when huge Egyptian and Syrian armies invaded Israel from both north and south and started advancing towards Tel Aviv. As a soldier, I experienced the sinking feeling that the existence of the State of Israel with half of the world’s Jewry was on the line.

Last month we celebrated 77 years of Israel’s Independence. Years of struggle against enemies with unthinkable barbaric intentions. On October 7th, a year and a half ago, we all got a taste of what could have happened during any of those wars…

So here is our Jewish little secret of survival. It is our iron strong Jewish spirit, our DNA of 3,300 years of survival power, our absolute knowledge that we the Jewish people ordained by the almighty G-D to bring peace and justice to a tumultuous and violent world and maybe most importantly, our unwaivering Hope. We are the custodians of mankind’s hope for a peaceful and tranquil world. May we all see a peaceful world soon in our days. for the sake of our children and the generations following them.

Shalom,

Rabbi David

Passover: Inner Freedom by Cantor Lee & Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 17:23:24 GMT

With hostages still being held and the war continuing it seems that as we prepare for Passover, freedom takes on an even deeper meaning this year. For we too as witnesses to this horror are being held hostage.

Just as the Torah has many levels of understanding, so does the holiday of Passover. We not only celebrate external freedom but internal freedom as well.

Holocaust Survivors have shared that the Nazis could break them on the outside but they couldn’t do so on the inside. Although at times it became quite dim, there was inner burning of Freedom that couldn’t be extinguished.

So many people tell us they live in a constant state of worry and anxiety which also includes our young people of all ages. Observing the customs of Passover gives us the opportunity to connect to an uplifting energy gift from G-d and receive help to become free within.

This freedom which Passover celebrates, is one of the most precious gifts a person or a nation can possess. Yet freedom has broad connotations both for the individual and entire nations. No less important than living freely in our physical world is freedom of the mind and spirit.

On the deeper level of understanding, the Exodus saga represents the soul’s journey to freedom. The Moses vs. Pharaoh story is biblical allegory of the battle between our healthy personal mental states which makes us truly free and all that which prevents us from achieving that state of inner freedom.

When Moses asks Pharaoh to free the slaves, it sounds as though he is asking for a three day “reprieve” to allow the Israelites the time to worship G-D in the middle of the desert. They will journey three days walking distance from Egypt. (“So said G-D of Israel: let my people go so they will worship me”)

This request is repeated throughout the entire “Negotiation” and is exactly what Pharaoh understands this request to be. In Pharoah’s mind there is no demand for absolute freedom but a three day ceremonial request.

Why would he refuse the request even after the infliction of the plagues on his country? He could have sent his huge army to make sure that the Israelites actually return to Egypt after three days.

In the deeper understanding of the story, Egypt translates as the places of restriction ruled by Pharaoh which represents our lower desires. Moses’ struggle for freedom for the Hebrew slaves as well as G-D’s final triumph is to enable us to leave Egypt and experience tranquility within by connecting to a higher consciousness.

This inner freedom is deemed so important we are given the opportunity to re-enact leaving Egypt and become free again each year during our Passover seder.

Purim: Combatting Evil by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:22:29 GMT

Especially with the horrendous news of the Bibas family this week, we continue to witness up close the face of Evil. And thus, we are each experiencing a wide range of emotions running the gamut from anguish to despair to rage. How is this evil even allowed to exist in our world? Our upcoming holiday of Purim perhaps helps to bring us some answers.

To understand the real meaning of the holiday of Purim, we need to examine the Biblical account of the creation of the world. The Garden of Eden often represents the ideal world as intended by the Creator, both morally and physically.

However, a threat of evil was lurking in the garden. This evil manifested itself when the snake caused Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. With this, evil interfered with G-D’s plan to create a perfect world with perfect human beings just as Adam and Eve were before the episode with the Tree of Knowledge.

In order to combat evil it was necessary to keep it at bay. According to the Torah, G-D chose our ancestors, the Israelites, for this task. As they became a nation in the Sinai wilderness, they were provided with the means to successfully fight evil in the world.

These means were the laws of the Torah given to us by Moses on Mount Sinai. Jewish tradition teaches that as we, the Israelites' descendants, bring moral virtues to the world, we work towards a higher moral existence both personally and universally as was intended for us by the Creator. This process is called “Tikun Olam,” repairing the world.

As the Israelites were dragging through the harsh desert, the manifestation of evil on earth appeared in the form of the brutal nation of Amalek. Fighting the Amalekites as G-D ordained, meant spiritually fighting the world’s evil.

Moses and the Israelite first battled the Amalekites in the Sinai desert.This fight became the symbol of that ongoing effort to cleanse the world of evil.

Next was King Saul who successfully fought the Amalekites but spared their king, Agag. (Agag was eventually killed by the prophet Samuel.) Saul was severely punished for having pity for Agag. He was dethroned and replaced by King David who also fought the Amalekites but was unable to completely eliminate them.

Centuries later, when Jews were exiled, many settled in Persia. Enter the story of Purim. Haman, the continued manifestation of evil in the world, was an Agagite, a direct descendent of King Agag the Amalekite. He held a very high position in the court of King Achaverosh, ruler of the Persians at the time.

Haman symbolizes the continuation of extreme evil that permeates the world. He is the creator of the concept of anti semitism, the hatred of Jewish people because they are Jews. He is considered the creator of what became known during the Nazi era as the “Final Solution” the killing of all Jews, men, women and children.

Haman’s decree for the elimination of the Jewish population in Persia was averted because of Ester, the Jewish queen of Persia. Using her status as a queen and her influence over her husband, King Achashverosh, she convinced him to cancel the decree and help the Jews defend themselves against all the antisemites who followed Haman's decree .

Queen Ester and her Uncle Mordechai did their best to eliminate the Amalekites from the world by hanging Haman and his 10 sons. However, Haman’s antisemitic venom had already begun to spread around Persia and beyond by those who were contaminated by it. The line of evil continued.

Over the centuries every generation of Jews has suffered the evil of pogroms and the threat of elimination This threat became extreme during this last century with the Nazi atrocities. In this century we have our share of Jewish hatred all over the world. Our state of Israel exists under the constant threat of elimination by many millions of fanatic Arabs.

Along with our G-D’s ordained mission to cleanse the world we were given the power of Hope that never ceases. Hope for a world without evil. We will forever hold on to the steadfast belief for a day when the world will finally be peaceful, a world where, as the prophet Isiah said, ” nations will not lift swords against other nations”- just as G-D intended it.“

Tu B'Shvat by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:03:01 GMT

As the Jewish mid winter holiday of Tu B’Shvat is approaching I am remembering the festive mood and the exciting preparations for the holiday when I was in elementary school in Israel.

Tu B’Shvat was quite a big deal especially since we didn’t have regular classes. Instead there were ceremonies in a big park where singing and dancing teams from schools all around Tel Aviv competed for first place. The songs were always about the Jewish people returning back to our land to rebuild it. While most of us boys didn’t care about watching the performers the day outdoors away from books was always fun.

After the competitions we would be taken by bus to the outskirts of the city where the land was still barren. Each of us would be given a small plant. While planting was done according to the strict instructions of the teacher, getting our hands and clothes dirty was always the best part.

Looking back at this childhood memory I realize the significance of these Tu B’shvat events which we experienced throughout our school years.

Tu B’Shvat indeed is the expression of Jewish love and appreciation for Mother Earth. It is a reminder of how delicate and vulnerable Mother Earth really is. It is a reminder to reestablish ourselves as the custodians of this beautiful planet home and all of its inhabitants. Tu B’Shvat reminds us that we have a G-DLY mandate to oversee Earth but not to do with it as we wish. Earth is not a human playground to spoil.

But there is more. For us we Jews, Tu B’Shvat is the supreme expression of our connection to our land, all of the land.. . It is a reminder that the Jewish land of Israel is just as important as the Torah itself. G-D sanctified it and gave it to us centuries before he gave us the Torah. In fact a significant number of the Torah‘s laws are directly related to the land . This means that we cannot observe the Torah’s laws in full without the holy land of Israel.

TuB’Shvat is a yearly reminder that the Jewish people, the land of Israel and the people of Israel are one and the same.

The Hidden Light by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 12:09:36 GMT

Jewish tradition is rich with stories and teachings about light, often symbolizing knowledge, wisdom, and divine presence. One particularly well-known story is the creation of the first light in the world, which is often connected to the concept of Or HaGanuz, the Hidden Light.

In the beginning, when God created the world, He first created a special, intense light. This light was so powerful that it allowed one to see from one end of the world to the other. It was not just a physical light but a spiritual one, illuminating all of existence with divine clarity.

However, God saw that this light was too powerful for the world as it would be in the future. He knew that there would be wicked people who would misuse this incredible light, so He decided to hide it away for a future time when it could be safely revealed.

This hidden light, Or HaGanuz, is said to be reserved for the righteous in the world to come, where it will once again shine forth. But even though the light is hidden, it is believed that a spark of it remains in the Torah, the sacred texts, and in acts of kindness and justice. Whenever someone does something good, a little bit of that hidden light is revealed in the world.

This story teaches that there is a divine light within every good deed and that each act of kindness reveals a bit of that hidden light. It also suggests that true wisdom and enlightenment are accessible through study, righteousness, and spiritual practice. The story encourages people to seek the light in their own lives and to spread it through their actions, helping to bring the world closer to the divine state of Peace it was meant to be in.

This narrative is often told around Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, which celebrates the miracle of the menorah burning for eight days with only enough oil for one. The story of the Hidden Light adds depth to the idea that light symbolizes hope, resilience, and the divine presence that guides the Jewish people.

As we light the Chanukah candles this year, may we all together bring forth the Hidden Light.

Chag Chanukah Sameach, Happy Chanukah!

Rabbi David

The Rabbi's Christmas LIghts by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 11:02:43 GMT

t is nine years now since the rabbi of the neighborhood, our very own Rabbi David, first began putting up the holiday lights for our neighborhood entrance. And so it has become a tradition! And it is also a tradition that I share the story of how it all began each year. Of course back then, I had no idea then of how this Light project would expand which includes neighbors helping and all the boxes of lights that are now stored in my garage!

Original Article Nov. 2016 Once again Rabbi David put up the Holiday Lights for our neighborhood's entrance. Last year when he did it for the first time we thought it was so funny! The Rabbi of the neighborhood was putting up the Christmas lights! He had no idea what it would entail but took it very seriously. After all it was a mitzvah!

He called a Christian friend and asked, "How do the lights stay on the trees?" She thought the question was pretty hysterical. "Just start doing it," she said "and you will figure it out! " He enlisted some help from the neighbors as to what kind of lights to buy and also later on to help him with placing the lights on the higher trees.

He did figure out how the lights stay on the trees and the display turned out beautiful! In fact, he enjoyed the process so much he decided to get blue and white lights and decorate our back yard deck for Chanukah!

This year at the very end of creating the display, I was enlisted to help hold the ladder for the high trees. It was such a beautiful day and so much fun to be inside all the bushes and trees! When we got back home, I called out, "Here we are! The neighborhood light decorators!" Rabbi David laughed and answered with a better description, "We are the Light Workers!" We both stopped and just looked at each other understanding the significance of his words. "I guess we really are, aren't we?" Rabbi David answered, I guess we really are...."

Many Blessings for All during this Season of Light...

Love, Cantor Lee

The Bride's Prayerbook by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 19:41:41 GMT

It was the frantic search for the jewelry that led Gloria to the prayerbook. She hadn’t seen it since the day of her wedding over 60 years ago and didn’t even know she possessed it! But it seems her grandmother, Tova, wanted her to find it. For just as Tova and Gloria treasured it on their wedding days, the book of Bridal Prayers could now be passed on to Faryn, Gloria’s beloved niece, who was getting married in just a couple of weeks.

Whenever a bridal couple signs the ketubah which today is a spiritual agreement between the couple and takes place before the ceremony, Rabbi David and I always feel the sacredness that fills the room. Usually the bride and groom become emotional for they too feel it.

But as we gathered in the room to sign Faryn and Jason’s ketubah, there seemed to be an additional layer to that sacredness. When Faryn showed me the prayer book and shared the story of how her aunt found it, I understood why. I was feeling the presence of Tova. I knew she was smiling with Joy!

Along with the Bridal Prayers which was something old, (over 100 years) Faryn also wore something new, something borrowed, something blue. And of course her mother, Abbey, wore jewelry from her mother, grandmother and the special jewelry belonging to Gloria that all along was hiding in the safe!

We all lead such busy lives. But during the moments when we pause and honor our traditions, it just fills me with such Hope! Perhaps it is because then, we are truly connecting. Connecting to our past, connecting to our future, connecting to each other, connecting to G-d.

I always love the scene in Fiddler on the Roof when it is time to welcome Shabbat and all is transformed from the daily worries and struggles. It is the pausing and connecting.

Whatever traditions we each follow, may we all connect to each other with Love! For this is the secret of how we will transform our world!

Love,

Cantor Lee

Faryn and Jason with the Ketubah and Bridal Prayers

Divine Light by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 16:54:36 GMT

Cantor Lee: Here is Rabbi David's Yom Kippur sermon which I just loved hearing! Thank you Rabbi David!

Rabbi David: The story of creation is an amazing description of the process of creation when G-D created the universe with its billions of stars.

The Biblical narrative doesn’t specify, however, where and how the material to create the stars and the planets originated from. Interestingly, we do know that Light was created before anything else. Since during that first act of creation there was no sun or fire or any physical source of illumination.

Light it turns out was a powerful spiritual instrument used by G-D to create the universe.

In the process of creating, G-D used this special powerful Light to create physical matter such as rocks and minerals, gases swelling around and other physical matters needed to create the trillions of stars and planets in the universe.

When it came to the creation of our planet, Earth, G-D used much more than just physical building blocks. He needed to use his Divine Light in a different matter. Here, a special sacred and distinctive Light was used in order to create life on our planet, making Earth a living planet.

As we know, creating life was an evolutionary process. G-D was careful as he was creating life here. When basic unicellular creatures started moving and multiplying, G-D saw that “it was good,” and continued to create more advanced creatures. And G-D was satisfied.

However he realized that while Earth is beautiful with its vegetation and swirling life, it is also very delicate and vulnerable.

He then decided to create the crown jewel of all creation to take care of Earth. In many ways this creature will resemble himself, “in his image”.

Rabbinical literature hints to G-D’s hesitation with this. So much so that he consulted the angels with the idea.

In the process of creating Adam, G-D used his Divine Light light to physically “fashion” (“Yatzar” in Hebrew) a human shape from Earth’s material. That was done in order to harmonize the new creature he was about to create with our planet Earth.

G-D then used his Divine Light in the most powerful and sacred way to pump life into Adam making him highly intelligent, significantly more than all of the other Earthly creatures, capable of inventing, analyzing and creating. Capable to take care of Planet Earth. This is the soul which dwells in human beings.

We as humans all have that Light of G-D, the life force which dwells within us. It’s in our soul. This Light is the manifestation of divinity in all of us.

Our special Divine Light is G-D’s image in us. This is what brings out in us our positive moralistic human traits.

This task of taking care of Earth could only be done, however, if mankind would work together in peace and harmony, caring for each other first. We were given the capacity for Love and compassion for that reason.

According to Kabbalah, when a person forsakes his humanity, dignity and morality, his soul, his Divine Light is hidden. He becomes a creature in a physical form only with no Divine Light.

When people succumb to evil they are just that, human shapes, bodies walking around. In the biblical narrative there are stories of people losing their special Light, their divine image.

In the story of the flood for example, the whole generation loses their humanity, their Divine Light because of their cruelty. They were bodies walking around without souls.

Having no other choice, G-D brought the flood and destroyed an entire generation and started all over again using Noah as a better human “prototype.”

As ancient history kept unfolding, some humans still lost their Divine Light. In some places cruelty and inhumanity continued. The Bible reflects on this again in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah during Abraham’s time.

At that point, G-D realized that with all their sophistication and intelligence, humans suffer from bad inclinations and are still capable of much cruelty. G-D decided to create yet another special Light to be given to a group of people. As a group they would shine this special Light upon all the nations which would then activate the Divine Light which dwells in each human being.

Together this group would purge the world from evil. It would elevate the desire for peace among nations by bringing hope to a tumultuous world.

This is when the Jewish people get into the picture. In the story of Exodus, an estimated 2.5 million Israelites are running from slavery into freedom. They are walking in an extremely harsh desert environment, exhausted and hungry.

As they gather around Mount Sinai, they go through the most profound experience of hearing extremely loud sounds of shofars, seeing lightning and feeling the earth violently shaking.

That was when G-d implanted in our ancestors the collective special powerful Light. It was implemented into our DNA for the explicit purpose to re-awaken the long forgotten Divine Light which dwells in all human beings, the Light of goodness, morality and decency and bring peace and harmony to a world in turmoil.

We, are called ”the “chosen people”. Prophet Isaiah called us ”Or La-goyim”, Light unto the nations.

But as we all know, being “Or La-goyim” has come with a high price tag. Over the many centuries, shining this Light upon unwilling, hostile and intolerant nations has meant endless cruel persecutions and pogroms inflicted upon our ancestors,.

The October massacre showed us that even after the atrocities of the Holocaust, cruelty among certain people did not disappear. It knows no limits.

As my good friend Kermit the Frog says: “It's not easy being green”..

I am reminded of the musical “Fiddler on the Roof.”In one scene as the Jews are expelled from the town of Anatevka where they had lived for generations, the Rabbi is asked: “Rabbi, when will the messiah come? “When will there finally be peace in the world? The Rabbi answered: ”I don’t know but we will have to keep waiting for him somewhere else.

I too don’t know when our special Divine Light given to us on that day on Mt. Sinai will be a true Light unto the nations. We will just have to keep trusting and believing that what was given to us on that profound day will become a reality.

Hope for a peaceful world is now in our DNA. We are all born with it. We can see it in the writing of many Jewish boys and girls of the Holocaust.

In his famous poem, Pavel, a teenage boy, is looking at butterflies in the ghetto, a symbol of peace and tranquility.

Ava Pakova, a 15 year old girl wrote a song, “The Fear” as she was taken to Auschwitz.

In the last verse she writes: ”Oh G-D, don't take away so many of us. We still have to build a different world, a better and nicer world. We still have so much work to do.

Let’s tell our Creator that the special Light he gave us in order to awaken the Divine Light among the rest of the nations hasn’t been working too well so far, That we are tired, exhausted of the intolerance, evil and senseless wars.

And that we can really use his intervention on humanity’s behalf. Let’s ask him to finally turn a sweet dream of world peace into reality.

There is a famous old Israeli song, “Et ha mangina ha zot yi efshar le hafsik.“ It translates as ”This melody is impossible to stop. We must continue playing it forever”.

May we never stop playing this melody of peace taught to us by our ancestors.

The beautiful melody of our Jewish Divine Light will never fade.

The Israeli anthem says: “Od Lo Avda Tikvatenu” Our hope is still not lost. Allow me to amend our beloved anthem: Our hope will never be lost.

Happy New Year

Rabbi David

A Zoom Meeting with Heaven by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 13:24:59 GMT

From Cantor Lee: Rabbi David wrote the following during the pandemic but updated it for today's world. Sometimes you just have to bring in a bit of humor to keep going! Thank you Rabbi David!

A Zoom Meeting with Heaven by Rabbi David

As I do every year at this time right before the High Holy Days, I contact the heaven’s department of Jewish affairs and respectfully request an angelic hearing about the present Jewish conditions around the world. I was expecting a nice quiet meeting in a prearranged place somewhere in West Boca, maybe at a kosher diner where I can present my case face to face with the Old Mighty’s angel rep in charge of our zip codes.

Much to my surprise I was instructed to use a zoom link for a meeting. The link will be delivered to my mailbox by some undisclosed heavenly means. There will be a temporary link which will evaporate after two days. All my Jewish complaints will be presented and evaluated in an orderly fashion. The angel in charge will review my grievances. I will be allowed to bring any supporting documents as attachments including maps, graphs, videos and other material stored in the clouds. All will be carefully scrutinized to check for any possible AI, heaven forbid! If necessary, I will then be contacted for further instructions.

For security reasons I will need a highly secretive password to link into the zoom meeting. Password: "Oy vey." I was looking forward to the zoom meeting.

I was assigned to an angel named Shmuel Rabinovitz who is in charge of earthly Jewish issues and kosher supervisions in the areas of Boca Raton and Disney World. He is the assistant secretary twice removed to Archangel Gavriel. As promised, a heavenly envelope with the special link appeared in my mailbox with the time and date specified for the meeting reminding me to use the secret password. (I will not repeat it here - too dangerous!)

Getting physically and spiritually ready for the meeting, I put on a nice clean shirt and a nice kippah just for the occasion. My beloved wife Cantor Lee, G-D bless her, noticed my excitement and asked about it. I told her that I was getting ready for an important zoom meeting with an angel assigned to my case in order to discuss some urgent Jewish matters. Cantor Lee, used to my Mishegas, rolled her eyes and said: “Well, don’t forget to clean up your desk from all the shmutz which has been sitting on it for the last three years. You don’t want the angel to think you are a messy rabbi, now, do you? And don’t forget to brush your teeth!” My beloved wife!

The big moment arrived. I went on the heavenly zoom and used the secret password. I finally met Angel Rabinovitz online. He was wearing a nice dark business suit with a Mickey Mouse tie and dark thick glasses. Nice angel. He said he was talking to me from some undisclosed location in the South Pole. I could see in the background several maps of the USA with red pins indicating most likely Jewish centers around the country. Seeing me looking at his map, he explained that he was getting ready to fly down on his glatt kosher merkavah (reindeers are so yesterday) and check on the Jewish people to see who has done some nice mitzvahs this year. I saw bags of kosher bagels meant for the nice Jewish boys and girls.

Angel Shmuel Rabinovitz pulled up his apple laptop and said “Well Rabbi, you wanted to see me?” Yes, I replied. I emailed you some reports ahead of the meeting. We are experiencing a lot of tumult here. As you can see in my report, our beloved Israel is struggling in a never ending war for survival. That war has been raging for almost a year and hostages are still being held. Israel has to fight for its existence on several fronts against very ruthless enemies. So many have perished. Our brethren in Israel are physically and mentally exhausted."

Angel Shmuel was typing diligently as I continued. "We in the US and other places around the world are experiencing a terrible rise in Antisemitism both on our campuses, on our streets and in social media. Fabrications about the Jewish people and State of Israel have proliferated everywhere. We, the Jewish people, have suffered enough. It is time for some respite!”

Angel Shmuel stopped typing. Ever so slowly he removed his glasses and cleaned them thoroughly. He then turned to me and said: “Rabbi, we have received complaints about Jewish concerns for safety and even survival from all over the world for many centuries. My drawer is full of complaints filed by rabbis about similar situations since the first century. Throughout the centuries the Jewish people have been traumatized by war and Antisemitism.

Rabbi, just as we have been saying for centuries, do not despair. The Jewish people are an evergreen nation, forever living. They are here as long as the world turns. You see,” said the good Angel Shmuel Rabinovitz. the Jewish people are blessed with Divine Light and nothing can destroy it. They are a giant tree with roots so deep in the ground, no hurricane can possibly topple it.”

“Be not afraid. G-D almighty, my boss, has your back. Keep the faith. Trust that what is good and decent will always be here. The darkness will never succeed.”

“However,” he continued, “just to be on the safe side, in my report to the boss, the big guy, I will mention your concerns so I can file them properly." With this Angel Shmuel wished all of us a great new Jewish year, a year of peace and tranquility all over the world.

Then he ended the meeting. I was left there with my new clean shirt and my nice kippah, trusting what Angel Rabinovitz said about the Jewish secret of survival and that our eternal Hope for a peaceful world, will be delivered upstairs.

May we all be blessed with a Happy and Healthy New Year. May this be year Peace reigns.

Shana Tova,

Rabbi David

The Shattered Pieces by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 11:33:52 GMT

A couple of weeks ago at the eye doctor, a woman tapped Rabbi David on the shoulder. “Are you David Degani?” She had heard the his last name being called. It turns out she is a relative who last saw Rabbi David 50 years ago! Ava became close to Rabbi David during her trips to Israel as a young person in the early 70’s and also spent a year there. They hadn’t stayed in touch but were certainly thrilled to reconnect and plan on staying connected.

We were all excited to get together a week later and I loved hearing all the stories and perspectives they shared of family and those years in Israel. One thing that really struck me was a vivid memory Ava shared of Rabbi David right after the Yom Kippur War in which he had served. He told her that with all the training as a soldier, no one can really be prepared for the horrors of war.

As with so many, Rabbi David and I were at first numb with the news of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7th and felt like zombies for the next three days. I don’t even know how we managed to facilitate a service to send prayers the next day.

These months of hearing and seeing horrors including the rise in anti-semitism have certainly affected all of us. With news of the hostages being shot - murdered last week, I felt as though my heart was once again shattered into pieces.

After Moses broke the first set of the Ten Commandments and received the second set, the Israelites still carried those shattered pieces in the Ark along with the second set of tablets.

And so we honor those pieces of our heart that have been broken as we grieve during these times, continue to pray, take action and keep going. Despite the horrors, nothing can destroy us as the Jewish people for we all carry G-d’s Divine Light within our very cells. It is the Light of Compassion, the Light of Fortitude, the Light of Strength, the Light of Hope, the Light of Peace. Let us shine it together.

Shalom,

Cantor Lee

Here is a picture Ava took of Rabbi David. He was 19 years old.

Elul: Month of Love by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 10:59:55 GMT

In the beginning of October this year, the High Holy Days begin for the Jewish people. It is a time of inner work, purification and forgiveness that lasts for ten days. This work is so important that preparation actually begins 30 days beforehand during the Hebrew month of Elul, which is known as the month of Love. The Hebrew letters are an acronym for the famous phrase, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” taken from Song of Solomon, 6:3 in the Bible. This phrase is commonly used at weddings but it is really about the Love the Divine has for all of us, that we are in sacred partnership.

As we go through self evaluation during the month of Elul, we do so with this Divine Love. It helps us discern what we would like to keep in our lives and what we would like to discard. The daily process of inner reflection which is to be done without guilt is meant to also help us become more aware of our emotions and perceptions, allowing us to eventually have control over them rather than having the emotions and perceptions control us.

Elul begins sundown this year on Sept. 3rd. During our Meditation Circle at that same time, Tuesday, Sept. 3rd, at 7:30 p.m. we will be tapping into the sacred energy of Elul, the month of Love, with the help of AAUriel. Hope you will join us!

Shalom, Cantor Lee

Tu B'Av, Holiday of Love by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 09:53:06 GMT

This year on August 18th at sundown begins the holiday of Tu B’Av, also known as the Holiday of Love. In the Kabbalistic teachings, it is considered to be the highpoint of the year energetically and spiritually. when we are infused with the Divine Love of G-d. That Love is always available to us, but on Tu B’Av due to the nature of the month’s full moon we are more easily able to forge a connection between the heavenly and lower realms.

Divine Love is a huge theme in Judaism. When we follow the prayer book for Shabbat or weekdays, a whole section is devoted to prayers about Love. The prayer, “V’ahavtah,” “You Shall Love,” is inside our mezuzzahs and is traditionally used as a bedtime prayer for children. The Hebrew word for Love, “A-ha-vah” has much power and is used in Kabbalistic Healing. It isn’t an accident that each syllable has an “Ah” sound which is the universal vowel sound for our hearts. What do we do when we see a baby or a puppy? AAhh……… And our hearts open…

So how can we celebrate Tu B’Av? One beautiful way is to spend some quiet time thinking of someone you love which helps to open your heart. Then ask to connect to the Divine Love of G-D. You may feel a tingling sensation, a feeling of upliftment, joy or peace. You may feel nothing at all but you are still receiving the energy.

As always in our tradition, express gratitude for this gift and decide how you would like to use it whether it is to pray for healing, abundance or changing a situation in your life or in a loved one’s life. For those looking for a love partner, Tu B’Av is especially considered to be an auspicious day to do so!

Rabbi David and I will be spending time connecting to this Divine Love to pray for peace. The power of the energy of Divine Love can heal, transform, shift our entire world!

Happy Tu B'Av!

Love, Cantor Lee

The Power of an Ancient Ritual by Cantor Lee & Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 19:29:15 GMT

From Cantor Lee: If you have been in my house, specifically in the family room, you probably know there is a door to the right side of the blue couch that leads to another room. It is actually half of our garage which we originally turned into a room many years ago so our son could have a place for his band to meet. Yes, not quite the music we wanted to hear throughout the house! These days the room functions as a playroom for our grandchildren, a meditation/healing room and also where Rabbi David puts on Tefillin.

Growing up in a Reform household, I didn’t really know too much about Tefillin until I was twenty years old and began dating Rabbi David who had just come from Israel after serving in the Yom Kippur War. Always drawn to anything sacred, I was quite fascinated with his ritual of “laying tefillin” which he did everyday except for Shabbat. But it was more than fascination. Just seeing him perform the ritual touched me in a way I couldn’t explain. Throughout the years anytime Rabbi David has taught our students how to put on Tefillin,, it especially touches my heart in the deepest places, never failing to make me cry.

With the passing of the years, Rabbi David hasn’t always put on his Tefillin everyday. But whenever there is special healing needed or of major importance, he returns to his daily practice. As you can imagine, that has been the case this year.

I myself have never put on Tefillin. Traditionally it was meant just for the males, although these days women put on Tefillin as well. But recently I had a chance to experience its amazing power. I was relaxing on the blue couch drifting off, when I began to feel an unusual energy coming from the right side of the room. As someone who is very sensitive to energy I was puzzled by this kind. Usually I feel the Divine Light coming through my crown and going down my body or coming into my heart. This came differently and felt very different. The only way I can explain it is that I was filled with the most profound sense of Peace.

It wasn’t until later after telling Rabbi David of my experience that I learned he was praying with his Tefillin on at the exact same time. I certainly believe in the power of prayer. But if not, I would be a believer after my experience! Rabbi David told me he was praying for peace.

From Rabbi David: To a stranger’s eye, the ritual of putting tefillin on, wrapping the head, arm, hand and finger with a leather strip appears very bizarre. This Jewish custom was commanded in the Torah and is considered to be one of the most important deeds a Jewish person can perform.

There are two sets of straps, one for the head and one for the hand. Each strap is attached to a box so that when the strap is wrapped around the head, the box is placed in the center of the forehead between the eyes. The other box is placed on the inside of the left upper arm close to the heart. Each box contains four biblical chapters which symbolize the principles of the Jewish monotheistic belief that G-D is one and whole, that Israel is a holy nation unto G-D, that the exodus from Egypt is the event that crystalised the Jewish people as a nation and should always be remembered as such.

The Tefillin has an enormous spiritual power. The placing of the boxes with the specific four Torah portions around the head and arm symbolizes the wrapping of the entire Torah around the body, (think of a patriotic person wrapping himself in his country’s flag). Moreover, the way the straps are tied around the fingers and arm creates the word “SHADAI,” one of the names of G-d. This symbolizes the wrapping of the holy name of G-D around the body.

When performing this deed with real Kavanah, pure intention, one can feel a special energy flooding the body. It is interesting to note that the points of placing the two boxes correspond exactly to the Chinese meridian acupressure points both on the head and on the arm which produce a flow of energy throughout the entire body.

Shalom, Cantor Lee and Rabbi David

That Amazing Day by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 08:26:21 GMT

Our dog, Oreo Cookie, came up in my facebook memories last week. It just doesn’t seem possible that it has been nine years since since he went over the rainbow bridge. Perhaps it is because I feel him around me so much. And also because his legacy lives on, especially with the Shirat Shalom children who learned the power of their Divine Light that amazing day. Of course, now those children are adults.

I had already been having the children in help me with various situations before they helped Oreo Cookie. It was just a part of their education that began in kindergarten, of learning to work with the radiance of the Shabbat Candles that connects us to the Divine Light within us all, of opening their hearts and sending Prayers and Healing Light to those in need.

It wasn’t until the children began helping with the annual baby seal hunt each year that I witnessed the power of their pure hearts coming together in unity. Of course I didn’t give them the details of how the baby seals were killed for their pelts, only that we had to protect them from the hunters, keep them safe with their mothers. Each week when we would meet, we would erect barriers around the baby seals and see the hunters kept at sea.

I would follow the news each day of the hunt. On Wednesdays when the children would work with their Divine Light, the hunters couldn’t reach the seals for various reasons. I didn’t discuss it with anyone but Rabbi David who would also help with the seals. Of course these days, more people understand the power of the Divine Light G-d has placed within each one of us.

Then there was that amazing day in 2010 when the children helped Oreo Cookie. Twelve years old at the time, we were preparing to say goodbye to Oreo after emergency surgery a week earlier. The children were my last hope. My sister, Miss Susan, was staying home with Oreo while I was at school.

It was at 7:10 pm that the children sent him Healing Light. At 7:20 pm, Oreo transformed into his usual self right before my sister’s eyes! He perked up his head, wagged his tail and ate and drank for the first time since his surgery! He was quite excited to visit the children a few weeks later to to say thank you!

Oreo Cookie went on to live for another five years, always overjoyed when he would meet any of the children who helped him that amazing day!

Read further how Oreo helped his students throughout the years: A Master Teacher

Shalom, Cantor Lee

Isadora's Father by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 19:10:08 GMT

It was at the luncheon after our student Sarah’s Bat Mitzvah service that Isadora’s father, a family friend, shared his story with us. He was successful financially at an early age but yet he wasn’t happy within. And so he began his spiritual journey to find the answers, learning how to meditate along with gathering wisdom from various teachers. “We have come to earth to learn to do two things,” he said. “To love and be kind. But that isn’t always so easy.”

He told us about his daughter Isadora, of the agony and despair of having her die in her mother’s arms at the age of 25 from a rare form of cancer. Yet, Isadora’s short life of exemplifying love and kindness, is now helping others. Fulfilling her request, her parents went on to create a charitable foundation that tells Isadora’s story and gives scholarships to aspiring teachers. The recipients are chosen according to their level of kindness.

As we continued speaking, Isadora’s father shared an experience he had at a restaurant. A group he was with was speaking negatively about the waitress who had given poor service. His mentor at the time said, “ We don’t know what she has gone through today. Always look for the good in people.” Isadora’s father said he has been trying to follow that wisdom ever since.

I know the response so many may have. But what about a murderer, or child abuser? Especially now, how about Hamas? How does one find the good there? Our Jewish teachings have answers for us, but they are not easy ones. I still remember during my spiritual journey when I had this deep revelation that by hating the Nazis, I was being just like them and bringing more hatred into the world.

One of our most profound teachings and one that Rabbi David often tells is that when we crossed the Sea of Reeds into freedom, the angels joined us in celebrating. G-d said to them, why are you doing so? The Egyptians are my creations too.

Our sacred teachings remind us that we all contain the Divine spark of G-d. It doesn't mean that when others wish to hurt or destroy us that we don't have boundaries or take action to protect and defend ourselves. It means we live at a higher consciousness, sending Divine Light through our prayers to all sides. This is what it means to be a Light unto the Nations, our mission as the Jewish people.

Perhaps even more difficult is applying this to those in our inner circles that rub us the wrong way. I suppose that is why there are so many divisions in families and thus so much division in our world. For the outer is a reflection of the inner. Yes, being Loving and Kind takes dedication!

What gives me hope though, are the new children coming to earth who carry this understanding. And when they are educated by kind and loving teachers, such as those chosen through Isadora’s scholarships, we truly can create Heaven on Earth - a world of Love and Kindness, a World of Peace.

Shalom, Cantor Lee

A Dose of Israeli Reality by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 11:18:31 GMT

The Middle East tumult is complicated and confusing to many. We get our information through the eyes of reporters, their editors or other public opinion influencers. As we all know, many times their reporting is not objective. Therefore, the full reality of Israel’s geo-political situation is rarely brought to light.

One of the most overlooked issues is the need to better understand the complexity of Israel’s perpetual threat of a total annihilation. For the sake of illustration, let’s “implant” the state of Israel’s geo-political situation into the US using the size and population ratios between the two countries.

The size of the US is 441 times that of Israel (3,809,525 US sq.miles divided by 8,630 Israel’s sq.miles). The US population is almost 38 times that of Israel. (340 million divided by 9 million.) To its west, Israel was facing on October 6th a well organized Hamas army of 30,000 well trained, fanatic terrorists equipped with at least 20,000 missiles threatening to kill 9 million Israelis.

Using the population ratio between the US and Israel, (1 to 38) it would be like a monster size army of 1,140,000 well trained terrorists living in Mexico, deeply imbedded among the Mexican population, eagerly waiting for an opportunity to attack the US and equipped with an astronomical number of 760,000 missiles. This terrorist army hides its missiles inside Mexican civilian homes everywhere. There are underground tunnels spread over hundreds of miles under many Mexican cities, used to hide terrorists and equipment.

How should the American government respond to this threat?... Welcome to an Israeli reality.

On October 7th, at least 3,000 terrorists and many hundreds of Gaza residents attacked nearby Israeli towns and kibbutzim killing 1200 Israelis and taking 250 hostages.

Using our population comparison ratios, it would be like 136,000 terrorists from Mexico attacking Tijuana, El Paso, Rio Reco, Eagle Pass, San Diego and other border towns killing 45,600 Americans, taking 9,500 American hostages, man woman and children, brutally torturing many, throwing babies to burning fires, raping dozens of woman and girls and mutilating their bodies and for good measure, burning hundreds of buildings to the ground.

What would the American government do in response? Would there be a Mexico left?

On its northern border, Israel is facing a much larger terrorist army. Hezbollah has as many as 50,000 well trained terrorists. It possesses at least 150,000 missiles. They are in the process of upgrading their missile arsenal to make laser guided highly accurate weapons. In our US comparison, say we had Canadian Hezbollah on our northern border. That would mean an army of 1,900,000 fanatic soldiers equipped with 5,700,000 missiles, many of which are already precision laser guided, aiming at every corner of the US.

Sounds crazy? Numbers don’t lie.

Many Israeli towns in the Upper Galilee have been indiscriminately bombarded on a daily basis for many months. Residents of many of these towns were evacuated leaving everything they own behind. Parts of the upper Galilee look like a ghost area.

If we compare the size of the Upper Galilee relative to the size of the entire state of Israel, it would be equal to our theoretical Canadian Hezbollah bombarding the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and NY non stop, causing many of their residents to evacuate to other states.

What would we in the US do if we faced threats like that simultaneously from Canada and Mexico?

The Houthis in Yemen some 200 miles south of Israel are another fanatic terror army of at least 20,000 terrorists, well trained and well equipped. They are estimated to possess about 200 missiles, much of them long range and, possibly, hypersonic as well.

The Houthis are now attacking any merchant ship on its way to Israel. Using our US-Israel population ratio again, this is like an army of 760,000 fanatic terrorists stationed in, say, Cuba attacking with missles any merchant ship carrying essential goods, going to the port of Miami or trying to cross the Panama Canal on the way to the west coast.

Welcome to the Israeli reality. These are realistic scenarios facing Israel nowadays on a regular basis. All these terror armies enjoy an unlimited supply of the most sophisticated weapons from Iran, the terrorist country who gets its billions of dollars by supplying huge amounts of oil to China and Russia.

How long would the US or any other country in the world tolerate these kinds of multiple existential threats?

Welcome to Israeli reality.

Rabbi David

Continuing to BE by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 24 May 2024 15:22:03 GMT

I still remember Gabbie’s Bat Mitzvah project from 8 years ago. She called it “BE” because she wanted to inspire people to be their greatest selves. Since she was 14 at the time, she came up with 14 unique ways she could “BE” her best self and make a difference then and in the future.

Now in college, Gabbie has certainly been exemplifying “BEing” her greatest self. As with so many of our Jewish students, Gabbie has had to face what we have never wanted for our beautiful children.

But Gabbie also knows that BEing her best self can also mean having courage which was one of her original attributes in her mitzvah project. Gabbie used her artistic talents to display her statement.

Some of her various answers to those who harassed her? "This is not political. Everyone should feel safe on campus" "Everyone deserves equal opportunity for education." “Our Community will always be stronger than your hate. Grow up, Do better."

During these times, people often ask me how I can have so much hope. Gabbie and all of our other young people is my answer. For they are exemplifying for the entire world, how to BE.

Make sure to read Gabbie’s other BE’s here: https://shiratshalom.org/Rabbi-and-Cantors-Messages/13361374

Shalom,

Cantor Lee

Never Again is Now by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 06 May 2024 10:56:39 GMT

In the aftermath of October 7th, I kept thinking of how Holocaust Survivors and their children were being affected. Of course we were all shocked and continue to reel from the horror, but for Survivors especially, I knew the past trauma carried within was being triggered. And so this was confirmed with the calls Rabbi David began receiving.

With the ensuing antisemitism that was already coming to the surface years before the attack and has been displayed at the recent campus protests, our collective Jewish resolve of “Never Again!” has certainly turned to “Never Again is Now!”

We all see the mistruths being spread with social media one factor in creating this narrative. As Rabbi David recently wrote, "This narrative has been relentlessly playing on the emotions of the students. Once emotions take over, hate settles in and the truth becomes irrelevant. At that point there is no desire to have an honest discussion and investigation. "

So what is my role as a lightworker and as a Jewish teacher? Ingrained within us as the Jewish people is that we are to be a Light unto the Nations. I take that seriously knowing that every prayer, thought, word and action I have can work energetically, helping to bring us closer to a world of peace.

Especially with our work with children in our Infinite Light Vision program, I have witnessed firsthand the power of this Light that is just waiting to be awakened within each one of us.

Rabbi David and I will certainly continue to "arm" our Shirat Shalom children with the strength of our beautiful Jewish heritage that also teaches that each one of us has the ability to be a ”Light Unto the Nations” through our own respective religious and cultural paths.

Today as we observe, Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day, Yom Zikaron La Shoah veh la G'vura- may this Awakened Inner Light bring us together in Unity that Never Again is Now!

Shalom,

Cantor Lee

Campus Protests by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 23:37:50 GMT

With recent events of college campus protests, questions have been asked of Rabbi David about this situation. Here is his answer:

The eruption of Antisemitic, anti-Israel protests in many universities around the country is far from new or spontaneous. Actions against Jews in general and Jewish students in particular has been permeating through colleges for decades. It is spearheaded by well trained organizers who are being paid for their services by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other nations.

The amounts of money flowing to promote “Palestinian causes” is in the billions. For decades this campaign has been very well organized and coordinated nationwide. For its part, Qatar is spending many billions in dozens of the most known and recognized colleges in the US. Its organizers, many of them students themselves, have been spreading blatant historical lies by manufacturing facts about the Arab - Israeli conflict. The Palestinian “activists,” operate under the clear goal of deliberate brainwashing of unsuspecting students on campuses. This is done by pounding the Palestinian issue into the students’ minds with activities and lectures full of many wrong details on a regular basis.

There is a direct correlation between the amount of money from Qatar given to a university and the amount of anti-Jewish anti-Israel activities on its campus. The money involved according to the Department of Justice amounts to many billions. The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, ISGAP, reported that the billions from Qatar are handled in campuses across the nation by “Proxies”- a term used to describe politically correct pro-Palestinian activities organizers on behalf of Qatar. These organizers coordinate their activities among colleges throughout the country.

For many years these well organized, well founded sophisticated activities have been relentless. They are hidden under a mask of legitimacy, factual and research based in order to appeal to unsuspecting, very impressionable young students. For years the Qatari “Proxies” have been identifying pro-Palestinian professors helping them to create “Palestinian studies” courses, symposiums on Israel’s “actions” against the Palestinians, student forums and campus rallies which call for the destruction of Israel through all means possible.

This narrative has been relentlessly playing on the emotions of the students. Once emotions take over, hate settles in and the truth becomes irrelevant. At that point there is no desire to have an honest discussion and investigation. Many pro-Israeli students report that no matter what facts they present, these highly emotionally brainwashed students cannot see the real facts. For them, it is not about the truth, it is about what feels good to their young minds.

With our mission as the Jewish people to be a light unto the nations, still we will forge ahead, living at a higher consciousness and bringing these ideals forward.

Shalom,

Rabbi David

The Saga of Freedom by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 13:51:18 GMT

We are all familiar with the great saga of Passover. An enslaved nation, led by a mysterious man, breaks free from its bondage in Egypt. That mysterious man, Moses, managed to lead an entire nation out of the clutches of the most dominant empire at that time. He managed to overcome the empire‘s vast, well equipped trained army and lead the running slaves into the vast wilderness of Sinai. The slaves, the Hebrews, relied solely on the miracles performed by Moses on behalf of their mysterious G-D to provide them with their daily needs of water, food and protection in a lawless, very harsh environment.

This of course was not a small task considering an estimate of more than 2.5 million men, women and children leaving Egypt. History scholars have doubts about the story’s authenticity. For one thing, the Bible was written hundreds of years after these events took place and is based on generations of oral transmissions describing these events. Yet for millenia the story of Passover has been and still is a most profound story very dear to their hearts. Jews all over the world consider this annual telling of the Passover story, a symbol of their Jewishness, even if they do not follow other traditions throughout the year.

This story has a universal appeal because it deals with the most fundamental yearning of the human spirit, the yearning to be free. It is a story of the triumph of this yearning. It is a story of a people becoming a nation out of the depth of slavery solely because they become free. This point was reiterated to the Israelites by Moses who reminded them, “..at that day you became a nation” (Deuteronomy 27: 9.)

But freedom has many aspects and can be manifested in different ways. The individual physical freedom to live free and be as one wants to Be. This, of course, is guaranteed to us by the constitution that national freedom is the freedom of a nation to live its independent life. The idea of freedom being fundamental to life has reverberated in our Jewish psyche since the day the Hebrew slaves became a nation. It has lasted through our long history of suffering as well as exaltation. It is about the idea that we all value it as much as the air we breathe and the food we eat.

This year, with the hostages still not freed, Passover has even more significance. May our collective observance of Passover bring them home.

Happy Passover and Happy Freedom,

Rabbi David

The Jewish Perspective of Joy by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 14:48:40 GMT

A UN sponsored survey in 2023 found that Israelis are among the happiest people in the world. This of course is a bit strange considering the daily pressure of national survival.

While the events of October 7th, the terrible ongoing loss of life and the world’s immense political pressure has put a damper on the survey findings, in general, however, the innate happiness still remains.

Why so?

This “Jewish Joy” is based on the Jewish outlook on life. Beyond the “normal” worldly things that make us happy such as personal achievements or happy family events, there is the appreciation for simply being alive on such a unique planet in the universe.

Joy in the Jewish tradition is considered to be an antidote to life’s challenges, sadness and even the traumas we, the Jewish people, have experienced throughout the centuries. It has kept us from falling into despair during very tough times.

A large movement based on finding Joy from the depth of despair was created after hundreds of Jewish communities were obliterated in the 17 century by the Polish cossacks. This was the Hasidic movement which spread all over Europe like a wildfire.

Finding Joy in our hearts despite adverse events is rooted in a profound spiritual attitude. Life is precious, an amazing gift granted to us by G-D and the expression of Joy no matter the circumstance strengthens that attitude as well as our inner drive for survival.

There is a story in the Mishna (a body of biblical commentaries precursor to the Talmud) about the angels singing praises to G-D after pharaoh's chariots drowned in the sea. G-D responded: My creations drowned in the sea and you are singing praises to me?"

Jewish perpetual joy is all about the sanctity and the appreciation of life on earth and not an expression of revenge. It helps the psyche overcome sadness, even tragedy and horrors to which Jews have been exposed to for centuries. It prevents us from becoming a victim within to those who wish to hurt us or destroy us.

Our historical related holidays always stress Jewish survival and deliverance from evil as well as praise of G-D. It is not an expression of Joy for the death of an evil enemy.

In Holidays such as Hanukkah, Purim and Passover we offer G-D a special prayer of praise called”Hallel” (“Praise”). We recite it during Passover and Hanukkah as a thank you to G-D for saving the Jewish people from a threat of annihilation.

However, despite the Joy of survival, Jewish tradition forbids us from reciting Hallel during the seventh day of Passover because that was the day Pharaoh's army drowned. We do not recite “Hallel'' on Purim because that was the day in which the Jews killed their enemies who wanted them dead in Persia.

The value of Jewish Joy goes even deeper with the mystical teachings of the Kabbalists. We even have a special Hebrew month, Adar, which radiates the energies of Joy to us. And this year there are actually two months of Adar! During our upcoming workshop/webinar Feb. 10th we will be delving in these teachings and how to use the tools of the Kabbalists to bring the deeper level of Joy which also brings healing into our lives. We certainly can all use more Joy right now! I hope you will join us!

Shalom,

Rabbi David

Questions about Gaza by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 22 Oct 2023 13:32:23 GMT

Due to the war I have been receiving many questions. Here is one that has been asked several times concerning the water and electricity situation in Gaza.

When Gaza fell into Israeli hands during the War of 1967 after the Egyptians left the area, what was left was a collapsed infrastructure, a completely broken water pipe system, one old and often dysfunctional electrical power plant, an antiquated, barely functioning electrical grid and a dilapidated sewer system.

Due to ongoing bitter rivalry between political groups in Gaza, the ability to elect an effective central authority as a governing body, was impossible. In fact, no effective public utility to speak of existed in Gaza since the beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately, other than humanitarian help, no serious international initiative to improve the infrastructure has been offered to remedy the situation.

This was the situation 65 years ago. Nothing much has changed since except that the population is now more than four times as much, from 400,000 Arabs living in Gaza in the late 60’s to 1.8 million presently cramming into the same small area.

After the 1967 war, the State of Israel realized it needed to supply Gaza with water and electricity while trying to rebuild the infrastructure using its own limited resources of water and electricity. To make things even worse, the Israelis realized that at least half of the water supplied to Gaza could not be handled by the antiquated water pipe system. A few desalination plants were desperately needed as well as a few new power plants to replace the one small dysfunctional electrical power plant along with its dilapidated electrical grid.

Over the years, plans to improve the situation in Gaza were drawn by Israeli engineers with international support. These plans were impossible to implement since terror organizations were active in Gaza against Israel. Any Israeli initiative to ease Gaza’s situation was flatly rejected.

Plans to help the situation were also drawn specifically by the Israeli water and electrical authorities. These plans were scratched as well due to constant terror activities from Gaza.

The UN organization, UNICEF however, did manage to build a small water desalination plant in Gaza in order to ease the water shortage. However the plant is too small. It is based on old technology and cannot solve the dire water situation in Gaza.

One of the well known plans to help the situation was put forward by former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett and former foreign minister Yair Lapid. It evidently had great European support. It was never implemented due to the refusal of Hamas to even consider it.

There were also Israeli proposals to build a few modern desalination plants as well as patching the water pipe system using Israeli vast know- how and experience in the field. Plans to build a few electrical power plants with foreign donations were also considered.

In 2008 Hamas authorities agreed to allow the building of a desalination plant and electrical power plants to alleviate the severe water and electrical shortage. Building materials earmarked for these projects were sent along with engineering plans for the projects to be built with the help of Israeli engineers and foreign money.

However, Hamas had plans of its own. All the building material was used to build one of the most elaborate and sophisticated underground large tunnels. This became what is now known as Gaza’s underground city. The goal was to provide shelter to the dozens of thousands Hamas terrorists as well as a way to kidnap Israelis.

Both goals were achieved. Many terror attacks in the area including kidnapping Israeli citizens (and getting back hundreds of terrorist prisoners in Israeli jail in a prisoner exchange) were conducted using these tunnels.

When Israel realized that all building materials were used to build the underground structure instead of helping the population, it was decided to immediately stop the transfer of all construction material to Gaza.

However, according to IDF reports, it has been discovered that Hamas has managed to smuggle huge amounts of construction material through the Egyptian border and through its extensive tunnel system. Hamas even expanded the underground elaborate tunnels system to more than 200 miles. For years Hamas has been successfully smuggling anything they needed for their terror activities through land and sea.

It also became apparent that a lot of materials have been smuggled through Israel by hiding them in double strength food bags like rice bags. Israel, having no other choice, started monitoring everything that is shipped to Gaza on a daily basis aboard dozens of large trucks including food and other goods.

Unlike what Arab propaganda wants everyone to believe, there are absolutely no restrictions on food, medicine, and all other basic needs. Everything is simply being checked for any material that could be used, directly or indirectly, for terror, including weapons and ammunition.

This is the hard lesson learned by Israel that when it comes to Gaza that less than total vigilance leads to terror disasters. Israel is still obligated to supply water and electricity as much as it can to Gaza. This is not a “control” issue but rather the kind of moral and legal obligation issued by the international community and the UN despite the hatred and the will to obliterate the state of Israel.

It is sad that on one hand the world accuses Israel of “controlling” Gaza by controlling the water and electrical flow and by restricting material going to Gaza and on the other hand demands that Israel provides Gaza with water and electric power, food and other materials. It is sad that the world has ignored all the attempts by Israel to help rebuild Gaza infrastructure and instead has faced extreme hostility.

It is a strange anomaly that Gazans want to destroy Israel by completely killing all men (women and girls should be taken for obvious purposes) despite the fact that Israel provides for the Gazans, as much as it can, water and electricity and despite Israel's attempts over the years to help with plans which cannot be implemented.

No other country in the world ever came out with a serious attempt to help the water and electrical infrastructure situation, not even the UN, with all its vast resources.

Any accusation from any international body over the years of Israel’s discriminatory restrictions in regards to helping Gaza is a propaganda fallacy.

Rabbi David

Make Your Donation to the Israel Emergency Defense Campaign HERE

The Dove's Message by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 15:27:30 GMT

I always love to set a beautiful table for Shabbat and the holidays. For me it is a way to send Light and my prayers. The first Friday after the Hamas attack, Oct. 13th, I wanted the tablescape to radiate out the Light of Peace and knew a dove I keep on display would be perfect to use. It is pretty difficult to reach so I asked Rabbi David to get it for me but as he was doing so, it slipped from his hand and broke.

I just looked at it in sadness and said, “A sign of what is happening.” Rabbi David managed to glue the dove back together but one piece is missing. It is a piece by the dove’s heart.

As I placed the dove on my table, I could feel the Light radiating from my tablescape’s Prayer for Peace. It was so beautiful, so sacred, so strong! “Thank you for your message,” I told the dove. “We may be broken with pieces of our heart missing, but we will still continue to bring our Light to the world!”

I reset my table after Shabbat in the exact same way. I told the dove, “This is going to to be your new place for awhile.”

Love, Cantor Lee

Light for Israel: Each Friday eve join the global campaign to light an additional candle for Israel and all suffering. Even if you don't normally light Shabbat candles... even if you aren't Jewish....

Another Message?

Noah sent out the dove three times from the ark. The first time she couldn't find a place to rest and came back. The second time, she brought back an olive leaf which has become a universal sign of peace. The third time, she didn't return to the ark for the flood was over and life could begin again. She had found her place in the world.

The dove in the mystical teachings is a symbol of the Divine Presence.

Make Your Donation to the Israel Emergency Defense Campaign HERE

Forty Days and Counting by Rabbi David & Cantor Lee Degani

(Past member) — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:30:00 GMT

There are certain numbers that Judaism considers sacred as they occur over and over again in the Torah. Well known of these numbers include 4, 7, 10 and 40. The number 40 is especially intriguing. We read about 40 days of rain during Noah's flood, 40 days Moses spent on the mountain receiving the Torah, 40 years spent wandering in the desert, 40 days Elijah fasted and others. Forty seems to signify a time of purification that leads to transformation where we build to a higher consciousness.

As we begin to prepare for the High Holy Days, our tradition also asks us to offer 40 days of inner work or purification throughout the 30 days of the Hebrew month of Elul and ending with the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This work is so important that each day during Elul which begins on August 18th this year, the shofar is sounded, reminding us to wake up and judge our deeds. The intent of this self judgment is not to promote guilt but to help us discern what would like to keep in our lives and what we would like to discard. The daily process of inner reflection is meant to also help us become more aware of our emotions and perceptions allowing us to eventually have control over them rather than having the emotions and perceptions control us.

In Jewish meditation circles, there is a popular teaching story that illustrates this. A retired Air Force Colonel was standing in the express line at the grocery store and found himself getting quite agitated. At the head of the line, the cashier was not only speaking to a customer with a baby but was cooing with the baby and tickling her. While everyone in the line waited, the colonel found himself getting more enraged by the minute. Fortunately he had taken an anger management class and was able to use the tool of focusing on his breath to help his anger subside.

Once he got to the head of the line, he was even able to remark at how cute the baby was. The cashier responded, "Oh, you think so? The baby is actually my baby. My husband was an Air Force pilot who recently died in an airplane crash. I needed to go to work to support myself and my mother takes care of the baby for me. She comes into the store to buy something several times a day so I can see my baby."

Especially as we continue to deal with issues arising in our world, may we learn to shift our perspective and truly be examples for our children.

May we all be blessed with awareness, discernment, peace and joy as we begin the High Holy Day season! May we radiate out this Light to all inhabitants of our world!

Virtual High Holy Days

What's in a Name by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 01:14:37 GMT

When I was in elementary school decades ago in Israel, the class discussion one day in the beginning of the month of April was about the up coming memorial day for the Holocaust. When the class was asked to explain the significance of the day I raised my hand and started talking about "Yom Ha Shoa. I did not get far in my explanation. The teacher, Mrs. Morinski suddenly became very upset. "No!" she said in anger. "There is no such a thing as 'Yom Ha-Shoa!' "

By the beginning of 1943 the Warsaw Ghetto population was very depleted. Most of the Jews had been sent to Auschwitz but under the ghost like empty buildings in underground bunkers a group of young Jews were preparing to do something never heard of before...In the most amazing ways (an incredible story on its own ) they manage to sneak into the Ghetto some pistols, grenades and material to make Molotov cocktails.(essentially, bottles with gasoline and wicks so that when ignite they make a loud breaking noise and produce a little fire.)

On April 19, 1943 a line of German Tanks entered the Ghetto with the intent to raze everything inside to rubble. But the Germans faced the surprise of their lives when an onslaught of exploding Molotovs welcomed them into the camp . Thinking that they were facing a barrage of heavy artillery they turned their tanks around and retreated. The bravery of these young men and women continued for weeks as a house to house combat ensued. The Warsaw revolt became known among the anti German underground group throughout Europe as one of the most amazing acts of defiance. However, after the war it became known that in fact, throughout the war many Jewish Ghettos all over Europe revolted and fought the Germans with the little means they had. In spite of the wide range of Jews rebelling in Ghettos and fighting as partisans in forests all over Europe, Jewish heroism is not well celebrated and understood in the US.

Mrs. Morinski dismayed upon hearing the term "Yom Ha Shoa" ( literally "a day of the Holocaust) is well ingrained on my heart. That day she went on to explain to the class that while we remember the evil, it is even more important to honor the incredible bravery of those who relentlessly fought the evil, having close to nothing with which to fight. As she put it :"one holocaust is enough. We do not need another "day of the holocaust" every year.

Therefore, although this term is extensively used in the United States one does not hear the term "Yom Ha Shoa" in Israel. In the early fifties when the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) declared a special day to remember the Shoa, the official name became known as the "Memorial Day for the Shoa and (Jewish) heroism (Yom Zikaron La Shoah veh la G'vura). While in the early days some people called it Yom Ha Shoa including myself as a child, this term quickly disappeared.

The original suggestion for the date of the memorial day was the 14th of the month of Nissan, Passover eve, to honor the Warsaw revolt which started on that day. However the Knesset felt that such a solemn day should not coincide with the happy holiday of Passover. The decision was therefore to place the memorial day as close as possible to the last day of Passover. The 27th of Nissan was agreed upon and became the official memorial day for the Holocaust and Bravery.

May we always remember Who We Are.....

Rabbi David

The Boy Who Took Action by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 10:27:40 GMT

After I heard the story I looked up the number of students in the school. There were over 1,000.00. Probably not all of them would have seen the symbol on the wall. But even if just a third of the children saw it, only one took action.

His name is Nate, a sixth grader and a student in our Hebrew School preparing for his Bar Mitzvah.

When Nate passed by the quilt hanging on the wall, he knew the swastika shouldn't be there, not in his middle school, not anywhere! He told me that it made him feel bad, of bring hated by the Nazis.

I asked if anyone else mentioned it to him. “Only one,” he said. His friend said to him, “Did you see that?” But that was all that happened. His friend didn’t take action as he did. Nate had no question in his mind. He needed to tell his parents.

When Nate’s parents called us, we all adamantly agreed that they should contact the principal. What was most disturbing is that the hanging quilt had no explanation of why a picture of Hitler and the swastika was there. Nate told me he knew the quilt was about famous people. Jackie Robins was there and so was the Dali Lama.

As adults looking at a picture of the quilt, we immediately understood that the swastika and picture of Hitler was being used to show what Simon Wiesental, a famous Nazi hunter, was fighting against. That section was even created by a Jewish child. So yes, we applauded this choice of Simon Wiesenthal being displayed. But as Rabbi David said, including the swastika was in poor taste. It still radiates out a message of hate. The child just needed to be appropriately guided.

Nate’s parents had a meeting with the principal the next day. When they walked into the office the quilt was on the conference table. The principal told them he had it taken down immediately. It had no place being on the wall. He even scoured the school and found another sign with Hitler and a paragraph which was immediately taken down. He was extremely apologetic.

We are all so proud of Nate! He had a chance to share his experience with the Hebrew School children which led to a beautiful discussion.

And so now I share his experience with you. May Nate inspire us all to be guided by our hearts and speak up when needed! Only then can we ensure “Never Again!” Only then can we truly create a World of Peace, a World of Love!

Cantor Lee

Accounting by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 17:27:53 GMT

This week we read two Torah portions, Vayakhel (“He Assembled”) and Pekudei (“Accountings Of”) Artists chosen by G-D begin building the Mishkan. (Tabernacle) * We learn of Betzalel, the head architect and Oholiav, a master teacher and craftsman who are filled with G-D’s spirit as they begin the construction. With the donations given by the people, there is an open counting of the gold, silver and copper used to build the Mishkan. When all is complete G-D’s presence comes into the Mishkan with a cloud resting on top of it during the day and a fire by night. When the cloud would lift, this would be a signal for the Israelites to journey to their next stop in the desert.

During our soul’s journey, we learn from this portion that we are to be partners with G-D in all that we do. When we live in this state there is transparency among the community such as in the open counting of the donations from the people. We each use the gifts G-D has given us whether it is as a teacher, builder, artist or leader.

Pekudei now closes the Book of Exodus. The next three books of the Torah contain the journeys of the Israelites in the desert and the laws needed to form a new society.

Although I will not be continuing this series I have appreciated sharing the Torah’s wisdom of Genesis and Exodus with you and wish you many blessings as you take your own soul journeys.

Rabbi David

* Every week a section of the Torah is read throughout the week. There are always many levels of understanding with each week's portion. The Torah portions also have energies that can be utilized to help us navigate though our daily lives not only during the week the specific portion is read but any time it is needed.

Lighting up Darkness

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 13:03:21 GMT

This week’s Torah portion is called Ki-Tisa “You shall Take.” * The Israelites each donate a half-shekel for the sanctification of the priests, the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the holy vessels.

This portion also contains the famous story of the people building and worshiping a golden calf when Moses is on Mt. Sinai receiving the Torah. This goes against the very first commandment which was already announced to them. When Moses comes down from the mountain and sees the scene, he angrily breaks the two stone tablets engraved with the Ten commandments which he is carrying.

When Moses begs G-D to forgive the people, G-D responds with the famous expression “I forgave the people as you asked of me”, a statement which has been adapted in our Yom Kippur service. Moses asks to see G-D but is told he cannot see G-D’s face and live. Moses is told to stand in the cleft of a rock. As the shadow of G-D passes behind him, Moses utters the 13 Divine attributes of compassion. Moses then returns with a second set of tablets. His face is so radiant with Light that he needs to wear a veil when speaking to the people.

There are many messages in this Torah portion that guide us on our soul’s journey in this Torah portion. One I would like to focus on is the Light radiating from the face of Moses after meeting with G-D.

We need to first understand that when the Torah was translated from the Hebrew, the word “Karan” which means “radiating” was mistakenly seen as “Keren” which means horns. There are no vowels in the Torah so it is easy to see the similarities of the two words. The use of the word, “horns” makes no sense in this context. Unfortunately, the notion that Jewish people have horns took hold from this error and even Michaelangelo’s statue of Moses is depicted with horns.

So why did Moses need to wear a veil with so much Light radiating from his face when speaking to the Israelites? The answer is they weren’t ready to absorb so much Light. When we begin a spiritual journey it is just that, a journey. We need to go through the various stages. The Light that comes into our lives shows us anything that is dark or hidden within us that needs to be resolved. Examples may be old grief, unresolved anger, emotional stress from childhood, even trauma in our genes such as the Holocaust.

Our holidays, prayers, Jewish traditions and performance of mitzvot are all meant to help us absorb a higher level of Light and release darkness.

By tapping into or aligning with Ki Tisa, we can receive additional help to face and release any hidden darkness in a gentle manner.

Rabbi David

The Divine Command

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 15:11:18 GMT

This week’s Torah portion is called “Tetzaveh,” command. *The brother of Moses, Aaron, and his sons are appointed as the priests. G-D gives detailed instructions in how to sanctify the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the priests which will take place over seven days as well as how to make the golden altar and priestly clothing.

The breastplate worn by the high priest is used to bring Divine guidance when dealing with the people. Twelve precious gemstones inscribed with the twelve tribes light up in response to questions.

In the journey of our souls, this portion teaches us about the holiness of a command from G-D which we know as a mitzvah. The deeper meaning of the word is “to connect.” When we follow G-D’s will we forge a connection between us and the Divine which brings guidance as we live our lives.

By tapping into or aligning with the energy of Tetzaveh we can receive help to receive and understand Divine guidance.

Rabbi David

The Inner Sanctuary by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 15:17:32 GMT

This week’s Torah portion is called Terumah “Donation.” * G-D tells Moses to have the people bring (donate) gifts in order to build a dwelling place for G-D called a Mishkan, a portable Tabernacle. There are precise instructions on how to build the various furnishings that will be inside of the Mishkan including the ark to hold the Ten Commandments, the golden cherubs to be placed on top of the ark, table, lamp, walls, curtains and altar. With these gifts, G-d specifies that “you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him.”

In the inner meaning of this Torah portion, it is actually referring to building the sanctuary of our hearts which is our own individual portable Mishkan.

A related Hebrew verb to Terumah is le-harim which translates as “to raise up.” In the journey of our souls when we allow “our hearts to move us” we are aligned with compassion and giving which helps to raise us up to the higher realms of the Divine where we experience a state of peace and freedom. We understand that giving also brings gifts in return for us. As givers we become the receivers.

By tapping into or aligning with the energy of Terumah, we can receive help to become more compassionate and giving.

Rabbi David

The Divine Laws by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 14:14:00 GMT

This week’s Torah portion is called “Mishpatim” meaning “Laws or Ordinances” given to the Israelites.* They include laws governing lost property, holidays, damages, holidays and indentured servants to name a few. These civil laws enabled the Israelites to learn to live as free people in a just society. All they had known was slavery.

The main purpose of these laws was to bring the spirit of the Ten Commandments into everyday life. How would they be applied in situations that would arise? the basis of many of these laws can be found in our legal system. For example, the person who caused harm, injury or death to the person or property of another, faced a considerable range of consequences depending on whether it was an intentional act or of negligence.

Following these laws was considered to be a contractual agreement between G-D and the nation of Israel. There was always the reminder: “You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep [his laws]” (Deut. 5:15).”

The laws were meant to develop compassion within the people. For example, “The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (Lev. 19:33-34).”

The Zohar, considered to be the bible of Kabbalistic mysticism, explains these are cosmic laws. In the journey of our souls we understand that in no longer being ruled by Egypt, the place of the ego, we now live in a higher state which requires a different operating system. These laws, so revolutionary for their time, are meant to bring holiness to the mundane, to bring us to the spiritual realm of the Divine in every aspect of our lives.

By tapping into or aligning with the energy of Mishpatim we can receive help to more fully bring the intention of these laws into our daily lives.

Rabbi David

The Inner Ten Commandments by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 11:06:24 GMT

This week’s Torah portion is called “Yitro” * which is the name of Moses’ father-in law. Yitro tells Moses he cannot do everything himself and advises him to set up judges to help govern the people.

It is now three months since the Israelites have left Egypt. They gather around Mt. Sinai to receive G-D’s instructions. They learn that if they follow G-D, they will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. The people reply they will do all that is asked of them. They prepare now for three days to receive further instructions. Amidst smoke, flames, sounds and shaking from the mountain, the people hear the words of the Ten Commandments.

In the deeper meaning of our soul’s journey, the ten commandments guide us in how to manifest our inner G-dliness into the physical world. In the 1st through 5th commandments we further develop our relationship with G-D which is one of unity. In the 6th through 10th commandments, we come to realize that any harm done to another is harm to ourselves as this unity also extends to others.

I AM Adonai, who brought you out of Egypt (the restricted places) This relates to the state of beingness, of sacred unity, oneness.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. This relates to finding the Divine within ourselves rather than worshiping outside of ourselves.
Thou shalt not take the name of G-D in vain. This relates to how our words are used as they have the power of creation. Are they words aligned with the higher parts of ourselves or from the lower?
Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. This is reminding us to honor ourselves and G-D by taking time to restore our spirit.
Honor thy father and mother . This is having a balance of the divine feminine and masculine parts of ourselves.
Thou shalt not kill. This refers to the parts of ourselves we want to disregard instead of forgiving and accepting ourselves in order to evolve.
Thou shalt not commit adultery This is being faithful to our higher spiritual guidance.
Thou shalt not steal. This is about having respect for our inner selves that we are complete.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. This is accepting the truth of our divine nature.
Thou shalt not covet (be jealous of) anything your neighbor has. This is knowing we can create what we desire when it is for the highest good.

By tapping into or aligning with the energy of Yitro we can receive help to bring the Ten Commandments more fully into our daily lives.

Rabbi David

Lifting our Rods by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 29 Jan 2023 19:09:01 GMT

This week’s Torah portion is called “Beshallach” (Leave) where we follow the Israelites as they leave Egypt and cross the sea into freedom. * An Angel leads them with a fire at night and a cloud during the day to reach the Sea of Reeds. G-D tells Moses that Pharaoh will chase after them but G-D will be victorious. However, as the soldiers approach, the people are frightened and cry out that it was better to be a slave than to be slaughtered in the desert by Pharaoh's army. G-D says, “Why are you crying to me?” He instructs Moses to tell the people to begin moving and then hold up his rod to split the sea.

The angel moves behind the Israelites. The cloud keeps the Egyptians from coming closer. Throughout the night the winds blow creating a wall of water on each side of a dry path. In the morning they cross the sea with the Egyptians chasing them. However, the Egyptians panic when their chariots get stuck in the mud, unable to move and begin to pile on top of each other. When the Israelites get to the other side Moses lifts up his rod again. The wall of water collapses and the pharaoh's army drowns.

With the deeper meaning of this portion, we learn that as partners with G-D we have been given the power to create miracles. It is just a matter of moving forward and “lifting our rods.”

Rabbi David

A Journey by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 14:14:37 GMT

This week’s Torah portion* of Jan. 23, 2023 is called “Bo” (Come to Pharaoh) and talks about the last three of the ten plagues inflicted on Egypt of locusts, darkness and the death of the first born. Pharaoh tries to negotiate with Moses offering to let the men only go free but this is rejected. Later he offers to let everyone go including the children but not the sheep and cattle which is again rejected. After Pharaoh loses his first born son, he tells Moses to leave with everyone and also to bless him. The Israelites leave in great haste.

With the inner meaning of this portion, we continue to see the journey of the ego represented by Pharaoh and spirit/soul represented by the Israelites. With the final plague, Pharaoh realizes he cannot rule over G-d and the higher consciousness.

The title “Bo” is often translated as “Go” or “Go to Pharaoh” but the Hebrew is actually “Come to Pharaoh” indicating that G-d is beckoning to us through the ego. By journeying through the lower densities we reach G-d where the Divine Aspect of us is in charge and guides our lives, bringing us true freedom.

By aligning with or tapping into the energy of Bo, we can receive guidance as we progress through our spiritual journeys.

This portion of Bo is what we will be focusing on during the first day of our upcoming workshop this weekend as we delve much deeper into the portion to utilize our own personal Moses, Pharaoh, Egypt and Burning Bush to spiritually heal and bring all aspects of ourselves in the higher states of freedom.

Please join us - you will gain a totally new understanding of the Torah and Exodus story with yours truly!

Rabbi David

This message was fact-checked, approved and certified by the Reb!

A New Appearance by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 10:50:14 GMT

This week’s Torah portion beginning Jan. 15, 2023 is called Vaera (“I Appeared”) and is the second reading in the Book of Exodus.* G-d tells Moses that he appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with a different name, El Shaddai. He is appearing now as Yud, Hay, Vav, Hay and promises to bring the Israelites out of slavery to the Promised Land with might and miracles. The slaves do not believe him.

Moses and his brother Aaron go to Pharaoh who still refuses to let the slaves go. The first 7 of 10 plagues are brought to Egypt of water turning to blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, cattle disease, boils and hail. Each time Pharaoh says he will allow the slaves to leave but then changes his mind.

With this portion, the ongoing conflict with the ego and spirit ensues which Pharaoh and the Israelites represent. However with G-d revealing himself in a different manner than he did with Abraham, the Israelites now have the opportunity to also reveal themselves in a different manner with a higher consciousness and hold steadfast through this conflict.

By aligning with or tapping into the energy of Vaera, we can receive help to see from a higher perspective when plagued by inner and outer forces.

Rabbi David

The Age Old Conflict by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 12:20:43 GMT

This week’s Torah portion of Jan. 8, 2022 is called Shemot, “Names” and is the first reading in the Book of Exodus.* It begins by listing the names of the Israelites who came to live in Egypt during the time of Joseph.

It is now two hundred years later. A new Pharaoh enslaves the Israelites in Egypt and sets laws to have the baby boys drowned in the Nile River. The famous story of Moses is told. When born he is placed in a basket in the water to save his life, then found by Pharaoh's daughter and adopted into their household.

As an adult Moses kills an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a slave and escapes to the desert. Many years later he communicates with G-d through a burning bush. He goes back to Egypt to demand that Pharaoh lets the Israelite slaves go.

The ongoing story of Moses and Exodus is actually read in the Torah over a period of six weeks and is a time of conflict between Pharaoh who represents our ego and materialistic desires and our Soul and spirit which is represented by the Israelites.

This very conflict gives us the opportunity to achieve spiritual growth by choosing to love our fellow man which liberates our spirit.

By tapping into or aligning with the energy of Shemot we can receive help to release our spirit from bondage and experience the freedom of a state of inner peace.

Rabbi David

The Father's Blessings by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 14:59:10 GMT

This week’s Torah portion Jan.1, 2023 is called Vayechi (“He Lived”) and is the final Torah portion in the Book of Genesis. *

Jacob who moved to Egypt 17 years earlier is now making preparations for his death. He tells his son, Joseph, to bury him with his forefathers in the Cave of Machpelah in the city of Bet Lechem. He gives individual blessings to each of his 12 sons as well as Joseph’s two sons.

Although we all have a primary Divine path in life which each of the blessings represents, the 12 sons also represent different archetypes that we carry within us and which need to come into harmony.

Twelve sons and Paths

Reuben – path of creation energy

Simeon – path of ambitious aggression

Levi – path of divine service

Judah – path of selflessness

Dan – path of law and order

Naphtali – path of free spirit

Gad – path of warrior

Asher – path of abundance

Issachar – path of scholar

Zebulun – path of merchant

Joseph – path of challenges

Menashe – path of spiritual connection

Ephraim – path of transformation

Benjamin – path of elevating Divine sparks

By aligning with or connecting to the energy of Vayechi we can receive help to bring these aspects within us into balance.

Rabbi David

A Different Perspective by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 18:19:11 GMT

Every week in Judaism a section of the Torah, (the Old Testament) is read throughout the week. There are always many levels of understanding with each week's portion. The Torah portions also have energies that can be utilized to help us navigate though our daily lives not only during the week the specific portion is read but any time it is needed.

This week’s Torah portion Dec. 25, 2022 is called Vayigash (“He Approached”) . Judah approaches Joseph, second to Pharaoh, and pleads with him to not keep his youngest brother, Benjamin, as a prisoner. Judah and the rest of his brothers still don’t recognize Joseph whom they sold as a slave to Egypt 22 years earlier.

Judah explains that if Benjamin doesn’t return home, his father will die from sorrow. He already lost one son, Joseph. Judah pleads with Joseph to take him instead.

Joseph cannot control himself anymore and goes into another room to cry. He comes out and reveals himself to his brothers who are shocked and in a state of fear of what will now happen.

Joseph assures them that being sold as a slave was G-d’s will. It enabled him to save his family from starvation. (This is the second time the brothers have traveled to Egypt to purchase food during the famine.)

This gives the brothers a different perspective and they are able to come to terms with what they did to Joseph 22 years earlier. There is forgiveness on both sides.

Again there is this theme of forgiveness and reconciliation of brothers in the Torah. In going deeper, the twelve brothers represent different aspects of ourselves. Joseph represents achieving greatness through his many challenges. He helps us look at the Divine orchestration in our own lives.

By tapping into or aligning with the energy of Vayigash we can receive help to see from a higher perspective as we go through our own challenges enabling us more easily navigate through such times.

Rabbi David

Revisiting the Past by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 17:50:36 GMT

This week’s Torah portion is called “Miketz” “at the end.” *

After being called from prison to interpret Pharaoh's two bizarre dreams, Joseph foretells there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine and advises Pharaoh how to prepare for the years of famine. Recognizing his wisdom, Pharaoh makes Joseph second to the throne.

When the years of famine arrive, Joseph's brothers travel to Egypt to buy food. While he recognizes them, the brothers do not recognize Joseph. A powerful inner conflict ensues within Joseph as he revisits the maltreatment he experienced at their hands when he was sold as a slave to Egypt.

He accuses them of being spies and insists one brother, Simeon, is to be kept ransom and the youngest brother, Benjamin, must be brought back.

The brothers return with the youngest brother, Benjamin, but again Joseph treats them harshly. The brothers speak among themselves that they are being punished by G-d because of their treatment of Joseph so many years earlier. They don’t realize Joseph can understand them.

The Torah portion ends with Joseph insisting Benjamin must stay behind as a slave.

We see in this story how Joseph being brought to Egypt is in Divine order. As a result he is not only able to help his family during the famine but also Egypt and the surrounding areas.

As we delve into the deeper meaning of this story we see that Joseph must deal with all of his emotions from his past. He has moments of sobbing mixed with anger and rage. The brothers must also come to terms with their past maltreatment of Joseph.

On our soul’s journey to reach the higher realms we must also come to terms with our past actions that harmed others and ourselves as well as actions from others that have harmed us.

By aligning with or tapping into the energy of Miketz, we can receive help to deal with the emotions that arise revisiting these times.

It is interesting that Miketz is usually during Chanukah when we not also revisit the past to remember the miracles of that time but to connect to the Divine Help that was given to us then and is available to us today.

Happy Chanukah!

Rabbi David

A Time for Miracles by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 11:00:00 GMT

I always love it when Christmas and Hanukkah overlap! Tonight at sundown begins the first night of Hanukkah and the 8th night, when all the candles are lit, is on Christmas!

There is a beautiful ritual when lighting the candles each night, that we stare at the flames to access the energy of miracles. For that is really what Hanukkah is all about, miracles.

The first miracle during the historical event was that we got back our Temple in Jerusalem against all odds. The second miracle was that the oil used to light G-d’s lamp, which always needed to stay lit, lasted for eight days when there was only enough oil for one day.

When we light the candles during Hanukkah, we are actually crossing timelines to receive the Divine energy that created those miracles.

The energy increases each night so with the highest point on Christmas this year, what a profound message that this is going to be an amazing year of miracles! Miracles in our individual lives and miracles for us as a collective!

The Council of Love is always telling us that WE are the miracles! As we come together during this Season of Light, no matter how we celebrate, let us remember that we truly are!

And that together, yes, we can create a World of Peace and Love!

Happy Hanukkah!

Love, Cantor Lee

Want to access the miracle energy but you don't celebrate Hanukkah? Just light one or more candles and set the intention as you stare at the flames. It is for everyone!

The Coat of Light

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 10:47:17 GMT

This week’s Torah portion is called “Vayeshev,” “and he settled.” (referring to Jacob settling in the land.) *

We meet Joseph who is favored by his father, Jacob, and thus resented by his ten older brothers. It doesn’t help matters when Jacob gives Joseph a special coat of many colors or when Joseph has prophetic dreams showing his father and brothers bowing down to him.

When the brothers are tending the flocks and see Joseph approaching, they throw him into a pit with the intention to kill “the dreamer.”

One brother, Judah, convinces the others to instead sell him to a caravan going down to Egypt. In Egypt Joseph runs the household of a high ranking officer in Pharaoh's court but then ends up in prison when he is falsely accused of seducing his master's wife. There he uses his prophetic abilities to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh's baker and butler who are also imprisoned and foretells the butler gaining his freedom and the baker his death. Both happen.

There are many teachings from this Torah portion having to do with parental favoritism and sibling rivalry. But the deeper meaning is about the journeys of our souls.

The experience in the pit refers to our struggles in the abyss when we feel forsaken by G-D. As we evolve we learn this is just a false perception as we are never forsaken.

The coat of many colors refers to the various emanations of the Divine Light that we all have within us called sefirot in Hebrew. These spheres of Light carry within them the Divine Attributes which we then bring into the world through our thoughts, words and actions.

They include Divine wisdom, understanding and knowledge, kindness, strength, beauty, eternity, glory, foundation and sovereignty.

By tapping into or aligning with the energy of Vayeshev, we can receive help to integrate and utilize the Divine Attributes in our daily lives.

Rabbi David

The Angel's Blessing by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 11:45:31 GMT

December 5, 2022 This week’s Torah portion is called “Vayishlach,” “And he sent.” It contains the famous story of Jacob wrestling with an angel.

Twenty years after deceiving his father, Isaac, and brother, Esau, in order to gain the first born blessing and thus the inheritance of the family spiritual leadership, Jacob is returning from exile with his large family and must now face his brother. When he learns that Esau is coming to meet him with four hundred men he is afraid thinking that his brother is still very upset with him and is about to kill him and his family. In desperation he divides his family into two camps, reasoning that maybe half his family will survive.

During the night he leaves the two camps in order to meditate and finds himself near the bank of the River Jabbock. He then experiences the dark night of the soul as he wrestles with an angel. As they are wrestling the angel touches Jacob’s hip and injures it.

As dawn arises, Jacob gains the upper hand. The angel asks to be freed from Jacob’s grip but Jacob demands to be blessed first. The angel blesses him by changing his name from Jacob to Israel meaning “One who wrestles with G-D”

Esau, who is now very wealthy and does not care about spiritual matters, cries with happiness and excitement when he finally meets Jacob. Forgiveness and peace between the brothers is restored.

The deeper meaning of this story is really about our struggles with our ego as we go on our spiritual journeys. We must all face the mistakes we have made and then learn to not only forgive ourselves but others we have blamed as well.

Jacob now has a choice to either act from his lower self as Jacob which means "heel" or his Higher Self which is aligned with G-D and the truth of who he really is. This is the same dance we all play as we go through life.

By tapping into or aligning with the energy of Vayishlach we can receive help to remember who we really are, One who is made in the image of G-D with G-D's attributes.

Rabbi David

Climbing the Ladder by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 13:28:21 GMT

Nov. 27, 2022 The Torah portion for this week is called Vayetzei which translates as “He went out.” It includes the famous story of Jacob’s Ladder. *

Jacob is now journeying to his uncle’s home after deceiving his father and brother in order to receive the all powerful first born blessing which entitles him to inherit the leadership of the family.

He stops in the desert to sleep and has a very vivid dream of a ladder going up to heaven with angels traveling up and down the ladder. He finds himself at the top of the ladder where G-D speaks to him.

He is very much in awe of his experience expressing that G-D was in this place and he didn’t know it. He pours oil on the stone he used as a pillow sanctifying the place with the name, Beth El, House of G-d.

To understand this story we need to be aware of Jacob's emotional state as he travels to an unknown place where his mother's family lives. He is scared that his brother may be following him in order to kill him. He is scared to be alone on a dangerous road. He is frustrated from suffering the consequences of deceiving his old father due to his mother urging him to do so.

Through Jacob's vivid dream, G-D demonstrates that even though Jacob is struggling emotionally, he is not alone, that G-D is always with him.

There are many interpretations of the ladder that can help us in our lives. One is that it represents the corridor to ascend into a divine space where communication with G-D can take place. We travel up the corridor through meditation, dreams, prayer or by being in a higher state or vibration.

The ladder is also a metaphor for our spiritual journeys throughout life. The angels are actually us, the Divine aspects of ourselves housed in a physical body. There are times when we are ascending and more easily living in a higher state aligned with our angelic or Divine aspects and times when we are in a lower state. We always have the option to ascend.

The ladder also shows us that Heaven and Earth are connected. Our task as Jewish people has always been to bring heaven to earth.

By tapping into or aligning with the energy of Vaytzei, we become more mindful of where we are on our own rungs of our personal ladders.

Shalom,

Rabbi David

100 Blessings by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 04:23:17 GMT

From Cantor Lee: With Thanksgiving this past week, gratitude and blessings has certainly been a theme. As Rabbi David has shared previously the rabbis put into place that we say 100 blessings a day.

This helps us to align with the Divine part of us and live in a higher consciousness. The daily practice of being in the higher state also helps us more easily navigate through difficult circumstances.

We received some questions about the 100 blessings so here is further information:

From Rabbi David: It is taught that in the time of King David, 3,000 years ago, a plague broke out killing 100 people every day. Realizing that the plague had a spiritual cause, the sages of that time instituted a "measure for measure" response: the saying of 100 blessings each day. Once implemented, the plague stopped.

Each blessing was said to save a soul from a plague reminding us that blessings are also powerful spiritual remedies to fight plagues, or any disease as well as to preserve life. They of course also help us have a spiritually fulfilled life.

Our life is like a tug of war between our negative experiences and the positive ones. Our negative experiences are very powerful and can pull us down to a negative outlook on life, even despair and the inability to function properly.

Reciting blessings is a wonderful way to appreciate the secret gift of life. They are actually a portal to the Infinite and have been used as such for thousands of years.

It’s like “calling in the calvary” to effectively transmute any negativity that may be within us.

There is a misconception however about the way a blessing works. The general formula which usually starts with “Baruch Atah Adonai,” “Blessed are you Adonai (G-D)” clearly indicates that while we are the ones who bestow the blessing we are actually blessing G-D for the item being blessed whether it is food, nature or a special event.

With people we directly ask G-d to bless them such as May G-d bless you and bring you peace.

However you say a blessing, it all counts as part of the 100 per day!

Shalom, Rabbi David & Cantor Lee

The Ongoing Struggle by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 12:21:35 GMT

The Torah portion for this week is called Toldot which translates as generations or genealogy. * It tells the story of two twin brothers and the struggle between them which actually begins in the womb. The older is Esau, a hunter, and according to the customs at that time will inherit the leadership of the family as first born. Jacob, the younger twin, has a gentle nature and is drawn more to spiritual matters.

However, Jacob under his mother’s direction deceives his blind father, Isaac, by dressing up as Esau to receive the firstborn blessing. He will now receive the mantle of leadership. When Esau discovers what has occurred, he plans to kill his brother. Jacob leaves his home to escape the wrath of his brother.

Although there is so much to discuss with this story on many different levels, the deeper meaning of Jacob and Esau refers to the forces within each of us. Esau represents the ego and bodily desires and Jacob represents the part of us aligned with Divine Will. The “firstborn” represents the one who is in charge.

Each moment we can choose who is “in charge.” Is it the spiritual part of us that lives in a higher consciousness of the heart or the lower which is ruled by the ego and our materialistic desires?

Both of these inner forces need to work with each other. The body needs the soul and the soul needs the body to live on earth. Jacob shows us how his struggle with his brother is really about the struggle with keeping his higher consciousness in charge.

By tapping into or asking to align with this week’s Torah portion we can receive help to become mindful of who is “the firstborn, the one in charge” at each moment.

The traditional Jewish prayers that are said each morning are actually meant to set the tone for the day so we do live in that “higher place.” Upon rising Modeh Ani, "I give thanks before thee," is recited. The rabbis also put into place that we say 100 blessings a day. This helps us to align with the Divine part of us and live in that higher consciousness.

Science and religion are certainly coming together with gratitude being recommended by psychologists. You even see it in the magazine headlines while waiting in the grocery store lines!

With Thanksgiving this week, using gratitude to stay aligned with our Divine Selves is certainly a beautiful gift for all of us.

Shalom, Rabbi David

* Every week in Judaism a section of the Torah is read. There are always many levels of understanding with each week's portion. The Torah portions also have energies that can be utilized to help us navigate though our daily lives not only during the week the specific portion is read but any time it is needed.

The Life of Sara by Rabbi David and Cantor Lee

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 12:25:19 GMT

From Rabbi David: The Torah portion for this week is Chayei Sara, The Life of Sara. The portion begins with the death of Sara who dies at the age of 127 in the Land of Canaan. Abraham deeply mourns his beloved Sara. Needing to bury her he purchases the Cave of Machpelah from a local Hittite, paying the asking price without bargaining. This allows him to be fully independent without being beholden to the burial traditions of others.

This portion is the first time burial is mentioned in the Torah. Our traditional Jewish values of burial and mourning actually come from this text. Just with the title, “The Life of Sara” we learn the necessity of needing to honor the life of one who has passed. We also learn the importance of having a period of mourning.

The portion goes on to describe finding a wife for Abraham’s son, Isaac. Abraham sends his servant back to his homeland to find a wife from his tribe. The servant asks for a sign from G-d to choose the best wife, one who offers him a sip of water from the well. A cousin to Isaac, Rebecca, not only offers to give the servant water but his camels as well. The servant takes her back to the land of Canaan to be Isaac’s wife.

From Cantor Lee: Rabbi David and I have officiated so many funerals over the years. Each one is a reminder of what is really important. In the end all that matters is how we treated and loved others. The Torah gives us this message by emphasizing the kindness of Rebecca. This has also shaped us as Jewish people with kindness being a core value.

In tapping into the energy of this week’s Torah portion which began Saturday at sundown, it didn’t surprise me that we had a funeral on Sunday. One of the granddaughters, our former Bat Mitzvah, spoke with tears of how her grandmother’s love had such an impact on her life.

This week Rabbi David and I will be paying attention to the teachings and energy of Chayei Sara, the Life of Sarah, and especially to our core value of kindness which is a manifestation of Love. Are we being kind in our thoughts, words and actions? To ourselves and others? Are we doing the same with those who think differently than we do?

Tapping into or asking to align with the energy of Chayi Sara can also help to further bring kindness into our lives for ourselves and others. So we are taking advantage of it!! Hope you will too!

Love, Rabbi David and Cantor Lee

The Appearance of Angels by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 13:32:05 GMT

This past week’s Torah portion, Lech L’cha, is one Rabbi David refers to at every Bar and Bat Mitzvah service. Abraham is told by G-d to ” go to the land I will show you and you will be a blessing.” We use these same Hebrew words to call to our B’nai Mitzvah teens to begin their journey into Jewish adulthood.

I always smile when we ask the younger children if they can guess today’s name of the land which was called Canaan 3,700 years ago. Most are puzzled but there are always a couple who hesitantly ask, “Is it Israel?”

As we get older, “the land I will show you” takes on a deeper meaning, referring to our spiritual journeys to reach the “promised land” where we live in a state of inner peace aligned with our Divine Selves. The Torah acknowledges there are struggles along the way and not only helps us navigate through these times with her teachings but also with the energies that radiate out from each specific Torah portion.

I always like to tune into the energy of each week’s portion which officially begins at sundown Saturday evening. During the Shabbat afternoon service we actually chant from the new portion.

This week’s portion, Vayera, “And He Appeared” is the story of Abraham welcoming three strangers into his tent not knowing they are angels. They bring a message that Abraham and Sara are going to have a baby. This portion also includes the casting out of Sara’s handmaiden, Hagar and her son, Ishmael. Hagar was given to Abraham so he could father a baby when Sara couldn’t get pregnant.

I was pretty amazed that our Nov. 11th webinar, “Healing the Wounds of War” is during this week’s Torah portion as the story of Sara and Hagar is all about carrying wounds that need to be healed. But that is the way G-d and the Torah works!

Sara and Hagar actually represent the inner parts of us. We have all had times we have experienced rejection and times we have rejected others whether it is from jealousy, judgment, low self esteem or other reasons. As with all our various wounds, both sides of rejection are a result of being separated from our Divine Selves.

During our webinar we will be partnering with G-d to clear and thus heal these wounds which manifest within us as energy blockages. So please join us!

I especially love the teaching about angels in Vayera. As our Bat Mitzvah yesterday afternoon explained, the word angel in Hebrew, mal’ach, translates as messenger. The Torah teaches us that G-d not only uses heavenly beings to bring messages but us as well! We therefore need to treat each person we encounter as an angel.

May we all have many angels appear in our lives and be open to receiving their messages!

Love.

Cantor Lee

A World of Peace by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 11:33:23 GMT

It is a question that I have asked for as long as I can remember, even as a child. I come from a country that knows war, Israel. My earliest memories at the age of three are of the sirens and the windows that needed to be darkened. I suppose the question was implanted then. Can this stop? Can there be Peace?

I served in the 1973 War. I know first hand what it is to carry the wounds of the horrors of war. And still the question has remained. Can there ever be Peace? Perhaps that is why I became a rabbi. I knew deep within there is a way we can bring forth peace.

That opportunity is being given to us now. We are being told by our Divine partners that the first step is to heal the wounds of war that each one of us carries whether one has experienced physical war or not. For there are the wounds from our own personal inner wars, the wounds from wars of other lifetimes, the wounds we have absorbed from each other.

Still the question remains. Is it truly possible to heal these wounds? I have personally experienced the transmission of these heavenly energies in preparation for the November 11th webinar, “Healing the Wounds of War.” I can tell you it is.

It is time. You are being called. We all are. Please join us on Veterans Day, Remembrance Day. Let us not only honor our veterans and our inner veterans, let us heal our wounds from war and bring forth a World of Peace. And that my friends, is a gift beyond measure!

B'Shalom,

Rabbi David

Update: The 11-11 webinar was beautiful and powerful. You can still watch the recording on any date and receive the healing transmissions! Sign up here

There but for Fortune by Cantor Lee and Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 20:11:37 GMT

From Cantor Lee: There is a line from a song that keeps going through my mind. Folk singer Joan Baez sang it: "There but for fortune go you or I."

We have a "piyyut," a liturgical song, which we sing during the High Holy Days: "B'Rosh Hashanah." We say the same thing: "Who shall die by fire and who by water..."

From Rabbi David: Here we are a few days before Yom Kippur, experiencing such a powerful message. Yet again we are reminded how vulnerable we are living on our mother Earth. All we can do is plan for tomorrow and hope for the best. Tomorrow can turn upside down on us in a matter of minutes. A few days ago many victims of Hurricane Ian along with all of us had no idea about the devastation that was lurking on our west shores waiting to pounce.

We go about our life, doing the best we can for our families, our community, hoping for no surprises, no crises but sometimes things happen which are beyond our control. There is a Yiddish expression, man plans and G-D laughs.

So is the Ian mass devastation some kind of punishment? What did the poor victims do to deserve such hardship? Of course this is not a punishment! Nothing wrong was done to deserve such a catastrophe. We still ask Why? We want logical reasons. I don’t know of any logic for this or, for that matter, for any other suffering that we sometimes are made to endure. There is an unsatisfactory answer that I can think of: such is life.

Life is not perfect. We all know that. So in a few days when we gather to offer the Old Mighty our prayers for Yom Kippur, we are asking to be spared of that which is beyond our control, not because we think it is coming to us for wrong doing. Maybe because we, G-D’s creations, are living in such an unpredictable, unstable outer world on mother earth and in our inner world, our fragile body. This is just the way life is, I suppose.

But yet when we look at the last line in the piyyut it seems not only are we are given an answer but we are the answer!

“But with turning and yearning and caring we can temper the harshness of the decree…”

We are the answer with the compassion, comfort and help we bring to all in need. Perhaps this is why we sing “B’Rosh Hashanah." So we can remember that this is the basis of who we are as Jewish people, a people of compassion here to bring G-d's Light into our unpredictable world. And so it is.

G’mar Chatima Tova,

May we all be sealed for a good year!

Rabbi David and Cantor Lee

The Shofar announces the Coronation of a King? by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 14:34:58 GMT

Hearing the shofar blown every year on Rosh Hashanah is something that we really can’t describe. For it touches the deepest parts of us.

One of the names the Torah uses for Rosh Hashana is Yom Teruah, the Day of Sounding the Shofar. Hearing the blasts of the shofar is a call to repentance, a wake up call stirring us to take action.

In the mystical teachings we learn that the vibrations of the sounds affect the levels of three of our soul dimensions called our Nefesh, Ruach and Neshama, bringing healing and alignment with our Divine purpose. As Jewish people this is Tikun Olam, repairing the world.

The shofar call also announces the coronation of G-d as king. It is interesting to note that during Biblical days when the Israelites clamored for a king, G-d didn’t like the idea. A king would only be allowed if he was in partnership with G-d and thus was chosen accordingly.

As we read about in the Book of Kings, when the various kings strayed from this partnership there were consequences. These stories are a reminder that we are all actually kings and queens in partnership with G-d. The sounding of the shofar reminds us to take action so our daily lives reflect this Divine Partnership.

We are looking forward to being together during the High Holy Days when we all hear the sounding of the Shofar. Once again our children and teens will be participating in the Shofar March up to the bimah, a highlight for all of us!

May the shofar blasts bring all people throughout our world a year of Health, Peace, Joy and Prosperity!

Shana Tova!

Rabbi David

Holiday of Love, Tu B'Av by Cantor Lee and Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 11:30:00 GMT

From Cantor Lee

Here's to Tu B'Av, the Holiday of Love! I know, you probably haven’t even heard of this holiday! I certainly didn’t growing up! But yes, we have a Jewish Valentines Day! In Biblical Days the maidens would dress in white and dance in the vineyards of Jerusalem, the idea being to find their soulmate. In modern times we really don’t have rituals to celebrate Tu B’Av so people are creating their own celebrations including community gatherings or just giving loved ones an additional “I love you” during the day.

Love is actually already a huge theme in Judaism. When we follow the prayer book for Shabbat or weekdays, a whole section is devoted to prayers about Love. The prayer, “V’ahavtah,” “You Shall Love,” is inside our mezuzzahs and is traditionally used as a bedtime prayer for children. The Hebrew word for Love, “A-ha-vah” has much power and is used in Kabbalistic Healing. It isn’t an accident that each syllable has an “Ah” sound which is the universal vowel sound for our hearts. What do we do when we see a baby or a puppy? AAhh……… And our hearts open…

In honor of Tu B'Av, I decided I too would create my own personal observance to celebrate the holiday. I asked myself, “How can I connect to the Love energy of the holiday? How can I bring more Love into the world?”

After some thought I decided the focus for my personal observance would be Loving everything that came into my awareness. I already have a mindfulness practice of gratitude and would just add “I Love You.” So for example when walking up steps… I might say, “Thank you feet, I love you. Thank you shoes, I love you, Thank you steps, I love you, Thank you sound of walking, I love you…etc.”

I was quite happy with this idea and called my friend to discuss it. I told her, “Not only will this connect me to the increased energy of Love from the holiday, but it will bring more Love into the world!” (Yes, it really is true that whatever we do personally does energetically affect others.)

My friend wasn’t so sure. “Thank and Love everything? What if you experience someone with road rage or read about something on FB that upsets you” I answered, “If that comes into my awareness on Tu B’Av, I will be very grateful. It just means G-d is asking me to be the instrument to send Love to the situation.”

My friend replied, “That is really a good answer!” I just smiled and thought, “Love is always the answer!”

Happy Tu B’Av! Thank you, I Love you!

Cantor Lee

From Rabbi David:

The 15^th day of the month of Av, Tu B’Av, the Holiday of Love, is a little known yet very significant Jewish holiday. It is considered to be the highpoint of the year energetically and spiritually. This year it begins sundown August 111th and goes to sundown Aug. 12th. While it does not have any specific religious ceremonies associated with it other than the omission of one particular prayer, it is considered a very festive and happy occasion. It originated during the second temple when Jews returned from their Babylon exile and Judea was just a small province within the Greek empire and later on within the Roman empire.

The holiday is an happy celebration of the first day of the grape harvest as well as a biblical occasion which has to do with celebrating women’s specific biblical marriage rights. It therefore became a happy celebration of love and marriage.

The 15th day of Av, is also the time of the full moon which in Jewish tradition brings hope and festive feelings. It therefore became an antidote to the national yearly mourning day of the 9th of Av, Tisha B’Av, the day the Temple was destroyed which is observed six days earlier.

According to a biblical prophetic description, love and marriage is also a symbol of a national redemption in which Judea will flourish again. “The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the LORD , Jeremiah 33:11” The holiday of the 15th of Av combines both the redemption from the disaster of 9th of Av with the celebration of love and marriage, so much so that it is considered the happiest of all holidays.

In modern day Israel Tu B’Av is known as the Holiday of Love and is an auspicious time for weddings and finding one’s soul mate. In Biblical days unmarried women would wear white dresses and dance together in the vineyards of Jerusalem while young men would choose brides for themselves.

So in that spirit , I am inviting all the single young ladies of our congregation to dress in white on the 15 day of the month of Av and dance. Since we do not have vineyards around us, the streets of Boca Raton will do just fine... According to the tradition it would be a great way to find one's True Love...

May we all be blessed with an abundance of Love!

Rabbi David

Thoughts and Prayers Back In! by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 26 May 2022 17:31:56 GMT

With the school shooting this week, people are reeling everywhere. How can this be? When will it stop? We are already dealing with the Ukraine, the shortage of baby formula, the effects of Covid. These are our innocent children!

And so of course, people are finding ways to express themselves. There is a facebook post making the rounds which has two sentences written on it: Thoughts and Prayers. Policy and Change.

But “Thoughts and Prayers” are crossed out with a line going through the words. The message (which isn't new) is that thoughts and prayers offered by politicians are not a substitute for action.

While I understand the anguish that has led to this post, by crossing out “Thoughts and Prayers” a message is ALSO being sent to the universe to not help us. It is the way things work in the spiritual realms. We have been given free will which means we can only receive help if we ask.

In this case the message received by the heavenly realms is even stronger - “Don't help us!” And the more that people focus on those crossed out words the stronger it gets. This is the power of the written word. Another way the universe works.

I cannot imagine taking any steps without partnering with G-d. And I can’t imagine not offering my thoughts and prayers to all who are suffering. I know the power of prayer. But I also know that prayer has to be in conjunction with action.

There is a beautiful teaching from "Pirkei Avot," "Sayings of the Fathers" from 2500 hundred years ago that the world rests on three things:

Torah or Teachings, which refers to instructions for living at a higher consciousness
Avodah, which is service of the heart and refers to our prayers
Gimilut Chassidim which are our mitzvot -acts of human kindness to be taken in the physical world

All three are needed. So let us put “Thoughts and Prayers Back In!” which is the pillar of Avodah. May these thoughts and prayers not only help all who are suffering but also bring us Divine Inspiration of how to move forward with physical solutions.

And may the legacy of these children be that in partnership with G-d, we create a safe world for all.

Shalom,

Cantor Lee

That Day in 1967 by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 25 May 2022 15:45:44 GMT

I was just a young kid in the year of 1967. It a year that will be etched forever in Israel’s national memories. What happened in June that year was in the eyes of many, a real miracle performed by G-D. Of course the power, daring and resourcefulness of the Israel Defense Forces stunned the world.

On June 7th, 1967, elite Israeli paratroopers broke into the old city of Jerusalem. Within their midst was a reporter from the Voice of Israel, the national radio station. He was describing the unfolding events as they were happening.

I remember hearing bullet whistles and the sound of automatic weapons as he was running forward with the soldiers breaking into the lions gate which leads into the old city.

What happened in the next hour or so is the experience for which our great great grandparents have prayed for over 2,000 years. We, the people of Israel at the time, were lucky and privileged to witness it.

The reporter, running as fast as he could to avoid being killed, found his way along with many others into the “Kotel”, the wailing wall. As he was running, describing the chaos around him, he suddenly stopped.

A few seconds later his voice started shaking. The entire country with ears glued to the radio (there was no Israeli TV at that time) heard the reporter crying.

As he approached the Kotel he was describing literally through his tears how battle fatigued paratroopers were standing in front of the holy wall, kissing it and crying along with him.

The entire country listening to the broadcast was crying as well. Suddenly, the sound of a shofar pierced the microphone. Rabbi Goren, chief rabbi of the IDF, was blowing it over and over again.

The famous song, “Yerushalayim shel Zahav” Jerusalem of Gold”, which proclaims our deep yearning to return to our beloved old city of Jerusalem was now being sung. Soldiers all around the Kotel were singing it as loudly as they possibly could with their tired, scratchy voices.

And we kept crying. All of us. The entire country was crying.

On May 29th, 2022 the 28th day of Iyyar, it will be 55 years since that once in a two millennia event. But in my heart and in my mind it happened yesterday.

We the Jewish people have always shared Jerusalem with all religions who wish to worship there and have protected their right to do so. For we understand it is a holy city for many.

But for us it is even more than a holy city. Jerusalem IS the Jewish people. It is our city, our soul and will be in our hearts and hands now and forever.

Rabbi David

Eva's Butterflies by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 09 May 2022 16:37:12 GMT

When Kailyn, one of our Bat Mitzvah students, told me the theme was butterflies, I was so excited! “You can give all the guests milkweed seed packets,“ I told her!“ The plants help the monarch butterflies from going extinct!”

I didn’t make the connection of the butterflies to Eva though, until the Friday eve dinner. Eva was a child with whom Kailyn was not only sharing her Bat Mitzvah, but she was also making a commitment to always remember her.

You see, Eva never had a chance to come of age. She perished during the Holocaust in Auschwitz at the age of eight.

As we all sat around the table talking of Kailyn’s absolute love and obsession with butterflies and of Eva, Rabbi David added that butterflies have become the symbol of the Holocaust." It represents freedom,” he told the family. “It became a a symbol due to the famous poem, 'I Never Saw Another Butterfly,' written by Pavel Friedman, a young Czech poet while in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp.

The Butterfly (English translation)
The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing
against a white stone. . . .
Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly 'way up high.
It went away I'm sure because it wished to
kiss the world good-bye.
For seven weeks I've lived in here,
Penned up inside this ghetto.
But I have found what I love here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut branches in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don't live in here,
in the ghetto.

The day of the service, butterflies were everywhere. On Kailyn’s dress, her jewelry, the challah cover, her tallit, the decorations.

As Eva's spirit entered the room, we were all so heart touched by her presence! I silently told her to please bring the butterflies to all the children who had died with her.

The next morning I decided to write about this experience and began thinking about what I would write. As I walked outside there was a monarch butterfly on the grass. “Is it hurt?” I asked Rabbi David.

As we looked closer we could see two butterflies were there. He gently scooped his hand underneath them so they could fly. They did so for a few seconds but then came back to the grass. And so we watched for them for awhile.

Rabbi David again scooped his hand underneath them and this time they flew off with one butterfly holding the other. As they continued to fly I said, “It wasn’t the last butterfly. The children can see butterflies again.”

Later on I learned that the two butterflies were mating. But I knew why they really came. And I could feel Eva smiling….

Here is the brochure Kailyn designed about Eva:

Here is Kailyn:

Love,

Cantor Lee

The Power of Hebrew by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:56:59 GMT

When G-D created the universe he wanted holiness, Godliness, to be a part of his creation. The first thing he did was create Light.

The rabbis ask why did G-D have to actually say “Yehi Or “ Let there be Light?” He could have created the Light of Holiness just by simply thinking about it.

But G-d decided to use Hebrew words for creating the Divine Light which was then used to create everything else. Imagine how powerful these words are. They were used to create our universe!

This is why our Torah is written in Hebrew and why our blessings and prayers when done in Hebrew are so powerful.

In order to adapt Lashon Kodesh, our holy language, as a spoken language, it could only flourish in a holy place in G-D’s chosen land. Therefore it was only spoken in ancient Judea and Israel. Outside the land of Israel, Jewish people would speak the language of the host country and only use Hebrew for prayer as well as Jewish related poetry and religious commentary.

Over the many centuries, spoken Hebrew outside of the Biblical context became extremely limited and very unsuited as a spoken language especially in a world becoming modernized over the centuries.

When I recently read Jewish related text from the early 19th century I had to chuckle with how the author tried to adapt Biblical Hebrew to non religious topics.

Things changed with the return of the Jewish people to our homeland. The awakening of Jewish national feelings among young Zionists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries breathed new life to the old forgotten Hebrew. A few young men who were fanatics to the cause began to rehabilitate Hebrew by adding the necessary modern words and expressions to this Biblical language.

Among them was Eliezer Ben Yehuda who is considered to be the father of modern Hebrew, and who created the first modern Hebrew dictionary by literally inventing thousands of new modern words while always trying to stay as true as possible to Biblical sources. His lifetime project was carried on by Israel’s national poets, such as Chaim Nachman Bialik and others who in order to enrich their Hebrew poems, created thousands of new words as well.

As the land of Israel began to awaken through the hard work and the dedication of the young Jewish pioneers of the early 20th century the Hebrew language reshaped itself back to the way it was thousands of years ago- a holy language which was used as a day to day national language.

This process was not easy. Hebrew was still a limited language and only by the fanaticism and sheer determination of the early pioneers it began to be spoken by more and more European pioneers.

I remember a story my mother told me when she was a little girl coming from the US to Israel in the early 30’s. On the first day of school when asked for her name she replied “Annette”. The teacher was visibly upset. She called my grandmother to school and told her in Yiddish (at that time my grandmother still did not understand Hebrew) in a less than polite way, that “here we speak only Hebrew and her name is Chanah, absolutely not Annette”.

So, are we diluting Hebrew from its divinity by using it as a national spoken language?

To begin with, Hebrew is who we are. It is part of our identity. We were referred to as “Hebrews” for many centuries. One can not deny our national identity as Jews if Jews all over the world share the same language.

The Hebrew language is like wearing a kippah. Even in a mundane, day to day life it constantly reminds us of our spiritual obligation to G-D, our obligation to be a Light unto the Nations.

Part of our obligation of being a Light unto the Nations is to keep learning and why Torah Study which encompasses all of our teachings is so paramount to our spiritual growth.

During our upcoming workshop this Sunday, we will be delving into the power of the Hebrew letter, Shin, which brings protection, healing and inner/outer Peace not only for us but for others when we learn to harness its Light. We are all familiar with Shin as it is on every mezuzzah.

I hope you will join us this Sunday May 1st, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Register Here

B'shalom,

Rabbi David

Passover Thoughts by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 00:07:40 GMT

When Jacob’s family, 75 members strong left for Egypt to the fertile land of Goshen, they went to meet their beloved Joseph, now a powerful leader only second in command to the Pharaoh, in order to ride out the famine in Canaan. They could have returned back to their home land once the famine was over they did not. After all, their brother was the ruler of the land.

The members of the family could have returned to Canaan once Joseph died some 40 years or so. There was no reason to stay any more. They still did not. We know the rest of the story of course.

From a bird’s eye view it seems that the reason for staying was a Divine Will to create a yearning and struggle for freedom among the Hebrew slaves a few centuries later. But whose struggle was it?

But was it really a human struggle for freedom? Was it one nation’s war against tyranny and enslavement? Remember that the Israelites were totally passive in their bid for freedom as if it wasn’t their fight. In fact, as the Torah demonstrates several times later on in the desert, some of them were quite content remaining slaves.

This is in fact a story of a Divine fight for human freedom but not a human struggle.

So let me understand this. The Old Mighty makes the Hebrews stay in Egypt after the death of Joseph with no good reason, then causes them to become slaves and then fights the pharaoh to free them. What a strange sequence of events!

When G-D created humans he got directly involved in the act. He did not command it to happen like he did for all other animals. Rather, he himself physically made a human shape from the dirt of the earth and breathed life into it. The human being is so close to Godliness that the Holy One, G-D felt the need to make Adam with his “Bare hands”

The idea that the Passover freedom struggle is a Divine war against oppression for the sake of mankind is the same as the idea of human creation. When Moses finally yanked the Israelites out of Pharaoh’s grip, the message to mankind through the Hebrews and us, their descendants was profound, that human freedom is our fundamental right. G-d implanted this within us through the ancient struggle with a tyrant Pharaoh. No one can take it away from us. It is basic to our existence.

Passover is the time when we remember that the Light of Freedom and Decency was put in the Jewish heart and soul some 3,300 years ago to watch over and keep alive in a world that would despise freedom for many centuries to come.

We are still carrying it in our hearts. Our children inherit it from us to keep it safe in their hearts until such time that peace and freedom will no longer be in our prayers but in our world.

May it be so this Passover!

Chag Sameach,

Rabbi David

Zelenskyy: A New King Arose.. by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 12:45:16 GMT

“A New King Arose Who Knew Not of Joseph."

After officiating a Bar Mitzvah service last week, Cantor Lee and I were invited for the festive meal. The proud grandfather was seated next to me.

With some hesitation he turned to me and said, “Rabbi, can I ask you a question that has been bothering me for weeks? You see,” he said, “it's about Ukraine. My entire family is originally from the city of Odessa. Almost all perished in the Holocaust by the Nazis with the enthusiastic help of the Ukrainians.

I am sure you know how cruel the Ukrainians were to us over many centuries and the atrocities they committed against us during many bloody pogroms, killing us, burning our synagogues, our villages. Now they want Israel to help them with weapons and take in as many refugees as possible.”

“Rabbi”, he continued. “I understand that these are refugees and the importance of helping them but it is hard for me not to feel torn between the bitter memories and our Jewish obligation to help anyone who is in dire need”.

It seems that the man’s question caught the attention of the other guests around the table. Suddenly the eager expectation for the wonderful food which was about to be served faded a little as many were listening intently to the conversation which was about to emerge.

I immediately realized how significant this issue is for so many of us. It feels like scratching an old Jewish scar to expose a deep and painful wound.

For a minute I was quiet. I myself have been trying to sort out my feelings about all this ever since the horrific pictures of brave Ukrainians being shelled indiscriminately by the Russians which, as we all know, caused a massive amount of refugees and so much destruction.

The painful memories of suffering at the hands of the Ukrainians will always be with us as they should. As I was trying to formulate the appropriate answer, the Biblical Exodus story came to mind.

For the Egyptians, it only took a few generations to turn from love and admiration for Joseph to an Egyptian generation with the exact opposite feelings about him and his people, the Hebrews.

The Torah indicates this by simply saying: ”A new king arose who knew not of Joseph.” I am sure there were hieroglyphic documents which spoke about the glorious days of Egypt during Joseph’s time. Egyptian kings were always good at documenting their achievements.

It was just that this new king, along with his subjects and the slave drivers had entirely different feelings about Joseph and his people.

With that in mind I turned to the grandfather and said, “It is our obligation to honor all these horrible Jewish memories at the hands of the Ukrainians, not only their enthusiastic participation in the Holocaust.”

I then reminded him about the pharaoh story. “This story teaches us an important Biblical lesson,” I told him. “Each generation has its own feelings and its own attitude towards important issues and events. Despite bitter Jewish memories in Ukraine of many centuries we can look at the situation as opposite yet similar to the Egyptian story.

In the modern Ukraine case it is a turn from a generation who knew no limits to their cruelty to the Jews to a generation who is very much pro-Israel and who admires and loves their Jewish leader, Mr. Zelenskyy, (the modern day Joseph?) and has no problem with its Jewish population.”

The grandfather did not seem comforted by the answer. “Yes”, he replied, “but shouldn’t we as Jews be very cautious when it comes to Gentiles with such a bloody history against us?”

I thought for a minute about it and said: “There’s a fine line between Jewish caution and paranoia. This generation of Ukrainians are good and brave people. They are certainly good to us, the Jews, and the State of Israel. They admire their Jewish president.

It is true that the State of Israel is afraid to supply Ukraine with arms because they depend on Russia not interfering with the Israeli Air Force activities in Syria. Yet its humanitarian help to Ukraine is extensive. Not only did Israel take in thousands of Ukrainians refugees, she also sent a modern, large, fully equipped field hospital manned by many doctors and nurses, along with large quantities of food and medicine supplies. And as you know” I continued, “many Jewish organizations are helping with very large sums of relief money”.

I was still not sure if this was a satisfactory answer. But then I realized that I should ask myself the same question. I guess if an Egyptian generation could ignore the wonderful deeds of Joseph the Hebrew who had lived only a few generations previously and turn into a generation of hate and bigotry, then we as modern Jews can do the opposite. Overcome the bitter memories of the past and welcome the good relations we now have with the modern Ukrainians.

And in doing so may the pain from past horrific deeds perpetrated against us be healed as we altogether create a new world. One where war does not exist. One where “Shirat Shalom” a “Song of Peace” is sung by all.

B’shalom,

Rabbi David

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The 18th Booster by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 17:24:12 GMT

The 18th Booster of Shushan

Here is Rabbi David's own version of the megillah (a long story that tells the story of Queen Esther.) Of course as usual he makes fun of everything which is the whole idea of a Purim Shpiel! No political messages - just laugh and enjoy!

From Rabbi David: An interesting archaeological find in the Judean desert dating to the fourth century BCE, sheds new light on the Purim Saga.

Professor Knowit All from Shushan State University recently presented his findings in a conference, revealing an amazing archeological treasure. Professor All introduced a surgical mask with the phrase: “Esther the Queen” embroidered on it from that time period. A scroll titled “The True, Uncensored Story of Purim” was found near the mask, written and sealed by an anonymous writer believed to be Mr. Mordecai. D. Joo.

Since uncensored material is invaluable nowadays, it is considered to be the find of the century.

Once opened, the story revealed the true sequence of events in Shushan, the flag city of our beloved King Achashverosh, peace be with him, according to the gospel of Haman’s son, Vizata the First.

The story was corroborated by the world renowned historian Moyshe Goldberg who was also the deputy assistant to all wild party matters in the court of Achashverosh, King of Persia, and who lived in Shushan at the time.

So according to Vizata’s gospel, the story actually begins with the famous Shushan Pandemic of the fourth century BCE. Dr. Anthony Zaratushtra, the head of the Shushan’s CDC and ATV, declared that anyone who walks in the street without wearing a surgical mask will be hung by his/her toenails. Since no one wanted to be hung by their toenails, everyone wore a blue velvet and a mask.

In one of the king’s infamous parties on his yacht named, “Where Is The Liquor?” his queen, Zelda Vashti, was seen not wearing her government issued face mask. Oy.

What a chutzpah! The king, totally embarrassed in front of all the dignitaries from our beloved China and Russia and in front of his majestic wonderfulship, P. Andrew, had to stop the nice respectable party on the yacht and declare Queen Zelda Vashti a socially canceled, racist, person. The poor thing was banned from Twitter, Facebook, Shushan Gazet and all other social platforms.

She was forbidden from studying the Talmud and Jewish mysticism. She had to surrender her throne and all the money she made through inside trading and outside “favors” she granted to all the big boys of the technical giants.

The king in his (poor) State of the Union address declared that Queen Zelda Vashti is solely responsible for the running inflation in Shushan and therefore he is now on the hunt for a replacement.

Many young ladies competed for the job which also included a multi million dollar package deal and a movie contract.

Esther, a nice Jewish girl, while being very pretty, had no intention to compete. All she wanted is to become a respected reporter, see no evil, say no wrong, on network TV, but Mordechai, her cousin, explained to her that a Jewish queen during the pandemic of which, of course, the Jews are to blame, will be a very good thing for the Jews.

Besides, he told her, the money is good. She can write books about cooking or about early childhood gender education in Shushan Kindergartens and sell millions of copies on Shushanzon and (Ugly) face-book.

So Esther decided it couldn’t hoit and threw her shoe to the ring (she did not like hats…)

Wouldn't you know, she won. After much PR and with the help of a good Jewish attorney /manager to handle her campaign, she became the now very famous Queen Esther.

It would’ve been nice if this was the end of the story wouldn’t it?

No such luck. In the gospel according to Vizata, Haman, the deputy king for foreign affairs and UFO’s, was a racist, misogynist and a no-goodnik.

Now cousin Mordecai, a respected Jewish representative of the Jewish people in the Shushan senate diametrically opposed Haman’s social, economical, educational, bacteriological and ice cream agendas.

Naturally Haman did not like Mordechai and by extension, the rest of the tribe. One day he went to the press and declared that the Jews refuse to wear their state issued face masks and do not keep their 535 feet social distance.

In fact, he claimed, many of them did not take the 18th booster vaccine. Unlike the rest of the minorities in the kingdom who believe in all those beautiful Idols, the Jews only worship their one and only G-D.

One G-D?! What a bizarre concept! That constitutes total insubordination!

In a closed door, secret conference with King Achashverosh, Haman proposed getting rid of the Jews by activating the army reserve and the hooded Bolsheviks who would do the dirty work.

In a sealed contract with the king, Haman made a grave tactical mistake. He added a clause which indicated the elimination of “all them Jews”.

Not letting a qualified Shushan attorney review the contract was a bad mistake. Since “all them Jews” means all of the Jewish people - no exception, Queen Esther was in danger as well.

Since Queen Esther was not fond of the idea that the Jewish people would be genocided, and since she herself did not like dying too much, she hosted a zoom meeting with the king in which she invited him and Haman to an intimate candlelit dinner with plenty of vodka and Bloody Mary on hand (do they even go together?)

She first thought that the Cheese Factory of Shushan would be a good place for this upcoming historical dinner but after much consideration she chose her palace.

You see, her kitchen was glatt kosher (double sinks, triple refrigerators etc.) Besides, unlike the cheese factory, her kitchen was blessed by the chief rabbi of Shushan, Rabbi Shmuel Feldman, and that was a very important point. Most importantly, in her kitchen she could make sure that all the food served would also be strictly organic.

And so it happened, according to Vizata’s Gospel, that the king, the queen and their guest, Haman the Amalekite, set for Shabbos dinner with wine, Challah and all the trimmings.

Needless to say, the 18th Booster Certificate and triple mask cover were an absolute requirement for all who wanted the privilege to serve the royal family and their guest. Of course, the king, queen and Haman along with all the who’s who of Shushan were exempt from all masks.

Poor Haman thought that the final procedures for the elimination of the Jewish people would be discussed. You can imagine his shock upon realizing that he himself was on the agenda for the night.

In a clear and concise powerpoint presentation, Queen Esther built an iron clad case against Haman and all the media outlets that were so eager to spread his social anti Jewish theory. Relentlessly and by the advice of her Jewish attorney, she zeroed in on the clause “all them Jews” which by definition included her as well. Esther was upset about some media claims that Haman had no problems with the Jews since both the Jews and him had nice white teeth. However, when the king heard that his wife, a nice Jewish social activist queen, would also become a victim of the plot, he lost his cool. I mean totally.

In a quick impeachment trial conducted by the king in front of the queen Haman lost his job with all the goodies that came with it. His book tour promoting his book “the Jews and I - the case for extermination” was canceled immediately, All his scheduled tv appearances and all the consulting contracts with the Persian white hooded clans were terminated as of that night.

Oh, yes, in addition to all his troubles he was also hanged along with his ten sons and the Jews all over the Persian empire were saved. Halleluyah!

In Esther’s diary which was found a few years ago hidden in one of Iran’s ballistic missiles the entry for that night reads: “Mission accomplished! Hooray for me and for Hollywood.”

It is interesting to note that Mordecai wrote a secret note to Esther congratulating her. It reads: Good job, agent E.S. Ter, wait for additional instructions from your handlers.

Go figure…

Rabbi David aka Rabbi Spock...

Happy Purim!

The Voice from Above by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 01:33:46 GMT

The biblical story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden does not really end too well. Both are prohibited from entering the garden.

After eating from the Tree of Knowledge a fundamental change occurs in both of them. From being highly spiritual beings in a physical form roaming in the utopian world of the Garden of Eden they become physical beings where spiritual matters are hidden from them.

They are now relegated to living in the harsh reality of the mundane. While the fruit from the Tree Knowledge gave them sophistication along with the ability to analyze and create, it also initiated some undesirable human traits all too familiar to us.

As humans evolved they began to believe in supernatural powers controlling their lives. Man made objects such as idols as well as phenomena from nature, all fueled primitive imaginations.

A lot of water has raged in the Mississippi since then. Judaism of course brought to the world monotheism, the understanding that the universe is overseen by a universal, invisible, moral based G-D who has no physical shape and who cares and has a direct relationship with us. In order to draw closer to G-D and enjoy a state of inner peace and joy we in our modern world practice various meditation techniques which also includes prayer.

While immersed in the world of science during college I tended to think that any phenomenon or human ability that is not science based or could not be logically explained may not be real.

Although I grew up in a religious home where spiritual experiences were the norm, in those days of questioning, I was somewhat skeptical of the hidden gifts and abilities which can be activated through the meditative state prayer brings. Of course, some people have enhanced cognitive abilities. We call them geniuses but these have always been considered high positions within the human brain’s spectrum.

These days I consider myself privileged to have a glimpse of our human hidden abilities and even more privileged to help our students reach some of these capabilities.

When Cantor Lee and I first began working with our students to activate their ability to “see” blindfolded and thus improve in Hebrew, we were amazed to witness that yes, while in the right meditative state they could easily see without their physical eyes. This included recognizing colors as well as reading books effortlessly, even when placed behind them. Some children were able to recognize words shown to them in a different room.

Over the past five years we have learned even further what can be experienced when accessing the higher state. For example some students can now multiply three digit numbers without going through the actual calculation process.

These experiences shed a different light on understanding the Bible’s stories.

Last week we read about one of the most profound events in human history. The entire nation of Israel hears the voice of G-D from Mt. Sinai as He recites the Ten Commandments. G-D then reminds them that they all heard his voice; from the old to the young.

Is it possible? And what about all the miracles performed by Moses or Joshua? What about the prophets being able to foretell the future with accuracy?

After the experiences with our students, I have no doubt of our human ability to do amazing things, many which we may not even be aware of yet, once in the higher meditative state.

And who knows, maybe one day science will be able to explain and describe all of these abilities.

But one thing I do know. It gives me hope that these gifts can be used to repair our world, Tikun Olam. And that is not a small thing.

Rabbi David

Plastic in the Torah? By Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 20:55:17 GMT

The early morning cashiers in Publix know me very well. I am the one wearing a kippah who refuses to bag my groceries in plastic bags no matter how many items I buy. Of course, I usually have my own bag with me, the one that Publix sells very inexpensively. Sometimes I don’t and I find myself in a funny position having to juggle numerous items in my hands, hoping that nothing will fall by the time I reach my car. I have to ignore the justifiably strange looks I get from others when that happens.

I don’t think Publix existed yet in biblical times. The blessing of plastic, Styrofoam and other man made inventions which can never be decomposed are all modern time conveniences. Therefore, after careful consideration I can safely say that the Torah said nothing about plastic or any other modern man made material and therefore was not aware of the enormous challenge of handling them.

Nevertheless, the Torah’s awareness of Mother Earth’s vulnerability is certainly no less than ours. Enter the holiday of Tu B’Shvat. The celebration which occurs on the 15^th day of the month of Shvat (the fifth month of the Jewish year) was not commanded in the Torah as such. It became a holiday centuries later in the spirit of the Torah’s explicit and uncompromised concern for Earth’s welfare.

Originally Tu B’Shvat was dedicated to planting trees. It denotes the beginning of a yearly cycle for determining the age of fruit trees. The age of trees is vital information needed to follow certain biblical agricultural laws. Today, however, the holiday has evolved into a celebration of Mother Earth. In fact, there are many related biblical instructions concerning Mother Earth’s welfare which are significant for us in a modern-day context.

The Torah no doubt should be credited with advocating respect and appreciation for nature at a time that other nations were too busy fighting and killing each other. While The Torah did not know about reducing carbon emissions or plastic or other modern time specific ecological challenges, it clearly laid out clear guidelines regarding man’s attitude towards the preservation of our Earth.

The Torah, especially the Book of Psalms or even the Book of Job often glorifies Earth and all its creatures as G-D unique creations. It contains many ecological laws concerning the land, trees and animals. The oceans, mountains, a variety of animals, and all of nature’s wonders are regarded as G-D’s special handiwork.

It is, therefore of utmost importance for man to carefully preserve it. In fact, in the story of creation G-D explicitly instructed humans to be the loyal custodians of Earth, to watch over Earth and all of its inhabitants. The most famous law is “Bal Tashchit” which translates as do not destroy. While it originally referred to fruit bearing trees (in the Book of Deuteronomy), it has been understood throughout Jewish history as a directive for the careful preservation of Mother Nature.

The Bal Tashchit law takes on a highly significant meaning for us, living in modern times. Of course, the Torah did not know about our modern day need to find ways to properly dispose of or even safely eliminate so many complex manmade materials and chemicals as well as dealing with many kinds of pollutants.

However The Torah makes it very clear that we are expected to do our utmost to find ways to eliminate mountains of garbage which cannot be decomposed all over the world. I strongly believe that If we are sophisticated enough to produce complex materials to make our life easier and safer we can find ways to eliminate them safely beyond the temporary (though workable) solution of recycling.

Tu B'Shvat has experienced an amazing transformation from a holiday which celebrates the importance of replenishing our Earth with trees to a day to honor all aspects of nature. It is a time to think about the real challenges of preserving Earth in our modern times.

Happy Tu B’Shvat!

Rabbi David

The Synchronicities of the Trees by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 20:45:04 GMT

Saturday, Rabbi David and I had another one of our “what are the chances” experiences! Others may call such experiences synchronicities but I am always in Awe of the Workings of the Universe!

This time it happened with a wedding venue that happens to be a farm. When we learned that access requires traveling on dirt roads we decided to check it out. Especially since we have another wedding the same day, we certainly don’t want any surprises of getting lost!

As we pulled up to the gate, a man came out. It turned out he was the father of the bride and was delighted to give us a tour! The man’s dream has always been to plant fruit trees so he gave himself this gift six years ago, a 2.5 acre plot in South Miami.

Since then he has planted hundreds of fruit trees, many of which we have never tasted or heard of such as jackfruit and mame. He is even growing coffee beans. This is all just as a hobby.

If you have been in our backyard, you can understand how excited Rabbi David and I were! A fellow gardener! We loved learning about all the trees, how he uses special mulch and of course tasting everything which is out of this world!

As we left with a bag overflowing with starfruit and other delights, it hit me that the next evening, Sunday at sundown, (Jan. 16th) begins Tu B’Shvat, Birthday of the Trees! And a holiday when we eat all sorts of fruit! I mean what are the chances we would find ourselves on a tree farm just before the holiday!

We promised that when we return next week for the wedding, we will bring a big bag to fill up again. What are the chances that the very next day we are having our Shirat Shalom Tu B’Shvat celebration! Everyone attending will get to eat the fruit too!

The man told us, “This is my way of praying: Every morning I eat fruit right off of the trees, sit on the ground and look at all the fruit growing everywhere!” What a beautiful prayer to offer G-d each day!

Of course, the wheels in Rabbi David’s head are already spinning. We might just all be sitting under some new fruit trees for next year’s Tu B’Shvat celebration, praying away!

Happy Tu B'Shvat! And come join us next Sunday, Jan. 23rd, when we celebrate together! I promise the fruit will be delicious!

Love,

Cantor Lee and Rabbi David

Jacob's Ladder by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 12:34:57 GMT

There is a beautiful story in the Torah that is usually referred to as Jacob’s ladder. Jacob who was struggling with his actions and emotions, dreams about a ladder reaching heaven that has angels going up and down it. He finds himself at the top. The dream is so vivid and real that he names the place he had the dream, Beth-El, "House of G-d.'

The story is actually for all of us and refers to our spiritual journeys, that we are all here on earth to climb that ladder.

At the end of January I am offering a workshop, “Above and Beyond into the 13th Octave” to assist you to not only climb but FLY up your own personal ladder! Rabbi David will be joining me.

The workshop involves connecting to Divine energies to work with the Council of Love which you can think of as G-d’s special group of angels and Light Beings who have missions to help us here on earth.

Much has been put in place for us to do just that without fully understanding why. For example, we call on our patriarchs and matriarchs during our prayers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sara, Rebecca, Leah and Rachel. We have Elijah come to our seders. We call on the archangels to surround us and protect us. We connect to Moses when we study the Torah.

Throughout the ages the deeper spiritual reasons for our teachings and prayers were only reserved for a few who were Kabbalists, those initiated into the mystical traditions. But we are living in a time when we all have the opportunity to be Kabbalists and learn how to ascend to the throne of G-d and become One with the Greater Mind of G-d, Mochin de-Gadlut.

The Greater Mind is what the 13th Octave refers to. Being in the Greater Mind mind enabled Moses, the prophets and the great rabbis (who were all Kabbalists) to directly communicate with G-d and become Master Healers and Creators.

It is a place of Oneness, (the inner reason for the Sh’ma) where we can be in a place of inner peace, balance, connection and wholeness. It is a place where we have the tools to easily navigate through life’s challenges and create our own realities. Throughout the Torah we are reminded again and again that we are holy and are co-creators with G-d. That we are here to create Heaven on earth.

Just for me personally, working with the energies of the 13th Octave over the past two months in preparation for the class has been astounding! Layers that I was carrying that I didn’t even know existed have been released. As a teacher I get to experience the same energy downloads the students do.

I know this amazing gift for me is also to encourage you to answer that inner call to climb the next step of your own ladder.

Will you?

This has always been the mission of the Jewish people. For as each one of us shifts, we affect the whole. This is Tikun Olam, to repair the world. This is the meaning of the song we sing at Chanukah, “Not by might and not by power, but by Spirit alone, shall we all live in Peace."

Peace first begins with each one of us.

Update: Class now an Evergreen Webinar

The class will be meeting Saturday and Sunday, January 29th-30th. Don’t worry if you can’t attend all of the workshop. During our 13 hours together, just attend when you can. Everything will be recorded and the energy downloads will be the same.

As soon as you sign up the Council of Love will begin working with you. So the class technically begins right away!

The workshop is also open to teens as well as people of any religion or culture. The Kabbalistic teachings of the 13th Octave are universal and meant for all.

This too has been the mission of the Jewish people. We end each service with Bayom Hahu, Yihiyeh Adonai Echad. “On that day His Name will be One.”

I am so glad I listened to that inner call and said, yes, I will offer the workshop. Will you listen also and join me?

Rabbi David and I am truly blessed to be part of this sacred journey with you! Please email with any questions.

Love always,

Cantor Lee

Read more about the class here: Above and Beyond into the 13th Octave

Read about Laughter with Rabbi David!

The Lost Laughter by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 21:19:48 GMT

Did you ever notice themes in your life where everything just seems so interconnected? I recently had one of those “theme experiences” during the week of Thanksgiving.

I suppose it began when I presented a workshop the weekend before the holiday that included using a laughter activity to ascend to the higher realms. Rabbi David was an integral part of it and definitely had us all laughing!

It was now Wednesday morning and I was still flying on Wings of Joy not only from the workshop and feedback I was still receiving but from the Joy of setting my Thanksgiving table. Yes, if you know me you are probably smiling and maybe even laughing! I just Love to set beautiful tables!

I am even sort of quasi famous on facebook for my tablescapes. Well at least with my fb friends! But even people whom I meet for the first time will often comment how much they enjoy seeing the settings.

So here I was that morning happily engaged in creating my tablescape. I was quite enamored with the new Pilgrim salt and pepper shakers I placed on the table. They were a gift from my 5 year old piano student, Cody, so they were even more special! I just loved how happy the Pilgrims looked. And they just fit so perfectly in the design of the table.

That afternoon I met with a new client for a healing session. I was technically already on vacation but even though I didn’t know what his issue was I didn’t want him to wait until after the holiday weekend.

Normally I wouldn’t share what happens in a session but in this case it is needed to see the entire picture. As soon as we began I was shown a very stern woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun. She was wearing an old fashioned kind of apron somewhat similar to the one on my Pilgrim shaker! The man then told me that he grew up in a state where the Puritans settled and was surrounded by that culture.

I easily found the energy blockage he was carrying from the time he was six years old and wasn’t allowed to laugh. As it was released the man began laughing. He laughed and laughed and laughed! I supposed he was making up for all the years he never laughed. He was certainly a changed man at the end of the session.

Right afterwards I googled Puritans. Although I knew the Pilgrims were originally part of the Puritans before they separated from the Church of England to travel to America, I didn’t remember too much of their history. I discovered that yes, Puritans were extremely strict and frowned on laughter and frivolity. Happiness was only derived from serving G-d in their way.

So what are the chances that the man’s session would revolve around laughter and the Puritan culture at the same time I was focused on laughter from the workshop and the Pilgrims with their Puritan connection?

As we all sat around my Thanksgiving table where there was definitely much laughter I wondered what it would be like to grow up without laughter. It just brings so much Joy! And the more of that, the better!

I checked in with the man the next day and he told me he was still in a state of Elevated Joy! As I put the Pilgrim salt and pepper shakers I told them, “I love that description!” Their eyes seemed to twinkle in agreement!

As we begin this new year of 2022 may we all Laugh, Love and be filled with Elevated Joy!

Happy New Year!

Cantor Lee and Rabbi David

Lighting up the Neighborhood by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 24 Dec 2021 21:21:34 GMT

Light Display Front Entrance Boca Winds

It was in 2015 that my husband who is a rabbi decided he wanted to do a mitzvah (a good deed) and volunteered to put up the Christmas Lights at the entrance of our neighborhood. With being a novice at displaying lights he was quite proud of the result!!

And so began the yearly tradition of the rabbi of the neighborhood putting up the Christmas Lights for Heritage Square! By the third year he began getting helpers and each year the display improved. With even more volunteers coming forward this year the display is spectacular! But its true radiance is from everyone coming together, of the honoring of all ideas with kindness and consideration.

Heritage Square Lights

There is something so magical in seeing the lights everywhere! Perhaps it is the reminder of who we really all are at the core, Infinite Beings of Light here to create a world where we all honor and care for each other. And just like the holiday lights, this radiance can manifest in so many beautiful ways.

Especially in these days it seems we all crave this reminder. When there was an issue this year with the company hired to put the lights up at the entrance of our development, Boca Winds, there was an outcry from all the neighborhoods. We had to have the lights!

There didn’t seem to be a solution until two volunteers from our neighborhood with the resources as an electrician and landscape designer stepped forward. The Light Displays have never been so beautiful! For their radiance not only includes the absolute Love Daniel and Chris have put into their creations at our two entrances but the outpouring of gratitude from everyone.

Daniel Caner & Christopher Gurr Back Entrance Boca Winds

The very same day that Daniel and Chris volunteered, Dec. 7th, my neighbor, Gina, captured this picture over our neighborhood. I knew it was a message that the angels were adding their radiance to the Lights as well!

Angel over Heritage Square and Boca Winds

When Rabbi David as a member of the homeowners board thanked Daniel and Chris they replied, “Thank you for letting us do this.” How blessed are we to live in our community with our very own angels!

However you celebrate, Happy Holidays to all! May we all manifest the Light of who we truly are in the upcoming New Year!

Rabbi David’s grandson knows who we really are!

Love Always,

Cantor Lee

Rabbi Spock by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 15:07:35 GMT

Rabbi Spock

Rabbi David has certainly been letting his humorous side come out to play lately! This time he was transformed into Rabbi Spock. Yes, Spock from Star Trek! Of course this doesn't come as a surprise to anyone remembers him as the Pink Panther during our annual Chanukah Latke Man plays and all the other roles throughout the years. He always had us laughing!

Well, that’s what I needed him to do this time as well! I was going to be presenting a workshop at a Council of Love gathering, an organization I have been connected to since 2013 when I attended an energy healing workshop.

With my goal to teach spiritual concepts and tools in an experiential and fun way, I came up with the idea to have us all go on a spaceship to travel beyond the horizon and receive spiritual gifts. We would need Joyfuel consisting of golden bubbles to have the spaceship lift off. (Joy brings us up into higher frequencies)

The glitch was we would need to produce laughter from the raw bubbles to create the golden bubbles. Well as you can imagine this assignment was right up Rabbi David's alley! With his transformation into Rabbi Spock he certainly had everyone laughing!

There is a beautiful teaching from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov who lived in the 18th century: It is a great mitzvah to be happy always. Strengthen yourself to push aside all depression and sadness. Everyone has lots of problems and the nature of man is to be attracted to sadness. To escape these difficulties, constantly bring joy into your life—even if you have to resort to silliness (Likutey Moharan II, 24).

As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving may we all we find much Joy in the many blessings for which we are grateful. And with Chanukah following three days later may this Joy increase the Light we the Jewish people along with ALL people have been asked to bring into our world.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Chanukah!

Love, Cantor Lee and Rabbi David

Here Rabbi Spock drinks raw bubbles to produce laughter. He just loved showing off his Vulcan ears!

Yes, even a Vulcan can laugh!

We did it! Enough Golden Bubbles to make Joyfuel!

Thank you Rabbi Spock aka Rabbi David!!

The Art of Being a Saba by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 13:16:14 GMT

For those of you who don't know yet, being a grandparent is a great joy and honor. But the responsibility, I will have you know is enormous and it's not suited for the faint of heart.

It begins when you are officially notified that your daughter or daughter-in-law is pregnant - Mazel Tov!

After feeling the vibes of happiness/ecstasy for awhile (or a long while) it’s time to get to work- no time to waste.

First thing on the agenda is coming up with the exact title you are to be referred to by the little one who was just created. So you thought this is easy? Think again. Cantor Lee for example was agonizing with the issue for many months. She went through any possible two syllable combinations in seventy two languages and then with some strange combinations of her own - no deal.

So I came to her with help suggesting “Babushka” or even “Baba” That's when I learned it's not such a good idea to give such suggestions to my wife when she is struggling with such earth shattering matters.

While I didn't fare any better, my repertoire of possible names was somewhat less inclusive. “Grandpa”? Na, it's so Passe. "Zaide?" What? Now I really cross the Israeli line of pride and decency. If I give myself a Yiddish title, my Dad, may he rest in peace, would roll over in his grave. Only a Hebrew name would do. “Zaide” was not even in the running.

What finally got the nomination was the natural choice which would honor any Israeli grandfather. “Saba”- grandfather in Hebrew it would be.

Owen, my now three year old grandson, learned quite quickly that “Saba David”, the final canonized version of my title - is a very worthwhile item to commit to memory and invoke as often as possible. His cousin Skyler, my 16 month old was not too far behind in this realization.

You see, human babies are born with a specific DNA implant sequence which determines the golden grandparent rules. These include: Saba will never say no to you. Saba will get you any toy you want. He will do anything for you and will be ready to play on a second’s notice including roll on the carpet, become a cat, a dog, a lion, a car, a monkey (yes- a monkey) - whatever the play of the moment is. Oh, yes, arthritis or any old back, neck, shoulder injuries are absolutely no excuse to wiggle yourself out of your playing duty.

If the interaction is through facetime then be ready at 6 o'clock am or for that matter, at any time of night or day to answer the call, ready to go armed with books about dump trucks, garbage trucks, baby animals, Grover, Elmo, back/front hoe loaders, birds that talk to frogs, a bunny rabbit and his loyal friend the worm … and the bit goes on.

Then of course your duties also include singing good old Sesame Street songs all adapted to more modern versions. This includes that lovely song about the big blue thing that no doubt has a severe case of diabetes after eating cookies for more than 60 years or the song about that nice fellow who lives in a garbage can.

Next is showing what I eat and how I make my food, naming all the different food parts. Repeat the same when the second baby calls. This, according to my daughter, is an important campaign to enrich the baby’s vocabulary.

Then there is a special grandfather duty assigned especially to me. That duty is classified under “Languages.” Namely Hebrew. You see, my daughter Rachel will never ever forgive me for not speaking Hebrew to her as a child. She cast a blemish and a scar on my soul for eternity.

However when Skyler was born and in a moment of father/daughter love she agreed to offer me a chance for redemption if Skyler would be able to speak Hebrew to me. So who in the world would pass up such an opportunity for spiritual redemption?!

So here I am, Saba David, engaging baby Skyler with Hebrew words. Redemption does not come easy.... Any suggestions?

This concludes my Saba 101 presentation.

Shalom,

Rabbi David aka Saba David

Here is Saba David in the garden with his helpers!

Bye All! Off to the park to play with my Saba David!!

Oreo Cookie's Lesson by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 14:45:53 GMT

As I began telling the story I could see the smiles and nodding of heads. The children already knew this story as I have told it to them throughout the years. Some of the older teens were even there that night when Oreo Cookie needed their help.

I also shared the story the previous evening during the Kol Nidrei service. But I was telling it again hoping it would help all of us understand how powerful our prayers can be. This was the very lesson Oreo Cookie taught me eleven years ago…..

That particular afternoon my sister, Susan, didn't come into our Hebrew School to teach. She needed to stay home with Oreo who had an emergency operation a week earlier. I still remember the look that passed between us as I dropped him off at her house. We were preparing ourselves.

But we both had a glimmer of hope. The Hebrew School children would be praying for him. They had learned from the time they were in kindergarten how to connect to their Divine Light. How to send it as a way to pray and bring healing. Every week they would decide where they were going to send their Light.

The children were of course thrilled to be able to help Oreo Cookie whom they all knew and loved. And they believed they could.

It was 7:10 p.m. when the children sent their Light to Oreo. Exactly ten minutes later at 7:20 p.m. for the first time he perked up his head, took a drink, wagged his tail and ate some food. He went on to recover, living another five years. A few weeks later he went into the school to thank everyone. I still remember how he went up and down the aisles having a leg licking feast!

As I finished the story I asked everyone to please once again come together in our hearts to not only send healing to everyone we were praying for but especially to MaryEllen, one of our congregants, a mother of two teenagers, who was in the hospital struggling with the variant.

I shared that already from the healing prayers we sent out the evening before there was a huge shift. Her oxygen levels were able to be lowered for the entire night!

Of course you want to know how MaryEllen has fared. The end of the story or perhaps I should say the beginning is that although it was not an easy road, MaryEllen became stronger each day and was able to be released from the hospital four days after Yom Kippur. She is continuing to heal and get stronger each day.

When I first learned of the situation I immediately put the whole family on our daily MiSheberach list. In asking others to pray I knew the prayers needed to be absolutely pure with only the highest vibrational energies surrounding her. That meant keeping COVID related fears out of the equation.

I was directed to put a Bubble of Light around her. It would only let Love in but at the same time transmute any lower fears that were bound to be stirred up.

I knew it wasn’t an accident that MaryEllen would still be in the hospital during Yom Kippur. Not only would we all be able to come together in a powerful group prayer- Oreo Cookie’s lesson- but with this same power on this most sacred day we would also be working on healing the divisiveness that is so prevalent in our world.

Maybe one day we will look back and understand that healing this divisiveness was one of the main lessons of COVID-19. But what if we could just decide to learn it right now. That would really be an amazing lesson, wouldn’t it!!

Love,

Cantor Lee

The Name on the Torah Cover by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 21:39:51 GMT

We buried him on 9-11. He had died just two days earlier. It was later that I understood that he was helping the souls who had to pass over that day.

Sean, my neighbor down the street, was only 16 when he died after a heroic battle with cancer. His family belonged to Shirat Shalom which was only a few years old at that time.

I often talked to his mother afterwards of the lessons I learned from Sean. I guess the main one was that when G-d calls I need to listen. When a month before Sean died I was told to form a healing circle with the neighbors, I argued about this. My neighbors were of all different faiths! How was I supposed to do that! Knock on doors? I only knew how to do Jewish healing circles! This was also twenty years ago when people weren’t as open as they are now.

Of course I had no peace until I took action. The opportunity came the next day when a neighbor down the street stopped to talk to me. She was a devout Christian and loved the idea!

So we began our prayer circle at her house which was right across the street from Sean's family. Each night as we would gather the circle became larger. We were of all faiths, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Native American. As his many friends began joining us people just seemed to come out of the woodwork. We all celebrated as Sean began to improve!

But then as that changed I understood the purpose of the circle. It was to help the family and all who loved him accept that this was Sean’s time. Sean already knew. He understood the healing circle was really for all of us.

His funeral was in the afternoon of that fateful day of 9-11. We wondered if everyone would still come but the chapel was overflowing with people spreading into the halls and outside. We were all there for Sean and the family but also for ourselves in response to the news. We didn’t have the full picture of what happened and were in shock still. We weren’t allowed to release the balloons at the internment due to security. This may be seen as another attack!

My father had called me that morning. Turn on the TV! My first reaction was to go and get my daughter from school. Many parents did. My son was already in college. I wanted to bring him home too but talking to him had to suffice.

I would often feel Sean’s presence over the next few years, especially during healing circles. I would watch in amazement how there would be profound shifts in people who were grieving loved ones. And yes, his mother and I understood as we would talk how powerful he really was. We both knew without a doubt that he was there that day of 9-11 and beyond helping souls cross over.

Throughout the years the children have asked why his name is on the Torah cover. I explain this is in memory of Sean. Then I tell them his story, just as I have told you.....

Sean's mother always tells me how the pictures of the children holding the Torah with "Sean" so close to their hearts brings her such comfort and joy! It brings me Joy too!

Love,

Cantor Lee

Rabbi David's Rosh Hashanah Sermon

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 10:48:22 GMT

An Equal Opportunity Menace by Rabbi David Degani

That dreadful feared virus which has been reeking havoc throughout the world has become a menacing threat with no end in sight. There is no country in the world which has not felt its wrath.

We as a congregation have been affected. Some of our members have have been infected with COVID-19. My own family was not spared from it either. It’s no fun.

Who needs wars? Who needs enemies? Who needs mega natural disasters, tsunamis, earthquakes?

Don’t get me wrong, Mother Nature is not giving us a break. Hurricane Ida punished Louisiana with major flooding and misery as far north as New Jersey and New York.

We are already counting more than 3 million COVID victims who lost their lives worldwide. Here in the US the number is in the hundreds of thousands and keeps rising.

We human beings are considered to be the crown jewel of G-D’s creation. We are smart, sophisticated. We know how to overcome challenges. We make, we research, we invent. It only took us a year or so to manage to develop several vaccines for a complex virus like COVID-19.

We thought we nipped it in the bud. We thought we humans now have the ultimate answer to overcome this dreadful pandemic. We thought we won. Get vaccinated and you are completely safe. Man made or not, this nasty virus was not going to get the best of us, we, the most sophisticated creatures in the known universe!

Well, so far this tiny virus seems to fight back pretty effectively. There is a Famous Yiddish saying: Man plans and G-D laughs.

We produced a vaccine to fight it and Mr. Covid 19 laughed and morphed itself. Enter Mr. Variant.

So... according to the CDC, if you are vaccinated, you are still susceptible to the variant, you can still get sick but hopefully it will be an easier ride, Unless G-D forbid one has some underlying serious medical condition.

Does anyone find this assessment comforting?

Well then, how long are we protected by the vaccine? No one really knows. Three months? Six months? A Year?

So, now we have booster shots for the rescue. They are good for how long? Maybe once a year. No big deal, like a flu shot. One little booster shot and you are good. They are already doing this in Israel where the COVID infection was a major problem.

But will that be enough? Will we eventually develop natural individual immunity or maybe, as the terms goes, herd immunity?

Who said ignorance is bliss?!!

As a dear friend who is a doctor and one of our Shirat Shalom members told me, when scientists and researchers are looking for answers they sometimes miscalculate and misinterpret data. As hypotheses and conclusions are adjusted and reassessed, recommendations to the public changes as research continues.

This is just the nature of science trying to grapple with a new disease.

Unfortunately, in the last year and a half we have experienced bitter disagreements, even ping pong accusations among scientists and politicians on the right course of action and policies, pulling all of us in so many directions.

And this only makes finding solutions that much harder.

No doubt, the vaccine with all its unknowns has saved thousands of lives. So, should we respect peoples’ refusal to vaccinate?

Should we make people vaccinate against their will for the safety of the community? And what about face masks?

Solving these issues becomes more complex than first meets the eye. Is it a serious public safety issue pinned against the sacred American principle of individual freedom?

The delta variant as it is called is very contagious. While most young and reasonably healthy people recover relatively fast, for people with more serious health issues COVID-19 can be life threatening.

Do we know for sure how to prevent COVID’s transmission? Are we sure about the efficiency of a piece of cloth which covers our mouth to prevent spreading of the virus? Especially when the eyes are not covered?

All we hear are scientists and doctors in disagreement about the exact way this virus behaves. All this pulls us in different directions instead of uniting us in this fight.

But what is the meaning of all this? Why do people have to suffer from such a pandemic? And why now?

We Jewish people are always looking for reasons for things. We try to understand our universe, make sense of it. Living in an uncertain world, it helps us understand the world around us a little better.

Maybe this pandemic with all of the suffering is a mirror of sorts. It is a mirror which allows us to look at ourselves through this chaos.

Mirror mirror on the wall, do we have the courage and the honesty to look at ourselves and examine the way we are reacting under such a serious virus threat? To see how fragmented we are in our own country?

These debates turn into animosity between opposing opinions. It's a ping pong of claims and counterclaims turning disagreements into discontent. It drives a wedge between people.

How did the virus start? Who is responsible for it? Who should be punished? Why support such sensitive virus research in a foe like China? Is the vaccine an adequate answer? Is it effective? Should we wear masks? Should children wear masks? Should they wear them in school? And on and on and on and on….

These arguments only serve to move us away from the target, from finding a real solution. For everyone’s sake we need to find ways to compromise. Fighting together is much better than being pulled into all sorts of ideological directions. We need to look beyond our differences. A unified front is the best front.

This is the only way we will win against this dreadful menace.

We are all in the same boat. The Corona Virus does not care about our political affiliation, our gender or race, rich or not so rich. This is an equal opportunity menace.

Maybe the lesson here is that we human beings are more vulnerable than we thought. Under pressure and challenges we seem to have difficulties overcoming mistrust and cooperating with each other for the common good.

There is a certain level of maturity to be true to ourselves yet flexible enough to listen and consider other possibilities. We all need to get there.

COVID-19 reminds us that we are all human inhabitants of the same wonderful planet. We all have the same aspirations and challenges as we interact with each other. We all share a common density in ways we did not realize before.

And finally we have learned that in our future world, medical challenges, working together is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. And maybe this seed of realization has been planted within us in the last year and a half. I will pray that it is so.

May this year of Tav Shin Pay Bet, 5782, be a better, sweeter, healthier and happier year than the last one.

May it be so.

Rabbi David

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The Story of Levy Zur by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 18:16:46 GMT

Cantor Lee begins: When Gabriel finished his story I kept on saying, “But he was just a boy! A Baby! Only eleven years old when he left Romania to go to Palestine all by himself! He had no mother, no father, no one to take of him!

Rabbi David continues: Gabriel, one of our Israeli congregants, called and asked if he could meet to talk about his close friend who passed away a year and a half ago. We met a few days later...

The amazing story I heard is the story of a lone young child from Romania who started a new life in Israel and rose to become one of the most admired names among the Israeli air force pilots.

It is the story of the state of Israel, a country which in a few short decades rose to become a world powerhouse economically, militarily and scientifically from the crematoria of Europe and from the suffering and humiliation of the Jews in the Middle East.

It is the story of Jewish People as they survived against all evil odds.

It is a story of the unbroken Jewish spirit....

Levy Zur was born and raised in Romania. His mother died when he was just a few years old. In 1947 when the war was over, Levy, now 11 years old was forced to leave his home and fend for himself in the chaos of post war Europe.

Somehow he managed to contact the Jewish agency representative in Romania who was looking for Jewish war orphans in order to bring them to pre-Israel Palestine.

Levy managed to join a group of orphans who were put on a dingy small cattle boat with hardly any human accommodations and very limited food and water. The boat was caught by a British frigate and the passengers who were mostly Holocaust survivors, were taken to a prisoner camp in Cypress. In 1947 shortly before the British left Palestine they released all the prisoners, including young Levy. Arriving in Palestine all by himself as an unattended child, he was sent to a kibbutz.

At first, life was challenging for the young boy with no family in a strange new world and a strange language he didn’t understand. Slowly, in the following few years, he adjusted and began to thrive. At 18 years old he was drafted into the Israeli Defense Force and was accepted into the most challenging training in the IDF, a pilot training school.

Levy was no stranger to challenges. He knew what it would take to successfully finish this extremely strict and uncompromising training. Being in the country for five years only he had to compete with native Israelis. But his hard work paid off. He finished number one in his class and was sent to be trained on the most advanced fighter planes Israel had in the early 50’s. Soon he became known as an excellent fighter pilot and was sent on the most dangerous flying missions.

As he was climbing in rank, he became the commander of some of the most prestigious fighter squadrons. The lone child from Romania, a stranger to Israeli life and language became an important protector of the state of Israel.

Levy flew missions in the 1956 war with Egypt and was one of the architects of the 1967 total destruction of the Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian air forces by the Israeli air force.

Lieutenant General Levy Zur served in key positions in the Israeli air force including commanding the now world renown Israeli military pilot training school as well as the Israeli air force attache in South America.

Upon retiring from active duty Levy started a highly successful business importing medical devices to Israel. He eventually moved to the US and ran his business from Boca Raton.

Levy passed away at the age of 81 after a heroic battle with lung cancer.

I am truly honored to share the story of Levy Zur. Especially now as we enter the High Holy Days still continuing to face uncertainty in our world, may Levy’s memory be an inspiration and blessing for all of us.

L'Shana Tova,

Rabbi David

Super Human? by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 11:04:15 GMT

The complexity of the human body is mind boggling. In addition to the countless chemical reactions that are constantly taking place and the amazing amount of neuron activities throughout the body is beyond imagination. Our brain is an organ whose true capabilities we are only beginning to explore.

Judaism of course recognizes the uniqueness and capabilities of each human being. In the Amidah’s “Gevurot “ prayer we bless G-D for not only creating life on our planet but also our ability to perpetuate it as long as our basic needs are met. We also bless G-D for giving our body the ability to repair itself or in extreme cases, making its utmost effort to do so.

I have always looked with amazement at the reaction of our Hebrew School and B’nai Mitzvah students when Cantor Lee and I train them to read blindfolded for the purpose of not only making Hebrew reading easier but to increase their intuition, their connection to their Divine Light which G-D has put inside each one of us.

Most of the students do not think there is anything special about what they were doing. They literally take their seemingly unbelievable ability for granted as if this is just normal.

This led me to believe that our brain has some unexplored, unused innate capabilities which are naturally understood and accepted by our children. Perhaps these capabilities while still existing have faded with evolution.

A recent movie, “SuperHuman: The Invisible Made Visible” shows the experiences of individuals with extra-sensory powers that seem to defy the laws of physics. Although Cantor Lee and I haven’t seen the actual movie, we find it rather humorous that we keep getting asked if our students are in it! It seems there is a segment with children reading blindfolded.

But despite the fact that these “Super Human” abilities are actually innate within all of us and just need to be accessed and developed there is the other side of such gifts endowed by our Creator. Along with our brain’s amazing abilities there are also our human vulnerabilities.

Whenever I talk to families whose loved ones are suffering from a serious life threatening disease or a victim of a serious accident, I am reminded of just how fragile and unpredictable life can be, and how abruptly it can change or even end.

We can’t predict our future. We simply don’t know what is in store for us tomorrow, next week or next month. We can plan but G-D, as the Yiddish proverb goes, has the last laugh!

That is why Judaism encourages us to always be in a state of gratitude for the uniqueness of life on earth in general and as human creatures in particular but also because of the countless spiritual and mental possibilities which we all possess.

This awareness will serve us well as we approach the High Holy Days with hope for a better, healthier and happier New Year not only for the Jewish people but for all inhabitants of our amazing world.

Rabbi David

Infinite Child Training Workshop

A Song of Peace by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 21:35:41 GMT

Whenever I think about it, I am just always in awe that a "Song of Peace" has been leading us all along....

I guess it officially began during the gathering at my sister’s home during the late spring of 1999. Our chavurah (small gathering of friends) had been meeting monthly since October and this particular month there were about 30 of us present. Some of us were members of synagogues and some had no affiliation. The question was raised whether we should have High Holy Day Services together. Everyone enthusiastically said yes!

Well, that meant we would need a name for our chavurah! We had quite a lively discussion but couldn’t come up with one that felt right. We only knew we wanted it to express singing and peace.

Later that week I shared our dilemma with a rabbinic colleague. She excitedly called me back a few days later, “I have the name! Ruach Hakodesh brought it to me!” (Ruach Hakodesh translates from Hebrew as "the Holy Spirit.”)

And so we officially became Shirat Shalom, Song of Peace. We all loved our name!

Three years later it was now my turn to receive a message from Ruach Hakodesh. We certainly had grown by then and had become a flourishing congregation. I guess G-d thought it was time for a tagline.

“It is through our children that a Song of Peace will be sung throughout the world.”

We all loved this as well! After all, our focus was on raising children with the spiritual values of Judaism which we called Judaism of the Heart. These children would be equipped to change the world. And that would include radiating out Peace into the world, one of the sacred responsibilities of the Jewish people.

Approximately seven years ago, Ruach Hakodesh brought another message. Change the wording to the present tense. “It is through our children that a ‘Song of Peace’ is being sung throughout the world.”

I really didn’t understand the deeper meaning of our updated tagline until we incorporated our blindfold work into our education program to help children more easily learn Hebrew. The meditative focusing techniques were doing so much more than improving Hebrew reading. Children were becoming kinder, more compassionate and peaceful. And this was deeply affecting others on the energetic levels. And so the Infinite Child Institute was born.

We have always had a saying in Shirat Shalom that it leads and we follow. We are doing the same with the Infinite Child as we continue to go deeper with our program empowering children of all cultures and religions.

And yes, along the way there are so many amazing things that happen including academic improvement and children utilizing their Inner Light Vision to see and read blindfolded. Even the movie, Super Human, includes a segment on this “super” ability.

But for Rabbi David and me the true Super Human is one who is loving, compassionate and kind, who radiates out Joy and Peace. For this is how we will transform our world.

On the outside it doesn’t seem that there is much progress towards our dream and yours - a world of Peace and Love. But I see things differently.

For I hear the ‘Song of Peace’ that not only our Shirat Shalom children are singing but the children in our Infinite Child program are singing as well. And all the other children that are joining in with their songs as well.

On Aug. 20 - 22, we will be holding a workshop for parents, teachers and interested adults to learn the beginning methods and spiritual techniques to assist children in utilizing their Inner Light Vision and letting it develop into their Infinite Light Vision!

I so hope you will join us and also spread the word!

Love,

Cantor Lee

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Israel: Perception and Reality by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 27 May 2021 09:53:59 GMT

The war between Israel and the terrorists in Gaza and Lebanon is viewed in the world in two different ways, reality and perception. For decades what has dominated opinions on the Israeli - Arab and Israeli-Terrorist wars has been the perception created by a completely distorted picture of the reality in the Middle East. This picture is an ugly but extremely effective propaganda. For the Arabs this propaganda is fantasy turned perceived reality which sells very well all over the world.

The ability to turn a nation constantly under relentless terror attacks into the bully is no doubt a real talent. Of course, many misinformed sympathetic news outlets around the world are a great help for the cause as well. As the Nazi propaganda master, Joseph Goebbels used to say, even the biggest lies can be accepted by the mass as truths if they are repeated long and often enough. It is called brainwashing.

That is why many around the world believe that Israel is an apartheid state who oppresses the Arab population almost to the point of enslavement. “Them Zionists” are extremely cruel killing Palestinian children, preventing Arabs from having fresh water, locking them in ghettos and violating any human rights laws in the book.”

While we certainly know better, millions around the world don't. The truth of course is the exact opposite of these ugly propaganda claims.

So what really happened two weeks ago that caused the riots in Jerusalem and around the country which was the excuse for the 4,300 Hamas missiles exploded in Israel?

As usual the Arabs claim that the Jews were trying to evict some peace loving Arabs from their legitimate homes in an Arab town called Sheikh Jarrah in which they have been living for generations in order to live there themselves.

This kind of act flies in the face of human rights. It sounds awful and it is. The Jordanians did exactly that when they forced the Jews of the Old City of Jerusalem who had been living there for hundreds of years to leave and then took possession of their homes. This actually happened to the family of our very own teacher, Morah Sima in 1948 when she was just a child. In this case, however, nothing can be further from the truth.

To begin with, the few homes in dispute are not in the Arab village of Sheikh Jarrah but a Jewish village called Shimon Ha-Tzadik (Simon the Righteous) which is situated at the outskirts of Sheikh Jarrah but not in it. The Jewish neighborhood, Simon the Righteous which has been in existence for more than 150 years was briefly captured in 1948 by the Jordanians and the Jewish population was chased away. It was recaptured by the Israelis in 1967 during the Six Day War.

During the Jordanian possession of the neighborhood a few Arab families squatted in the Jewish families’ properties and settled in their homes. They continued to live there while the legal battle over the property continued in courts for over three decades. At one point an agreement was reached and signed in which the properties would be recognized as Jewish properties and the Arab tenants would be allowed to continue staying in the properties as long as they paid rent and maintained the properties.

The Arabs then reneged on their obligation claiming that they did not sign the agreement nor do they recognize the Jewish ownership. They refused to pay rent. At that point the Israeli Supreme Court issued an eviction notice and the trouble began.

So what does all this have to do with 4,300 missiles exploding in Israel courtesy of Hamas? Nothing really.

Officially Hamas declared that they are helping their brethren, the Palestinians, in the struggle to wipe out the State of Israel from the map and starting that “process” by punishing Israel for oppressing the Palestinians by violating their human rights.

But the real story is much different. According to some Israeli generals, Iran, who is Hamas’ master and who tells Hamas exactly when to shoot, needed some valuable information about the true capabilities of the Iron Dome which protects Israel from incoming missiles. They needed to see how the entire Israeli defense system works against a barrage of thousands of missiles exploding in Israel in order to reevaluate their own strategy against Israel.

While Israelis were struggling to survive in bomb shelters for days at a time the Ayatollah and other leaders of Iran were sitting in their palaces enjoying the show, literally taking notes on the Israeli military and civilian reactions to the barrage, figuring out how to inflict more damage and casualties to Israelis in the next round of hostilities.

According to Israeli military analysis, 10% of the 4,300 missiles managed to sneak by the Iron Dome. That means 430 missiles got to their target in Israel. In the next round of hostilities Iran will most likely activate Hezbollah in Lebanon. This is a terror organization which possesses about 150,000 missiles.

If the Iron Dome maintains 90% effectiveness (which is not clear at all considering the huge number of missiles it will have to intercept) then at least 15,000 missiles, some with heavy explosive payload, will fall everywhere in Israel. This statistic is now well known to the Iranians who would no doubt try to improve the capabilities of their missiles to penetrate the Israeli Iron Dome courtesy of their terrorist friends in the area.

Let us all understand and remember what the Israelis are facing. Let us not pay attention to ugly Arab propaganda lies. Most importantly, let us all pray for G-D to watch over the state of Israel as He always does, keeping her strong and vibrant. And may G-D bless Israel and the entire Middle East with Peace.

Rabbi David

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Celebrating Israel and the Jewish People by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 16:31:20 GMT

There are three major Jewish events during this time of the year which we have observed this past month. They are not biblical or traditional holidays yet they are extremely important, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day for the fallen Israeli soldiers and Israel Independence Day.

For the nations of the world the memory of the Holocaust with all of its unthinkable horrors has tended to fade over the decades. For most of these nations the Holocaust is now nothing more than a terrible historical event that happened a long time ago - pass the salt, please.

The world is now too busy with new villains and new nations fiercely competing for economical hegemony and military control over others.

Not Us. At least not in Israel. This year as Holocaust Remembrance Day was commemorated April 8th, I watched some of the many memorial events throughout Israel that day. I was privileged to see the grandchildren and the great grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, either as proud soldiers, regular citizens or school children standing still for a moment of silence in the streets everywhere, in the busy highways, in army camps. It became very clear to anyone who listened to the speeches and watched the reactions of Israelis throughout the country that the eighty years that have passed since the early 40’s are but a day to the Israelis.

While the horrors of that time are not talked about or even mentioned on a regular basis they are nevertheless embedded deep in the Israeli psyche. If we understand this, we can see how these dark, forever fresh memories guide their determination to survive and prosper, giving them the courage and the fortitude to proudly create and maintain the most amazing country in the world.

As I am writing these words a week later after Holocaust Remembrance and a day after Yom Hazikaron, Memorial Day for the soldiers, Israel is celebrating Yom Ha-atz-ma-ut, her 73rd year of independence. A free Jewish country that was born from the Jewish ashes of Europe. A country which is fighting for its survival day in and day out. No other country in the world faces the kind of danger that Israel is facing .These existential threats are the worst Israel has ever experienced since its War of Independence in 1948.

With literally hundreds of thousands of missiles pointing at her from Lebanon in the north, Syria in the east, Gaza in the west, the mighty Egyptian army and navy in the South and a powerful Iranian army with a huge arsenal of long range missiles, we are being targeted with a deep hatred.

While the IDF remains strong and is vigorously working on ways to protect itself, these challenges seem insurmountable, an impossible task. Israeli generals are of the opinion that it would still take years of technological improvements and breakthroughs as well as significantly increasing the IDF manpower, equipment as well as adopting new training and war tactics to meet such dangerous threats. And all these while dealing on a regular basis with terrorist attacks from Lebanon and Gaza extensively supported by Iran.

Israel needs us to be aware of this new reality of the Middle East. We need to make sure that the US remains on Israel's side and supports it unequivocally. Our beloved state of Israel will always overcome any existential threats and will always thrive and do amazing things for the betterment of the world.

So in this 73rd year of Israel’s independence as we continue to celebrate Jewish pride and achievements each day, I pray that G-D Almighty keeps Israel and the Jewish people everywhere safe and prosperous as has been promised. We have survived thousands of years. May it continue as G-D gives Israel the wisdom, the strength to overcome its many challenges.

Rabbi David

Proclaim Liberty by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 22:04:45 GMT

Over the years we have been retelling the story of Passover as a saga of slaves running away from their cruel Egyptian masters, led by a charismatic divine-like leader, Moses. As we all know, Moses was sent by G-D to perform the seemingly impossible task of prying a whole nation of slaves from the clutches of a belligerent Egyptian tyrant ruler. He was to do that without an uprising or any kind of rebellion hostility.

This is of course a story of a nation that was created. G-D of Israel inflicts punishment on the Egyptians through Moses and his brother Aaron until finally the Pharaoh is forced to acquiesce and free the slaves. Under the leadership of Moses, G-D then leads the slaves through a very rough desert for forty years and in the process gives them the most fundamental human set of laws, which any healthy society needs in order to survive and even flourish. This part of the saga ends with the nation of Israel completely transformed into a well organized people with a strong belief in G-D and the Torah. They enter and conquer the land of Canaan, establishing their independent life there.

From a modern perspective the story is much more profound. It is the emergence of freedom and the ideas of liberty in the human mind. For the first time in history slavery is depicted as evil. Just like the Israelites in Egypt, men of all nations deserve to fulfill their basic human right to be free. While the Jewish people have been celebrating this emerging enlightenment of freedom for millennia, it is interesting to note the reaction of other ancient nations to the Israelites becoming free from slavery. This can be seen in the way other nations reacted to the song that Moses and the people of Israel sang to G-D after crossing the Sea of Reeds into freedom.

The nations’ reaction to this freedom song is similar and revealing. “The people hear, they trembled, Agony gripped the dwellers of Philistia. Now the clan of Edom dismayed. All tribes of Moab-trembling grips them” etc.

There was no appreciation of the amazing freedom gained by the people of Israel. On the contrary, the nations exhibit fear of a G-D who dares to change the nature of things, the way the world should be. After all, there are slaves in the world and they should stay slaves forever. Their suffering is of no consequence.

Passover's story is the bursting of the ideas of liberty and freedom into a belligerent, unwilling to change, primitive world. The Passover story of freedom is the gateway to all the amazing moral and human dignity laws of the Torah of Freedom and Justice.

These ideas were heroically preserved over the millennia by the Jews despite all the suffering we had to go through, only to be picked up thousands of years later as a foundation of the American constitution. Perhaps that is why the founding fathers found it necessary to inscribe in the liberty bell the eternal words from the Book of Leviticus 25:10 “Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”

As we now begin to emerge from the restraints we have experienced since last year’s Passover, may we have a deeper understanding and appreciation of freedom.

And may we all be together in person at next year's seder!

Rabbi David

The Most Peaceful Shabbat? by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 02:40:04 GMT

I always love setting a beautiful table for Shabbat and will often share it on facebook. The last tablescape I shared was the Shabbat after the inauguration. One of my dear friends replied, “the most peaceful Shabbat in four years.”

I know many would agree with these sentiments. But I don’t. And it has absolutely nothing to do with politics. It has to do with the true gift of Shabbat which allows us to transform into an inner state of peace no matter what is happening in the outside world.

Don’t get me wrong. I was truly happy my friend felt so peaceful. I am happy anytime someone feels peaceful as that energy goes out into the world affecting others. This is Judaism 101. It is part of our job as Jewish people and why we are here, to radiate out into the world that Light of Peace. We are to be a “ Light unto the Nations.”

I know that many people do not observe Shabbat. And Rabbi David and I don’t even observe it in the same way as we used to do. But there really is something so magical that happens when I light the candles and usher in Shabbat. There is an actual perceptible shift within. I can also feel the energy in the entire house shifting and as many people who visit us can attest to, our home already radiates a feeling of peace.

So what is it that causes this shift? Part of it is that we are connecting or tapping into what we can call the energy field of Shabbat which has been built up over the centuries of practice. With this connection from our intentions and rituals we are forming a sacred space for Shabbat angels to descend. Or another way to look at it is that we are activating the angelic energies of peace. But either way, yes, they really do join us.

We actually have so many gifts from our tradition, especially the mystical teachings from the Kabbalah, to transform into that uplifted state and live there.

In our upcoming class, “Soar Above and Beyond,” we will be learning how to use some of these gifts, including activating angelic energies on a daily basis.

I so hope you will join me!

May you have a peaceful Shabbat. The most peaceful one ever!

Shabbat Shalom,

Cantor Lee

Tu B'shvat Memories by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 22:09:40 GMT

As the Jewish mid winter holiday of Tu B’Shvat approaching (Jan. 28th this year) memories are coming back of when I was a child in elementary school in Israel. The mood was always festive with exciting preparations being made for the holiday.

Looking back at this childhood memory I realize the significance of these Tu B’shvat events which we experienced throughout our school years.

But there is more. For we as Jews, Tu B’Shvat is the supreme expression of our connection to our land, all of the land.. . It is a reminder that the Jewish land of Israel is just as important as the Torah itself. G-D sanctified it and gave it to us centuries before he gave us the Torah. In fact a significant number of the Torah‘s laws are directly related to the land. This means that we cannot observe the Torah’s laws in full without the holy land of Israel.

TuB’Shvat is a yearly reminder that the Jewish people, the land of Israel and the people of Israel are one and the same.

Rabbi David

Plant a Tree in Israel

Soar Above and Beyond

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 11:57:49 GMT

People often ask us how Shirat Shalom started. The seeds of it actually began when Rabbi David and I were newly married over forty years ago and were teaching together in a Hebrew School. (Yes, our claim to fame is that we are still teaching Hebrew School together!) This happened to be a conservative synagogue with a wonderful community but we knew things could be much different especially when it came to the Hebrew School. So we promised each other that one day when we would have our own children they would have a different experience.

And we kept that promise. Our son who is now 37 received much of his Jewish education in a day school. With our daughter who is now 33, we began our own Hebrew School class of four children in our house. Before we knew it that little class began to grow and in 1998 became the basis for Shirat Shalom.

Now that we had a formal Hebrew School, Rabbi David named our program “Judaism of the Heart.” As part of that we would teach children to connect to their Divine Light.

Back then we didn’t really understand the significance of these ideas, “Judaism of the Heart” and “Connecting to our Divine Light.” We only knew deep within that we needed to bring these sacred teachings to the children. For Shirat Shalom as a congregation, the mission was to return to the spiritual and mystical roots of Judaism.

And this is what we have modeled and taught all these years on a level that can be easily understood. But now as we navigate through these chaotic times we know we need to share more deeply our tradition's sacred hidden teachings that are rooted in the Kabbalah.

✡Our sacred teachings that enable us to hold higher amounts of Divine Light thus overcoming anger, frustration, anxiety and despair and everything else that is of a lower consciousness.

✡Our sacred teachings that enable us to be partners with the Divine world helping us in every aspect of our lives, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

✡Our sacred teachings that enable us to bring change within ourselves, our loved ones and everyone around us just by holding and radiating these Higher Amounts of Light.

✡Our sacred teachings that help us all spiritually evolve to the next level.

Rabbi David often says, “What we have been doing clearly isn’t working.”

These teachings are our answer. And they can be for everyone, not just Jewish people. Are you ready to integrate them?

I so hope the answer is yes and you will join us in our virtual class, "Soar Above and Beyond." I will be facilitating the class and Rabbi David will holding the sacred space of the class. (Yes you will learn how to do that too!) Find our more here: Soar Above and Beyond!

With these four sessions you will have a new outlook and understanding of our sacred teachings. Most important you will have the tools to begin putting these teachings into practice as well as how to receive real help from the spiritual realms. We are also opening this class to teens.

The class meets virtually Tuesday evenings, 7:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. Feb. 9, 16, 23, March 9, Every class will be Recorded so you can still join if that time doesn’t work for you.

The price increases Wed. Jan. 20th so take advantage of the discounted price now!

Register Here: Soar Above and Beyond! Still not sure this is for you or your teen? Either Rabbi David or I will be happy to speak to you.

Love,

Cantor Lee

Read About Abby's First Encounter with the Butterflies

The Butterfly Girl by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 11:22:35 GMT

We started calling her the “Butterfly Girl” three and a half years ago when she was in third grade. She had just finished an Infinite Child Session so I took her into our backyard which all children love! The memory is still so deeply etched in my mind. As she walked through the entranceway onto the deck a swarm of butterflies came and began circling around her. There must have been at least 100 butterflies! I didn’t even know so many butterflies lived in my garden! Abby began dancing with them in utter delight making her own circle within theirs. I stood watching, mesmerized. It was as though time had stopped.

Each time Abby would visit our backyard over the next few years, the butterflies would once again come to visit their friend. I often wondered why the butterflies loved her so much and why this love was passed on through the generational lines of the butterflies. After all they don’t live very long, so it wasn’t the original butterflies who would come to greet her.

I know that a child’s energy field brightens from the Infinite Child sessions but other children who have gone through the program don’t attract the butterflies the way Abby does. I came to the conclusion it must be the Joy she always carries and emanates!

Abigail was supposed to have her Bat Mitzvah ceremony the first weekend of September but it needed to be postponed like so many other events these days. All the logistics were being worked out for a new date and location but then that needed to be postponed too. But Abby’s parents had no idea when this could be. You see their whole life had been turned upside down in just a matter of a few minutes.

Abby’s mother had to make a decision the night before that eventful morning of Sept. 21st. Would she return to school as a teacher or take a leave of absence? She discussed the situation with her father and decided at the last minute to take a leave of absence.

Even though she didn’t have to leave for work that next morning she still got up at her regular time. That was why she was able to smell the smoke. Her first thought was which of her three kids was burning something in the kitchen?

The smoke began coming fast and furious through the walls but being asleep her husband and children had no idea what was happening. It turned out the house had been struck by lightning. The fire inspector said ten minutes later the house would have burst into flames and it is doubtful anyone would have escaped.

It took weeks until they found a house they could rent. Even now they aren’t sure what will be in the future. The insurance company hasn’t even started work on the house which will take months to repair.

But within all this chaos and upheaval, Abby’s parents were determined she would have her Bat Mitzvah ceremony. It was finally scheduled for December 5th. A tent would be set up in the backyard of their rental home with chairs spaced out for the extended family.

Abby’s rehearsal a couple of weeks beforehand was held on the very deck where she danced with the butterflies. But this time instead of butterflies a humming bird appeared. And it came right when she was chanting from the Torah!

Rabbi David and I have lived in our house for over 26 years and have a myriad of wildlife in our backyard but we have never seen a hummingbird! I looked up in “Animal Speak” by Ted Andrews the spiritual message a humming bird brings: “It is a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible. It will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances.”

The weather the day of Abigail’s Bat Mitzvah couldn’t have been more beautiful. And the Joy that radiated from Abby’s family couldn’t have been brighter. As I closed my eyes for a moment I saw the image of the hummingbird. Yes, this family had truly found the miracle of joyful living from their life circumstances!

May we all learn to do the same!

Here is our Butterfly Girl Abigail on the day of her Bat Mitzvah

A Cleansing by Cantor Lee and Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 16:46:43 GMT

Cantor Lee: When Tropical Storm Eta hammered South Florida the weekend after the election I felt as though I was in Noah’s Ark! We certainly have lived through plenty of tropical storms and hurricanes. In fact, two months after Rabbi David and I moved to Florida in the summer of 1992 we needed to evacuate from Miami due to Hurricane Andrew.

But Eta seemed different. After two days of non stop rain the water from our canal was the highest we had ever seen it over the past 26 years in our home! Even the tree trunks were submerged. I kept saying this is a major cleansing just as the biblical flood was . A major cleansing for all of us.

And no, this cleansing is absolutely NOT referring to the results of the election or the political leadership of the last four years. It is referring to the divisiveness in our country, in our communities, in our families. It is heaven crying out that we have forgotten to listen to each other's views rather than blame and call names.

This divisiveness has been an ongoing issue. I still remember in 2008 when Rabbi David gave a High Holy Day sermon about leadership in the Bible. Several people thought he was referring to the current political situation at that time with Sarah Palin and walked out. Ever since then, he makes sure to tell people that his sermons are not hidden political messages.

As Jewish people we have been given the responsibility to live at a higher consciousness, to be a Light in the world. Part of this responsibility means being extremely careful with what we say as each word we utter carries a vibratory energy that affects all of us. With the way this works, a derogatory insult can affect our children even if we are speaking about someone else!

Rabbi David: Ill speaking about anyone under any circumstances is called “Lashon Hara”, which translates as evil tongue. And this includes ridicule and insults. Our sages were very clear about it. Our demeaning language is like a boomerang that comes back at us by way of perpetuating hatred in our own hearts as well as going out to be part of the collective consciousness. When Miriam spoke against her Brother Moses G-d knew to nip it in the bud before her words contaminated others around her. She was given leprosy which required being isolated from the community.

In the political arena this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t express our views or take action with issues. But there is a difference with doing so without ridicule and insults. Of respecting that others can have differing political opinions.

So what can this cleansing do for us? I see it as a gift, a reminder to remember who we are. A reminder to go back to practicing it.

A year ago on Yom Kippur I made a vow with this very subject. I vowed to completely refrain from speaking Lashon Hara in the political or any other area, not even in a suggestive manner. Perhaps you will consider joining me.

We all need this cleansing reminder. Let us turn back into the compassionate Jewish nation that we have always been.

Our wonderful country well deserves it.

Answers By Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 13:58:01 GMT

Cantor Lee: I was recently asked how G-d could be so cruel. This wasn’t the first time her family suffered greatly. In fact the woman had walked out on G-d for many years and only recently came back. But now again, she was so angry! It brought to mind Rabbi David’s Yom Kippur sermon from last year...

Rabbi David: Moses, as we all know, the holiest man, master of the prophets, led the Israelites through the desert for forty years. Along with the physical difficulties of desert life that the Israelites had had to endure, he also had to deal with constant complaints, and rebellions. He had to worry where to get water for more than two million people. .

But he had a dream. A dream which probably kept him strong and steadfast for 40 years. A dream to enter the Promised Land with his people.

But he was punished with the most severe punishment he could have possibly received. He died just when the Israelites were ready to enter the land of Israel.

What was his awful mistake that caused his life long dream after forty years of struggle shatter into pieces?

Well, G-D said to him, “In the desert on one occasion I asked you to talk to the rock so water would flow out of it. But you instead hit the rock with your staff.”

And for that Moses was not allowed to see his lifelong dream come to fruition? Scholars have struggled with this question from time immemorial

I don't know the answer. I don't think anyone will ever know for sure.

But maybe for a brief moment in that tense situation Moses wanted to make sure that water would indeed come out of the rock. And that just talking to the rock, asking the rock to produce water, wouldn’t be enough for the water to gush out of it.

Maybe for a brief second Moses doubted his own faith.

Recently I was sitting in a waiting room in the Boca hospital off of thirteenth street. A few people were sitting with me. Suddenly a man turned to me and asked, “Are you angry?” Surprised and a little confused by the question I finally answered, “I am not particularly angry.” “Well, I am!” he practically screamed. “I am angry at G-D! I am furious!”

I was not sure if this was the time and place to begin a philosophical conversation about G-D or life and death. And why did he turn me, a complete stranger, in the first place? Certainly he didn’t know who I was.

“I am mad at him! I am furious!” he insisted. “Does he even listen to our prayers? Does he even care? Does he even exist?”

The man proceeded to tell me about this wife who was stricken with several kinds of cancer and was now fighting for her life. There was so much agony in his words.

After a brief silence he continued with tearing eyes and said quietly, “She has no chance to survive. I don’t even know why the doctor is sending her for another another cat scan.”

He continued, “You know, she is such an amazing person. Such a good sweet soul who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Why her? Why make her suffer so much?”

Don’t get me wrong, I am not usually approached by strangers in public places with such agonizing issues of life and death. Maybe he approached me because he saw my Kippah and wanted to talk to a fellow Jew.

Knowing that there really weren’t adequate words of wisdom to sooth his tormented soul, I said, “I don’t have an answer for you. I don't understand it myself.”

He continued as if he didn’t hear my response. “I was diagnosed with lung cancer. But you know what? I don’t care about me at all. But why her? Such a beautiful soul. I just want some kind of sign! Something! Even the smallest thing that shows me that he exists, that he listens, that he cares, that makes some sense. I just want a sign!”

I put on my rabbinical hat and said, “I know it is hard to hear but maybe we should consider that which does not make sense to us.”

He looked at me puzzled. I continued. “Maybe the struggle itself to make sense of that which makes no sense is what we are all about. Maybe that struggle with the unexplainable, the struggle with so much suffering of your wife and yourself, which is so unfair, is our strongest expression of our belief in G-D.”

“Who knows, ”I continued. “ As strange and unfair as it sounds perhaps G-D is communicating through you and your wife to remind us all how vulnerable we are and how precious life really is. Maybe you are the chosen messenger for everyone.”

He listened and then said, “I give him back this dubious honor. I don’t want it. My wife and I are no messengers. Let him take it back if he even exists or cares.”

I answered, “You need your faith, sir. It’s a powerful gift and can help us get through the toughest of times.” He looked at me. “Are you a rabbi or something?” Seeing my cover was exposed I said, “May G-D send you a your wife a Refua Shleima, full recovery and may He give both of you the spiritual and physical strength to get through such tough times.”

At this point we were already beginning to attract the attention of people around us who were now listening to our conversation. We both became silent when his wife was wheeled into the waiting room. He thanked me for listening to him and they both left.

As I was driving home, I remembered a story I heard from Elie Wiesel of blessed memory. He was describing a scene that happened in Auschwitz. A group of Jews barely alive, starving and weak decided to put G-D on trial. They appointed a prosecutor, defense attorney and judge.

At the end of the trial, the judge read the verdict. G-D was found guilty of abandoning his people. There was silence among the people. Finally someone said, “Well, fellows, it is time to pray mincha, the afternoon service.”

What unwavering faith…

As I was driving I also recalled the pogroms, the persecutions, the endless suffering of Jews in Europe and the Middle East. And yet, none of it has ever shaken their faith in G-D and the belief of the coming of the Messiah.

One of the most profound songs of the Jewish Underground during the Holocaust was “Ani Ma’amim” “I Believe” which quotes the thirteen Jewish principles of the Rambam, the great Jewish scholar and rabbi. It says, “I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah and even though he is delayed I nevertheless will wait for him everyday until he comes.”

Maybe with that rock episode back in the desert, G-D saw the hitting of the rock by Moses instead of talking to it as losing faith and therefore trust in G-D even if just for a few seconds. Maybe this wasn’t about punishment at all but G-d using Moses as the messenger for us, to remind us of the importance of our faith and trust.

There is a saying in Hebrew that “a man can be more fragile than glass and tougher than steel.” Faith, no doubt, is the divine gift given to us to give our spirit the strength of steel, even to the point that nothing can break it. We can then navigate our lives during times of vulnerability and turbulence.

And most importantly, faith brings about Hope another tool in our spiritual toolbox.

One of the best stories that demonstrates this isn’t even Jewish, it’s Greek, the famous story of Pandora’s box. After being told not to open the box she was given, Pandora could not overcome her curiosity. As the box was opened ugly little creatures representing all the diseases and suffering flew right into our world. Pandora closed the box quickly but it was too late.

As she sat on the closed box dismayed, a faint voice asked her to open the box one more time. At first she refused but eventually opened the box. And a beautiful little creature flew out. It was Hope, given to mankind to strengthen our spirit.

In this time of uncertainty, of division among people even more pronounced, it seems the Answer is to return to our Jewish spiritual roots and become the Messengers of Faith and Hope. Only then can we create a World of Peace, Prosperity and Harmony.

Rabbi David

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Talking to Food? by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 15:17:23 GMT

A pioneer in the field of energy medicine, Donna Eden, tells a story of a man who would stand in the back of the room during some of her seminars. He hadn’t registered but she just allowed him to be there suspecting he was homeless. He looked unwell.

When she had a chance to speak to him she learned that he subsisted on food scraps from the local 7-11 store. Donna urged him to begin to eat more nutritious foods to improve his health but he didn’t have the resources. So she told him to begin speaking to his food. To thank it for bringing him excellent nutrition, that it was such healthy food, that he was so grateful for it, bless it. You get the idea.

She saw him a few weeks later and couldn’t believe the difference in how he looked on the outside as well as the inner flow of his energy which she could see. He went on to take further steps to improve his health and life.

In Judaism we are taught to always say a blessing before eating. I can just hear Rabbi David now, “Make sure they know we don’t bless the food, we bless G-d for providing the food!” Yes, in the Hebrew that is exactly what it says, Blessed are You Adonai, Ruler of the World, for creating all kinds of foods. Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha-olam boray meenay mi’zonot.

Before eating I usually prefer to use the traditional Hebrew blessing as I know how powerful it is. But there are times that I just send Light to the food, thank it directly or bless it for providing me with such good nutrition. Just as Donna Eden advised the homeless man to do, I speak to my food!

During the holiday of Sukkot when we express our gratitude for G-d's bounty we are filled with Joy! I personally think the Joy is the way G-d is expressing His/Her gratitude back to us! So inside the sukkah when we eat the delicious fruit waiting for us we will be saying the traditional blessing, Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Haolam, Boray pre ha-eitz. Blessed are You Adonai, our G-d, Ruler of the World, who creates fruit from the tree.

It is so amazing how much better everything tastes with a blessing beforehand!

Chag Sameach,

Cantor Lee

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Rabbi David's Yom Kippur Sermon

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 11:21:38 GMT

When we left slavery in Egypt the Bible counted more than 600,000 men. Considering the similar amount of women there were 2-3,000,000 Hebrews entering the land of Israel in the estimated 1300 BCE.

As a comparison the Zhou Chinese dynasty which took control of China about the same time at 1200 BCE counted 13 million Chinese people living in China.

The Hebrews were one fifth or 20% of the population of China at that time.

Today, 3200 years later there are a billion and a half Chinese in the world. That is 1500 millions.

There are maybe 14 million Jews.

From being 20% of the Chinese population we are now 0.00052 of the Chinese population.

Compared to the Chinese growing curve of the last three thousand years and keeping the estimate of about 20% of the Chinese population, we should have numbered many hundreds of millions at least.

In fact, we are dozens of times smaller than the Chinese margin of error in any census they take.

We all know the reasons for this awful disparity. The Roman empire of 2,000 years ago murdered about one million Jews. It is estimated that over the millennia in Europe about three million Jews were either slaughtered or forced to convert in masses.

Just in South and Central America alone there are many millions of descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism between the 15th and 17th centuries.

All that translates to about 100-150 million Jewish descendants of all the Jewish victims over the centuries who could have been with us today.

We cannot afford to lose more Jewish souls to other influences.

Generations of Jews since then have changed. Their religious as well as Israel outlook has changed.

With the chaos, killings and destruction in the many cities Anti-Semitism begins to stink to high heavens. it is used as an important part of radical actions against America

Nothing new here!

Jews have been caught in the middle of civil chaos and destruction for hundreds of years with very dire consequences.

Anti-Semitism is being bred in many campuses in some of the most prestigious schools. And it is getting a stronghold among young impressionable ill informed students, many who are Jewish students.

In the name of this perverted agenda what is really being ignored purposely is the honest and real details of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. Its origin, its true reasons and goals are being purposely ignored

The agenda is simple: to deny Israel the right to exist as a Jewish state. Also to remove Israel from being a close ally and best friend to the USA.

A whole generation of students, many of them are Jewish, is being bombarded and poisoned with distorted information. This happens even in traditionally Jewish colleges like Brandeis or colleges with a large Jewish student body.

And these are our future congress members and leaders!

Using unfair influence on our students for an intentional Anti-Zionist agenda discourages students from arriving at their own independent conclusions.

What is claimed to be lessons in critical thinking which is a common course in college amounts to almost brain washing.

This is a gateway to Anti-Zionism which in some places has become institutionalized and tolerated.

Make no mistake: Anti-Zionism, denying Israel the right to exist as a Jewish country or not at all - is absolutely Anti-Judaism.

The land of Israel is a central part of Judaism. It’s like Mecca to Islam or the pope to Catholicism.

Judaism cannot exist without it. The hope and yearning to return to Zion in the last 2000 years has been a central component of Judaism.

Anti-Zionistic activity is an act against Jewish survival.

In 2019 there were 2100 reported cases of assault, vandalism and harassment against Jews in the United states alone including schools, synagogues and community centers.

The problem is even more compounded because for many of our Jewish students it’s a gateway to losing their Jewish identity.

What concerns me is that we have become complacent in the face of those who wish to hurt us the most. We simply do not think it is a major problem.

While, of course, not all of our young people leave their heritage because of college influence,

We cannot afford to lose anyone.

We cannot be complacent. Let's continue doing what we, the community of Shirat Shalom have been doing for many years.

Let us continue bringing Judaism of the heart and souls to our children. Instill in them love and pride in our heritage and in Israel. That is the best remedy against detrimental influences and assaults on our heritage.

It’s about Jewish identity much more than Jewish or Hebrew knowledge.

Children as we all know, get from us their parents the sense of pride in our heritage and commitment to our Jewish homeland in Israel.

When our children sense that both Israel and the Jewish tradition are a crucial part of our own identity they understand that Zionism is an existential part of Judaism and in turn, Judaism is an existential part of the welfare of the world.

They then will be more inclined to make the effort and seek the honest truth about the Israeli Arab conflict and explore Judaism further on. We cannot afford losing any more Jewish souls.

Senator Daniel Moynihan said in 1974 in a rally for Soviet Jewry: One cannot eliminate a tree which has its roots in the center of the earth.

It is our duty to ensure our children’s Jewish continuity.

May G-D inscribe all of us in the Book of Life. Let us pray for a much better year next year. A year of health and healing.

A year of tolerance and unity. A year of love and prosperity to all of us. A year of elimination of all viruses and social turmoil.

Amen

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The Lord's Prayer by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 16:56:23 GMT

Recently I was asked to sing the Lord’s Prayer at an interfaith wedding. I didn’t know too much about the prayer except that my girlfriend recited it every day growing up in her church and that it is a central and revered prayer in Christianity. Well, I certainly wanted to sing it with the reverence it deserved so I began learning it.

I didn’t get too far though and stopped after the first line as a beautiful sacred Presence had entered the room.

Wow, I thought! Does this prayer have the same power as many of the Hebrew prayers I sing? They are meant to connect us with the Divine which can come in many energetic variations. Or was it my intention to sing the prayer with reverence that called this Divine Presence? Yes, our intentions can be that powerful!

Intrigued, I went on a YouTube search and listened to several videos of people singing the prayer. Hmmm.. most of the videos invoked the Presence.

The next day, my Catholic neighbor, Gina, posted the prayer on her facebook page and wrote: "I hope everyone who reads it answers Amen and sticks it on their page. Prayer chain for world peace and end of the pandemic. Amen."

Gina's Facebook Post:

This certainly caught my attention. I mean, what are the chances my neighbor would post this the day after my experience with the prayer! I knew this was a message to me to explore further. Intrigued again, I went on a google search and discovered what is just basic knowledge for most Christians. That Jesus taught this is a prayer in how to pray and that it covers everything.

Well that made sense why so much of the wording seemed familiar to me. The same concepts are in the Jewish prayers. And Jesus after all, was Jewish.

A week later as I sang the prayer during the wedding I could see how touched the Christian family members were that their tradition was honored. This filled me with such Joy! Even in these days, it isn’t always so easy for everyone when there is an interfaith marriage.

Two months later as I finished my preparations for the Jewish holidays I realized I never formally added my Amen to my neighbor’s post!

So now, just before Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people, I offer my prayer. “May ALL our Sacred Prayers from ALL Hearts come together bringing World Peace and an End to the Pandemic. Amen!”

The Divine Presence that has come in now certainly seems happy with this! I feel a smile in the midst of all the Love that is present!

May we all be sealed in the Book of Life for a good year!

Love,

Lee

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The Boy's Dragonfly by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 12:11:37 GMT

I heard the story from the mother the week before but I wanted to hear it in the boy’s own words. So he told me that when casting his fishing lure, it caught a dragonfly trapped in a spider web causing its wings to break. He used a pair of tweezers to set the wings back together. Afterwards he put the dragonfly in a jar in order to nurse it back to health and fed it moths each day. Under his watchful care the dragonfly lived for another few days.

When he finished telling the story, his mother exclaimed “What child does this!” I knew the answer but I just smiled.

When I first met the boy a year and half earlier to prepare him for his Bar Mitzvah ceremony, I immediately understood he is one of the amazing children who have come to help heal the planet. So many of these kids don’t have an easy time in our left brain educational system or fitting into our paradigms and this teen was no exception.

When we had his rehearsal months later and he could read Hebrew which traditionally uses left brain teaching techniques, his mother called me a miracle worker. But I knew the child is really the miracle. For these kids are impelling us to “think out of the box,” to reframe our perspectives when it comes to their education. The Infinite Child Institute is certainly a result of this thinking. It didn’t surprise me when this teen excelled in the program.

As we got close to his Bar Mitzvah, everyone was so excited that the boy’s great grandmother would be able to attend. What a blessing!

But with the pandemic postponing his Bar Mitzvah day for five months this all changed. His great grandmother passed away three weeks before the new date at the amazing age of 107.

The boy’s mother continued her part of the story. That during the great grandmother’s funeral, a dragonfly stayed with them the entire time. She would have never noticed it if her son hadn't rescued the first dragonfly and knew there had to be a connection.

I told the teen that dragonflies have one consciousness. That the essence of his dragonfly came to say thank you! But there is another message too. His mother continued, “Now, whenever you see a dragonfly your great grandmother will be present!”

Before they left, I took the boy aside and asked him to promise me that he would never forget how special he is, of what he came here to do.

On the day of the Bar Mitzvah, the mother displayed a quote saying, “Dragonflies Appear when Angels are Near.” There were certainly many angels in the room that day.

And the great grandmother... well, she had the biggest smile of them all!

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Tisha B'Av - From Mourning to Celebration by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 15:38:05 GMT

Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av falls on July 30th this year. It is a day of fasting and mourning. Very few events in our history are considered to be such a powerful memory to the Jewish people as this day represents. The Holocaust of course, is another one.

Officially it marks several calamities in our history including the destruction of the first Temple by the Babylonians as well as the destruction of the second Temple by the Romans (who went as far as plowing the entire Temple area.) This day also marks the expulsion from Spain in 1492 as well as the Jewish expulsion from England in 1290.

Tradition has it that on the ninth day of Av the spies who were sent by Moses to tour the land of Canaan when the Israelites were about to enter it, returned from their journey to deliver a negative report about the country and its people. As a result, the people dipped into fear wanting to return to slavery in Egypt. To enable them to mature to a state of trust, of accepting and navigating freedom, G-d had the people wander in the desert for another 40 years.

Tisha B’Av is therefore a day when Jews gather in synagogues all over the world to recite the scroll of “Eicha,” Lamentations, a text of mourning believed to be written by Prophet Jeremiah who actually witnessed the first Temple’s destruction.

The Ninth of Av is not an easy day as we remember Jewish suffering throughout our history. But it also represents an amazing truth. It is a symbol of our eternity. Remembering the day we lost our independence in the land of Israel also brought the Tikvah, the Hope for the Jewish redemption. That hope was burning in our great, great grandparents’ hearts. It is that two thousand year old hope which held us together and eventually helped us to reestablish our independent life in modern Israel.

So if we now have Israel, a proud, very prosperous and independent Jewish state why keep mourning on the ninth day of Av?

The message of that day is not only a message of Jewish survival. It is also a message of world peace and harmony. The great rabbis of the Talmud taught that when the world lives in peace, when there will be no hate, when antisemitism and bigotry vanish from the world, then Tisha B’Av will turn from a day of mourning to a day of celebration.

This year, as we observe Tisha B’Av may we use the powerful energy of the day to offer a special prayer to the creator, G-D of all mankind, to help us put an end to the awful pandemic that is ravaging the entire world. Let us all pray for Israel’s and the world’s safety and peace. Let us pray for all the turmoil and divisiveness we are experiencing here in the US to end and ask for peace to be restored in all the cities across the nation. Let us pray that we each find compassion and tolerance within our own hearts. For only then can G-d truly help us.

Shalom,

Rabbi David

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DOG Spelled Backwards by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 00:08:10 GMT

It was going to be the first event for our congregation since the quarantine began. A puppy naming where any dog without a Hebrew name would receive one. It really isn’t part of our tradition to give pets Hebrew names as we do humans. But it has become a Shirat Shalom tradition. I guess mostly because it is just so much fun! Here was the invitation:

Although connected in our hearts,
We've been physically apart,
So we’re hoping seeing you in person
can now gently start!

Our yard is Huge, so please stop by,
We’ve missed you and just want to say Hi!

If you don’t have a doggy, just bring a stuffed one!
Or come by yourself, and join the fun!

If your puppy needs a Hebrew name
Rabbi David will bestow one with Love,
Or you can pick a Yiddish one
And we’ll all shout Mazel Tov!

Even though the gathering was going to be outside in my backyard I still wondered, would anyone come? People were still reluctant to be in groups as several members told me. But eight dogs sent in a RSVP and would be bringing their humans.

The morning of I wondered again, would anyone come? With torrential downpours all week and rain still predicted, it wouldn’t be easy to be outside in the high humidity of South Florida.

But in the end five dogs did come along with seven children and their parents. When I saw the children I knew G-d was fully creating with me. These were my special crystal and rainbow kids who would be radiating their powerful Light throughout our gathering!

The first activity was to decorate a fan with anything about our doggies that warms our hearts. I was so glad I finally found a use for the straw fans I had been saving. Not only would they help everyone stay cool, but they were perfect for our activity and my plan for later!

For the naming ceremony we began with the traditional thanksgiving blessing using the words on the fans. Each doggie was featured.

Here is an example: Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech Haolam who makes Brooklyn a cutie! (Blessed are you Adonai, our G-d, Creator of the world who makes Brooklyn a cutie! )

Then each family sang the song they had composed. The instructions were to change the lyrics to a Hebrew song and you guessed it, make it about their doggie! In this song, David Melech Yisrael, Lily the dog becomes a queen! You can just imagine how much we all laughed since Lily really is queen of the house!

Rabbi David then gave each dog their Hebrew name and had us laughing even more! This dog, a Russell Terrier, yes named Russell, received the Hebrew name Ratz which means “Run!” You can probably figure out the connection!

Kiwi received the Hebrew name Karmel which is a mountain in Israel!

Brooklyn received the Hebrew name Simcha which means Joy!

Lily received the Hebrew name Meshuggah which you probably already know means Crazy!

We ended with the chanting of the Sh'ma that declares that we are all One with G-d and each other. Keeping this Oneness in mind, I asked everyone to wave their fans as we sang, radiating our love and gratitude for our doggies into the world.

I knew Shechina's Love Energy that answered was saying thank you! I told everyone to keep fanning and radiating!

We continued to have such a wonderful time being together afterwards. The weather turned out to be beautiful with such a strong breeze we didn’t even feel the humidity! I thanked G-d as well as the weather elementals for answering my prayers, for their part of our co-creation.

As we talked I heard the same theme others have been telling me. The appreciation for slowing down, for time together with their children. The gratitude for the gifts of Mother Earth - Gaia, such as a butterfly’s dance, a gecko on a leaf, a seed that grows into a plant.

We couldn’t hug each other as we said goodbye but as my friend recently told me we will never again take hugs for granted.

Afterwards I expressed my gratitude to all including my doggie, Cinnamon, who joined us from over the rainbow bridge. I told her, “There was so much Love at the Puppy Naming!” “Of course!” Cinnamon whispered in my ear as she licked it at the same time. “After all, what is DOG spelled backwards?!”

I thought about this for a moment. "Exactly Lee," said Eliza, a dear friend's angel doggie. "It spells Love.”

♥Love, Lee & all the Doggies!♥

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The Hidden Prayer Book by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 28 May 2020 00:10:24 GMT

With my sister moving I learned I would be inheriting her computer desk and hutch that I always loved. I even thought one day I would get one just like it! Thank you G-d!

The timing couldn’t be better! Just two weeks earlier I had decided to paint my office and dedicate it as a sacred space for our Infinite Child program. With all the sessions with the children now virtual, my office needs to be conducive for this sacred work where children learn to utilize their Infinite Light Vision.

On moving day when we were carrying the hutch, a small prayer book seemed to appear out of nowhere! As my husband, Rabbi David caught it in midair, the memory came back of ten years earlier when I had hidden the prayerbook on top of the hutch.

It was the day my sister called me from the hospital. My brother in law had just been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. After I hung up the phone, I immediately went to her house to work with the energy there. I understand now that it was my Divine Self directing me. I only knew then I was on a mission and had to follow it.

I still remember walking into the house and being hit with an extremely heavy oppressive feeling. I knew it was from all the worry and uncertainty from my brother in law being sick. I worked in each room, clearing the energy and afterwards bringing in a higher vibration. I then hid small Hebrew prayerbooks open to various pages around the house. They were all put in secret places on high shelves including the top of the desk hutch.

When my sister returned later that night she called me. What had I done to the house! It felt so peaceful, so amazing! I just smiled and said I just cleared out all the negative energy but I didn’t tell her about the hidden prayerbooks.

My brother in law passed away a month later. As you can imagine the next few years were extremely difficult for my sister and 14 year old nephew. But I knew the prayerbooks were doing their job of supporting them by keeping the house at a higher vibration. Each time I would go visit, I would make sure each room was as it should be.

A couple of years later my sister found a hidden prayerbook. “You had to have put that there,” she told me! And I let her in on the secret! Over the years every time she would find another one she would carefully dust it off and put it back.

I was excited to place the desk and hutch in my newly painted office. And then decorate with everything my sister also gave me. I was even able to fit in the pink chair I also inherited! Of course I cleared everything of any old energies that were lingering.

Redoing the office also meant going through old files which also brought up many emotions of what was and what will no longer be. Children just learn differently these days. So many of the old programs and ways of doing things just don’t fit today’s special children who have come to help the planet. Much material had to go.

When everything was to my satisfaction, Rabbi David and I put a new mezuzah on the door.

A few days later I just had one more thing to do. I thanked G-d for all my blessings, for my beautiful new office and that my sister was now newly married and so happy. I took the prayerbook and began flipping the pages, stopping where I was guided to do so. It opened to the prayer of gratitude, Modim Anachnu Lach, We give thanks to you, G-d.

I took the open prayerbook and placed it on top of the hutch.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I Love all the ways I can keep the vibration high in my office. This was a gift a few years ago from my then student Jeremy. He is famous in Shirat Shalom as our star shofar blower!

Prayerbooks, Holy texts and special Crystals radiate a sacredness that are helping to keep the room flowing with beautiful energy!

I light a candle when doing certain prayers and work. These are my special crystals that help me connect with the spiritual realms. B'nai Mitzvah Students who have a Torah portion about the High Priest always love learning that the breast plate had precious stones on it. The High Priest used them to communicate with G-d.

I put more crystals in the petals of this paper rose. The rose with its 13 petals is discussed in the Zohar, a mystical book of the Kabbalah.

Every year at Chanukah the children learn that the eternal light in the Temple called a menorah had seven stems. Menorah means lamp. In Hebrew the Chanukah menorah is called a Chanukiah to differentiate it from the Temple menorah.

Even the hallway to my office brings in holiness. I make sure our entire house stays a sanctuary. The mezuzah on the front door reminds us of this central Jewish teaching.

I love learning how other spiritual traditions use different language to explain the universal concepts we all share. This panel from the Council of Love shows 13 chakras which are the body's energy centers. In Judaism we use sefirot (spheres) of the Tree of Life.

I love this gift from Lisa and her three boys, Brogan, Brody and Bryce. It reminds me of my sacred mission and purpose in life.

Love in its many forms always brings the highest vibration! Rabbi David wrote a very special poem for me that is tucked inside this card. Keeping it on my desk reminds me of how blessed I am!

Love, Lee ♥♥♥♥

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Rocksie the Neighborhood Owl by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 08 May 2020 19:30:00 GMT

My neighbor, Fara, has a way with animals. So much so that we call her the Animal Whisperer. All creatures love her and she loves them! You could also call her a People Whisperer for the same reason. You can usually find her outside practicing her love craft, bringing everyone together, making sure all the animals and people know how important they are. I think of her as Guardian of the Neighborhood.

So of course Rocksie knew what she was doing when she picked Fara’s home for her nest. During their initial meeting when Rocksie startled Fara on the side of her house, she immediately told her, “Don’t worry, you are safe here!” “Confirmation this is the right house!” Rocksie thought. “This is the perfect place for my babies!” And so Rocksie took up residence in one of Fara’s hanging baskets lined with coconut fiber.

The neighborhood was abuzz with the news especially since an owl hasn’t been seen here for several years. We all learned she is a screech owl which explains her tiny size. One neighbor, Gina, decided her name should be Rocksie as we all live on Rockwell Way! Rocksie was quite pleased with her new name and allowed a celebratory picture.

Fara and Rocksie continued to deepen their relationship. Each day at nightfall Fara would tell Rocksie, “Time to hunt!” Rocksie would pop up her head up, hop to the rim of the basket and then take flight. I think she appreciated Fara’s daily reminders.

Fara’s husband Charlie watched over her as well. One day when the wind was very strong taking Rocksie for quite a swinging ride. Charlie wasn’t going to allow that and tied down the hanging planter! Okay, now the eggs and Mama were safe!

There was much excitement when the three eggs began to hatch. The tiny owlets looked like little snowballs! Gina promptly named them Rock, Well and Way.

Charlie was concerned a baby might fall from the nest so he made plans to put cushions on the ground below. But the next day before he could do so one did fall out!

He told Rocksie he would put the baby back with all the proper precautions. She was quite agreeable to the whole plan especially since he explained what he was doing each step of the way! We are still not sure if it was Rock, Well or Way that fell but whoever it was, baby is safe now under Mama’s wing!

I had a chance to visit Rocksie yesterday. Fara made sure to let her know “Aunt Lee” was coming. Rocksie really is so sweet! I have been wondering what the spiritual reason is for her arrival and there are so many! But one message keeps coming so clearly. Rocksie is helping us remember what is really important in life.

What a beautiful gift! Thank you Rocksie for coming to Rockwell Way!

UPDATES

Here are some updates since this article was first published.

Grandfather Charlie as we now call him has made sure the babies are safe as they grow. Some days he has spent hours outside keeping a lookout for anyone falling! He has made sure they now have a very soft surface to land on! He has had to fight off crows and other birds as he gets the babies safely back to the nest! Mama, babies and Fara and Charlie have become one combined human/owl family!

❤️Love,

Lee

Yom Ha-atzmaut by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 12:42:35 GMT

The 5th day of the Jewish month of Iyar, April 29th this year is Israel’s 72^nd birthday. For the Jewish people this event became a symbol of our everlasting existence as a unique people whose religion cannot be separated from its nationality.

Independence day is a reminder that our existence depends on having a land of our own and that land is specifically the land of Israel with very specific borders. This land is part of us, of who we are as Jews.

I am reminded of an episode which happened at the beginning of the 20th century when the Zionist movement was offered the country of Uganda in Africa as a homeland and a safe haven for European Jews. Many were victims of the infamous Kishinev pogrom in Russia. In a rejection letter the leader of the Zionist movement at the time explained that the land component of Jewish religion is directly related to the land of Israel because of its specific spiritual value and its holiness to Judaism, without which Judaism cannot exist. This principle trumped even the immediate need for a safe place for thousands of Jewish Kishinev refugees.

This principle became more profound when we, the Jewish nation made it very clear to the rest of the world over the long years of exile, both through our daily prayers and through decisive actions that we can never give up our legitimate claim to our land.

In the last 2000 years the world knew very well that the Jewish people never gave up on their claim for the land from which they were exiled. In medieval times the church, fearful of Jewish immigration to their homeland, which over the centuries, intensified periodically, forbade Jews to travel on Christian boats to the land of Israel. The same was true after the expulsion from Spain in the 15th century as well as in other centuries.

The Arabs, recognizing that the land of Israel is the land of the Jews were especially fearful that the Jews would one day return to reclaim their land. One of the major attempts to resettle millions of Jews back in Israel was a plan to create an economic infrastructure first, which would allow for rapid Jewish migration. This plan was made by Don Yosef Nasi, a highly influential Jew in international circles in the 15th century. The Arab nomads in Israel opposed the plan which Don Yosef had started to implement. The plan was eventually abandoned due to the extreme violent resistance of the local Moslems.

To be sure, the Moslems built a cemetery in Jerusalem in front of the city Gate of Mercy from which they believed the Jewish messiah would come to the city. Their rationale was that the messiah, being a descendant of Jewish priests, a Cohen, would not be allowed to go through a cemetery and therefore would not be able to enter Jerusalem and to establish a new Jewish kingdom in Judea.

In the 17th century an estimated eight thousands Jews, mostly young men, gathered in Turkey under the leadership of a man called Shabtai Tzvi who promised them that they would take the land of Israel by force through his magic. They were all slaughtered by the Ottoman army. Over the centuries numerous "Messiahs" gathered Jewish believers around them in a naive attempt to magically take over the land of Israel. All ended up in failure. However these constant attempts, as naive as they all were, serve as evidence throughout the centuries that indeed, action was taken by Jews who tried to reclaim the land of Israel.

These and other similar actions, including that there were a significant amount of Jews that never left the land of Israel, are undeniable historical realities. They stand witness to the fact that the Jewish people never gave up on their rights to their land. It was a constant battle for our legitimate land which we finally won in 1948 with much but not all of the Jewish land in Jewish hands

So is the term Israeli independence Day really accurate?

To suggest that Israel became independent in 1948 is not only inaccurate it also provides many Arabs with the anti Israel propaganda which they are seeking.

The term may suggest that the term Israel's independence as it related to the modern state of Israel separates itself from any Jewish evidence of independent living prior to 1948, as if there was no Jewish independent existence for many centuries prior to the modern state of Israel.

It is therefore very important for us to understand that what we celebrate is the Jewish return to independent living in our land, a restoration of previous Jewish independence in the land of Israel.

Let us all remember then that we as a people are resilient. Throughout our four thousand years of history we have faced many challenges, most recently the Holocaust, leading to the creation of the State of Israel. We have the inner strength to get through these challenging times as we, along with the entire world, are dealing with the Coronavirus.

May our inner strength that helped us survive many calamities, enduring centuries of persecutions and tragedies throughout history lead the world to better times ahead

Happy Yom Ha-atzmaut -Israeli Independence Day!

Rabbi David

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The Frog's Message by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 16:49:18 GMT

Do you ever notice that things can magically appear after thinking about them quite a bit? This is exactly what happened to me recently.

In this case the “thinking” began right after we finished our Shirat Shalom Virtual Seder. Every part of the seder including our coming together as a community was just so amazing!

But my absolute favorite part was when we sang a children’s song about frogs jumping on Pharaoh. Of course Rabbi David up to his usual tricks seized the opportunity to have frogs jump all over me during the song!

After everyone “left” I kept thinking about the song, of how we all laughed, of how even virtually it was so much fun! I couldn’t wait to see how it turned out on the recording. Rabbi David kept humoring me when I would say to him, “Wasn’t it so much fun!” But I know secretly he was quite pleased I thought his jumping frogs were quite a success!

I kept revisiting the song in my mind throughout the evening each time smiling and laughing. I don’t remember if I thought about it as I went to sleep but I certainly woke up doing so and continued to think about it as I went about my morning routine. A couple of hours later I went onto my screened in patio and then tried to open the door to go outside.

But something that looked like a hand was attached to the outside of the door! As I looked closer I saw it was actually a frog’s leg. I was somewhat nervous as I nudged the door open trying to encourage him to jump off. What if he would jump on me! But he just leaped off the door and jumped away probably happy to find another place to be.

I couldn’t wait to tell Rabbi David of my experience and that I knew without a doubt that I had created it. My focused thoughts on jumping frogs combined with the strong emotion of Joy brought it to me.

I thanked the frog for this reminder to choose carefully what I focus on, especially during these unprecedented times.

Here is the frog song at our Virtual Seder!

Love,

Cantor Lee

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A Plague Named Corona by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 16:16:58 GMT

We are certainly living in an historical time. The CoronaVirus as we all know is affecting every corner of our planet. While the world has suffered diseases and calamities over the millennia, this modern world wide calamity is particularly scary.

So what did we do to deserve such an honor? Well, we know it started in China. But we and the rest of the world did nothing to bring this pandemic upon us.

No One deserves to be afflicted with the dangerous Coronavirus. No One - that’s a given.

But one can not help but wonder about the philosophical and spiritual aspect of this calamity. Scrutinizing ourselves is not an easy thing to do. This is not about the CoronaVirus “punishing” us. It is about making the best out of a bad situation.

Do we all live our lives in calm, peace and harmony? Was everything just fine when suddenly this Mishegaas fell upon us? We all know the answer to these questions.....

Last week I was standing in line in Publix. A man who was standing behind me overheard the cashier greet me with “Good morning Rabbi” (I am very famous in Publix, don’t you know…) Realizing that I am a rabbi, he turned to me and said, “So Rabbi, this Corona thing comes to teach us to live together in peace don’t you think so?” Now the man did not look religious, most likely not even Jewish (judging by the nice golden cross hanging from his neck…) but it seemed that he was interested in a philosophical discussion. Surprised, I turned to him and said” Yes, you are right, this would be a good time to learn to have more compassion for each other”.

I was just about to leave when the man insisted on continuing the conversation: ” Do you think, Rabbi, that G-D is doing all this to teach us a lesson?”I smiled and said, “I am not an expert on G-D’s intentions but He sure acts in mysterious ways sometimes,doesn' he?” I then went to my car. As luck would have it the man was parked right next to me so when I was about to pull out he approached my car window and said, “I wish people would realize what we just talked about.” I nodded my head, wished him a nice day and drove away.

As I was driving home I was amazed how people are beginning to look at the situation from a philosophical/spiritual point of view.

A few days afterwards I had a similar discussion with a friend, a member of our synagogue who pointed out to me my big mistake. Even if we are experiencing the Corona turmoil as a purely natural event the religious/philosophical reasoning cannot be ignored. There is nothing mysterious about what is happening to us, the human race.

Consider the state of our country and the whole world: the strife, arguments, bickering and scandals, the moral decline, the political hatred the indecency which knows no restrained, the nonchalant attitude towards polluting mother earth, damaging it for the next hundred if not thousands of years.The constant wars in certain parts of the world, the endless suffering of innocent people. Get the Picture?

The analogy my friend offered me was simple yet profound. We are like siblings who are constantly fighting and hurting each other until their parents have had enough of this behavior. They send each sibling to his/her room saying “You take time out in your rooms, Stay there! Do not leave until we tell you!. You need to think long and hard about the way you treat each other”

So all over the world people are sitting in their rooms, literally unable to leave. Perhaps it is Mother Earth or G-D Old Mighty himself or perhaps our moral conscious telling us, “Dear Humanity, It is time to change the rules of the game of life.” Become more tolerant, have more sympathy towards each other (Remember John Lenon?...) Learn to truly embrace world peace, begin to really take care of our beloved mother Earth with deeds - not just lip service.

A timeout is a very good thing. Can you imagine boxing matches without a brief time out between the rounds or a basketball game when the coach cannot ask for time out to regroup the team or exchange players?

And the timeout that we are experiencing? This is an opportunity given to mankind as a gift by G-D and Mother Nature. A wake up call to all nations. It is a time to pause and reflect, a time to reset and redefine who we are as humanity and as dwellers of our precious Mother Earth.

Indeed, This gift doesn't come cheap. We pay a hefty price for it both in money and in human life and suffering. So let's take advantage of this very expensive opportunity and make our time out a time within.

As we sit for the Passover Seder next week and as we mention the 10 plagues inflicted upon the Egyptians, may humanity overcome this plague with a new understanding and desire to live in harmony and peace.

Rabbi David

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My Corona Shabbat Table by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 12:48:00 GMT

Most people who know me also know I love to set tables and create beautiful tablescapes! Of course, cooking is another matter!

Since my husband, Rabbi David, and I will be hosting our very first Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat! (Welcoming in Shabbat) of course I wanted to set the table for it!

When setting a table I just let the ideas flow, knowing that I am being inspired and guided by my Higher Self. With this table the guidance was to make the table golden and filled with Joy! Somehow this was all related to the fact that corona means crown. But I had no idea why or how it was all connected. But I went with the inspiration and played with the dishes setting my table.

I ended up with this table filled with golden Joy!

The coffee pot represents the pouring out of compassion and love for each other and our earth. The dove represents the inner peace we can still feel now and for a whole new world of Peace and Love. The flowers represent rebirth that yes, we will all experience!

Creating a tablescape and then enjoying it always fills me with Joy! And this tablescape is no exception! But it seems it has an even greater purpose especially now as being filled with Joy is one of the best ways to keep my frequency or vibration very high. And that not only boosts my immune system but helps me stay above the fear.

I looked up more about the word “corona” when I was done and learned that one of the definitions of corona refers to the fiery halo around the sun. But it can only be seen during a solar eclipse or with special instruments. It is also the hottest part of the sun. thttps://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sun-corona/en/

Well that just fascinated me. I know as a Jewish person and Lightworker my job is to bring Light into the world. But I personally only see that actual spiritual Light when in meditation, prayer or going deep within. But just like the sun’s corona, it is definitely there!

In contemplating this further I realized that just as we do with interpreting the Torah portions there can be so many additional interpretations for my table. One interpretation can be that right now the world is going through a deep cleansing and awakening leading us into the Golden Age. Perhaps that is why the table needed to have gold!

I so hope you will also feel Joy with seeing my table! And perhaps you will find your own interpretation of what it means. I would love to hear it!

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The Story of Purim as I Know It (I think) by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 01 Mar 2020 14:33:33 GMT

(Disclaimer: It is a custom on Purim to create satires from the story of Queen Esther. So this is it. All in fun though - no political messages intended…. Whatsoever...)

This story was told to me by my great grandfather who heard it from his cousin twice removed.

A long, long time ago in a far away galaxy in a city called Shushan lived a king in a palace which was all white. He was a jolly old king. He was also very wealthy from all his real estate investments all over the world.

One starry starry night the king was entertaining all the very, wise extremely important sons and daughters of god who came all the way from Hollywood. It was a nice party, really, where all the VIP’s were congratulating each other and walking on red carpets not to spoil their shoes. They all ate and drank. Alot.

After the guests could not find any more ways to praise each other, they got bored. The king (his name, If I remember correctly, was Achashverosh) who was at that point a little drunk himself, demanded that his wife Queen Vashti dance with minimum clothes on in front of his guests. She refused (who can blame her?) claiming that her minimum wage job description does not include dancing.

Since the king did not know the laws regarding queens who refuse to dance, he went to the local district judge asking for a verdict. But this judge was too conservative so he went to a highly reputable liberal judge but he was too liberal. The king then became very desperate looking for a judge who will render the kind of verdict the king wanted. Since he could not find the right judge, he decided to banish the queen from his kingdom. Well the media was all over him. They condemned his decision claiming that the king was influenced by foreign agents.

It only took a few days for the king to realize that he needed a new queen. He organized a whole Women’s Talent Competition (The now famous “Shushan has Talent “) and in order to be fair he invited all transgenders as well.

There was a Jewish young lady who lived in the city of Shushan by the name of Esther. She wanted to devote her entire life to fighting global warming because she was afraid that in five years, the earth will be flooded from the melting glaciers and burned from rising temperature. When she was forced to participate in the king’s new talent competition she got to the finals and actually won. Since she became a queen her life long dream of becoming a major advocate for Mother Earth, to give lectures and sell lots of books, all vanished. From all the Jewish princesses in our country she became the first Jewish princess to hold such a high position.

That's when the story gets interesting. You see, the Shushan senate minority leader (or maybe it was the house minority leader- who remembers!) was a man named Haman. From all historical records at the Pentagon we know that he wasn’t a nice dude. As if he needed a reason, he did not like Jewish people (what else is new?) He went to the king and explained to him that there is a nation of undocumented immigrants called Jews who managed to climb the 60 ft tall wall the king built around the city. They used tall ladders and hot air balloons in order to infiltrate the kingdom. “Now,” said Haman to the king, “them Jews are all over the city.” The king agreed to let Haman kill all these Illegals Jews on the 14th day of the month of Adar.

I would be remiss If I do not mention the president of Shushan’s AIPAC, Queen Esther’s cousin from her mother’s side (I think), the honorable Mordechai the Jew, a well known advocate for Jewish matters. Haman and Mordecai did not see eye to eye on all national security and health care matters or all other matters including the Jewish right to exist. So when Mordecai heard about Haman's evil plan and about Haman’s plan to hang him on a tall Christmas tree, he felt that it might be a good Idea to do something about it. After all, he really wanted his legs to be firmly touching the ground and not be dangling somewhere. He also thought that Jewish survival would be a nifty idea as well.

So he tried to call little cousin Queen Esther on her cell phone but got no answer. He tried texting her, even Tweeting her- nothing happened. He tried to write on her Facebook wall - no response. He tried Instagram -nada .So he decided to do what any nice Jewish boy would do. He dressed in sackcloth and put ashes on his head and paraded back and forth for three hours in front of the queen’s window. She got the message. She asked Mordechai what was going on so he briefed her on the situation and they both set down to strategize.

After much thinking they came up with a brilliant Plan. It was kind of complicated but the gist of it was that Esther would find a way to tell the king that if he allowed Haman to execute his evil plan not only the kingdom’s economy would collapse, but also Ms. Ginsburg would be missing from the Supreme Court, half of the liberal professors from all the universities in his kingdom would be gone and he would not be able to celebrate Passover in his palace. More importantly, his beloved wife, being Jewish, would be killed as well

The only danger in the plan was finding a way to deliver the message to the king. Since the king was told by his secret service not to use a cellular phone or a laptop, the only way to get his attention would be face to face.

But since you do not come to see the king uninvited, appearing in his palace by one ‘s own initiative could be deadly to say the least.

So Queen Esther did what Jews do best. She Prayed. She also fasted for three days just to lose the little extra weight she had put on recently. Then she asked the royal hairdresser and the make-up artist to make her look exceptionally pretty (not that she was not pretty, of course). Then, she bought the most beautiful dress. She made sure not to have any wardrobe malfunction. She put on the glass shoes which she borrowed from Cinderella and went to meet the king, come what may.

But you see, there has been a royal secret which was very well guarded for many generations and never leaked to the NY Times or the Washington Post despite these papers’ desperate efforts to get the story. Do you realize how many more papers they would have sold if they had the story? Maybe even claim the rights for a movie and two sequels or even a TV series. But no! The secret was kept safe in the royal palace. Recently, however it was leaked by an anonymous source known as the “mysterious leaker”. Allegedly, he was from the opposite party who wanted Haman to be the King.

Ladies and Gentlemen you read the truth here first: What really happened!

You see, the queen had an agreement with one of the king’s guards who shall remain anonymous.The deal went like that: the queen would help the guard’s two daughters who never finished high school to be accepted to the University of Shushan School of Art Supplies on a Crayon Coloring Scholarship. And in return the guard would slip to the king a bunch of his favorite Corona beers so he could be half drunk and in a very good mood. This would insure a favorable reaction from the king when Esther would show up.

Indeed, that is exactly what happened. The queen invited the king and Haman to a private candle light soft music dinner. At the self served dinner (she did not want any else there) she revealed her Jewish identity. She told the king that executing Haman’s evil plan would mean eliminating her as well.

Well, let me tell you. The king hit the roof. You should have seen his face. It was all red from anger, veins bulging everywhere, not a happy camper.

He immediately voided that evil decree, ordered that Haman and his 10 sons be hanged and sent a warning through his kingdom saying that anyone who dares to hurt the Jews will be punished severely. (wouldn’t this kind of warning come very handy nowadays in the Middle East, around the world and in many American campuses?)

So the 14th day of Adar became a day of celebration for us. It’s a day that symbolizes Jewish survival. And that’s good. Very good.

And it’s a day to find humor in everything and everyone! So have a laugh!

Chag Sameach!

Happy Purim!

Rabbi David

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Our Mother Earth by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 16:53:49 GMT

People in the local Publix already know me, the famous person that I am... I am the “no bags please person”. I am that crazy guy who would bring a bunch of Publix Green bags to avoid wrapping anything in plastic bags. Crazy because who wants to bother with bringing their own bags to do the shopping at a grocery store. In all honesty, I do see people bringing their own bags to Publix every once in a while but they are far and few in between.

Does that mean people do not care about Mother Earth? Of course they do. It’s just that in our busy life we have so many things to worry about that the welfare of Mother Earth is not regularly on our minds. Besides, with everything around us made of plastic and so little being recycled, does avoiding a few plastic bags really matter?

The “Save the Earth” advocates among us say that what creatures who lived on earth over hundreds of millions of years were unable to do, we humans managed to do in about 100 years or less. We have begun to put Mother Earth in a true existential threat. With our non degradable, often toxic materials dumped on Mother Earth by the tons every day all over the world, how long can we continue being nonchalant about it?

One of the most important Jewish principles taught by our sages over many centuries is based on recognizing the vulnerability of our Mother Earth. While generations ago there was not much toxic or non-degradable material to worry about, our sages did recognized the need to guardMother Earth from deteriorating.

That Jewish principle is called “Bal Tashchit”, which basically translates as “Be Careful Not to Destroy.” Judaism has always advocated that we are here on earth as a privilege. When our time comes to depart, we should leave Earth in as good condition or better than the way we found it.

Indeed, the ideas of “Tikun Olam,'' repairing the world, encompasses human relations as well as Human-Earth relations. The State of Israel is a shining example of this principle. Within a few decades of existence the Israelis have been turning a barren desert into a viable land growing fruits and vegetables on it. Israel leads the world in water conservation and recycling as well as reforestation on a large scale. Israeli scientists are working on ways to disintegrate plastic. Imagine being able to inject certain plastic consuming bacteria into thousands of landfills all over the world…

How is that for repairing the world?

This is what Tu B’Shvat, (Feb. 10th this year) the Jewish 3300 years old Arbor Day is all about. In fact, I believe Tu B’Shvat is a more important holiday now than ever before. It reminds us that we must be more aware of our Mother Earth’s welfare. It reminds us that doing the smallest thing for for the sake of our Earth should not be overlooked.

Besides, It’s a wonderful Mitzvah.

Rabbi David

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A Small Act by Cantor Lee Degani & Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 21:26:42 GMT

From Cantor Lee: As Jews we not only have the Jewish New Year as a time to reflect and evaluate our lives but the secular new year as well. As Rabbi David and I were discussing this I was quite surprised that a memory came up from two years ago as it didn’t seem to have anything to do with our conversation. But you know how those things go. It turns out it did. It was actually a facebook message I received from a woman who lived in our neighborhood in New Jersey over 30 years ago. She was a friend of our son. I didn’t remember her and still don’t! But I will always remember her message!

She had reached out to thank me for including her and all the neighborhood children in our Jewish holidays, for teaching them to be open to other religions. She went on to say I had a huge impact on her and she wants to do the same for her young children and expose them to many different religions and cultures.

I tried to think back. What did I really do? I remembered how I would have all the children help us decorate our sukkah each year, make latkes with us at Chanukah, have them taste matzah for Passover. Invite them to the celebrations. Is that all it took? It wasn’t anything really extraordinary in my mind. But yet, these small acts had a huge effect on a child’s life and it is being extended now to her own children.

So perhaps that is the message my Higher Self wanted me to understand when bringing this memory. It is the little things we do, that every act has the potential to affect others in ways we can’t even fathom!

From Rabbi David Our unexpected seemingly minute experiences can have a profound impression on us. Recently as I was visiting an assisted living facility here in Boca Raton I was struck by the sadness of many of the elderly.

With various levels of disability they sit in their wheelchairs in the hallway for endless hours with hardly any life in their eyes. With no one to talk to, many close their eyes and fall into intermittent dosing perhaps trying to escape their sad reality. Frail and helpless they yearn for a friendly look or just for a simple hello and a smile.

Most rarely receive any visitors maybe because their children live far away or are just busy. People who come through the door don׳t seem to pay much attention to any of it.

But another day I had the honor to witness the profound impact of a small act of kindness. A woman came in with some chocolate kisses and gave each resident one accompanied by a smile and a simple.“How are you?”

Seeing how the residents’ faces lit up when they saw her sent shivers down my back. I quickly realized that this was not a one time act but a daily “routine.”

I was also there during Chanukah and saw the woman giving out latkes. She offered me a latke too. I tried to refuse as they were meant for the residents but she insisted. The latke was still warm and tasty. Obviously she had just made them. As she was walking and talking to the residents, each came to life and smiled.

And I? I learned first hand what a small act of kindness really means.

The rabbis teach that the world rests upon three things, Torah, Avodah (worship,) and Gimilut Chasadim, acts of loving kindness. In this New Year of 2020 may we all bring more acts of loving kindness into our world.

Happy New Year!
Rabbi David and Cantor Lee

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The Twins' Lesson in Consciousness by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 10:22:39 GMT

As a long time teacher, I often feel that I learn more from my students than they do from me! This was certainly the case recently with a set of 12 year old twins. These two girls are absolutely adorable and so identical it is very difficult to tell them apart! One does have a face that is a tiny bit fuller but that doesn’t help me too much. I still get them mixed up! The only way to really tell them apart is that one twin has a small birthmark on her hand.

Rabbi David and I are preparing the girls for their B'not Mitzvah service and see them for weekly lessons. As any Bar or Bat Mitzvah student can attest to, learning to chant the Torah portion definitely requires diligence to master!

To make this process easier we incorporate meditative focusing exercises (1) into the lessons. The twins are always delighted that the weekly lesson becomes easier and that it has helped with schoolwork too!

So here is the “far out part.” The exercises also enable the twins to see and read blindfolded. I know, sounds crazy! But we only use a fraction of our brain power. As children, no one ever taught us that we have this ability to use our Inner Light Vision rather than our physical eyes to see and read.

As in regular reading children progress at different rates with blindfold reading. One twin has advanced to reading sentences blindfolded while the other is at the level of seeing colors and shapes and occasionally words.

During this one particular lesson Rabbi David believed he was working with the twin who could read sentences so he certainly wasn’t surprised that she was able to do so again. But halfway through the lesson he saw the birthmark and realized he had the other twin!

He immediately understood it was his consciousness that enabled this twin to read on the level of her sister! With his belief that he had the other twin, he had certain expectations of how she would perform!

Since these techniques require working with energy and different mind states, we are both certainly aware that our consciousness is a vital factor. In the past we have even seen that certain children are not able to continue reading blindfolded when a parent walks into the room The parent’s belief system is energetically affecting the child.

But Rabbi David's experience providing such a concrete example has had a profound impact on both of us! It has certainly brought us to an even deeper level of awareness as to how we as teachers and parents are affecting our children.

During the next lesson, Rabbi David told me to send him a twin but to not let him know which one I was sending!

And so it is….

(1) Meditative Focusing Exercises are from our program, the Infinite Child Institute

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A Yom Kippur Word Fast by Cantor Lee Degani & Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 13:23:39 GMT

From Cantor Lee: During a recent dinner with friends, a facebook post with Yiddish words was being passed around the table. Yiddish words do have that knack of making us laugh! And yes, there was definitely much laughter as the phone was being passed from one person to the next!

But when it came to my turn I said, “I won’t look at this post. Whether I am politically aligned with someone or not, I won’t have anything to do with putting down or degrading another person.”

You are probably getting the gist of the post. Yes, the Yiddish words were quite derogatory and were being used to describe some of our political leaders. I know there will be those reading this who will want to know where they can find the post! And others who will think this is a political statement of who I support.

But this has nothing to do with political support or taking sides of any kind. Well, except the side of G-d. One of the most basic teachings of Judaism is Lashon Hara - do not speak negatively about another person.

As I told my friends that night, what good does going to synagogue and praying if we don’t try to practice the core values of Judaism? Even just making fun of someone else with a negative intention is setting the stage for bringing more hatred and violence into our world. It opens the door.

As one friend said, what I am asking isn’t easy to do. No it isn't. But what we have been doing hasn’t been working. We need to begin making changes somewhere.

When we speak or even think negatively about another person that energy also affects us. So what we say to another we are actually saying to ourselves. If that isn’t a reason to change I don’t what is!

As we approach the High Holy Days what a perfect time to start! And when we get to Yom Kippur we can even add to our fast from food, no negative words at all. Not about others, not about ourselves.

Who will join me? I hope you will!

From Rabbi David: The Bible tells us that G-D created the world simply by talking. The sages explain to us that the creation story demonstrates the tremendous power of uttered words. They warn us to watch what we say since our words carry much power. Indeed, words can be very destructive or can be creative. They can build bridges between people and can easily demolish them, destroying people’s lives.

The Torah in the Book of Leviticus makes it a point to warn us against speaking ill against anyone. That includes the use of certain words even in an indirect way. Moreover, even a seemingly innocent remark which could be possibly construed as a hidden derogatory comment is forbidden. In fact, the Torah puts into action this all important Jewish edict. When prophetess Miriam, Moses' sister, speaks ill of her brother's wife she is severely punished with leprosy.

For us, in our modern world, it is just as important to follow that biblical command. All too casually we slip from expressing criticism of someone’s actions which is perfectly okay to using insults or derogatory words in order to describe or demean others. And in today’s climate this is especially the case with those who do not follow our political/social views.

Saying it is all in harmless fun is far from an excuse. There is no "harmless fun" in going after people's dignity. I pray that this New Year we all be a bit more careful when talking about those with whom we don't agree with or those who irritate us. Speaking no evil is good for the soul, it's a good way to cleanse ourselves for the coming year.

L'Shana Tova,

May we all have a sweet new year and may we work together with our words to make it happen!

Cantor Lee and Rabbi David

Compassion is an Answer? by Rabbi David Degani & Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 12:00:25 GMT

Rabbi David: The Jewish community is still reeling from the recent situation with former Spanish River High School principal, William Latson. As one mother put it,”If this happens in a Jewish community like ours, I shudder to think what it's like elsewhere where Jewish people are less populous.”

If you are not familiar with the case, (here is original article) in response to a mother's inquiry a year ago about the implementation of Holocaust Education at the high school, the principal responded through email “Not everyone believes the Holocaust happened. “And you have your thoughts, but we are a public school and not all of our parents have the same beliefs.” “Curriculum is to be introduced but not forced upon individuals as we all have the same rights but not all the same beliefs.”

When asked to clarify his statements he wrote, “I can’t say the Holocaust is a factual, historical event because I am not in a position to do so as a school district employee. I do allow information about the Holocaust to be presented and allow students and parents to make decisions about it accordingly."

To begins with, Holocaust Education in the state of Florida is mandatory and not an option. The idea that one has to consider the Holocaust deniers, who are essentially dangerous bigots, when making educational decisions for our children is scary. The principal was basically forgoing a legal decision of the Florida legislators.

But even scarier is the realization that this incident is a symptom of a much bigger problem. The mainstreaming of Anti-Semitism in our society as expressed in the form of Holocaust denying.

Holocaust deniers are a fact in our society. According to the principal’s actions, instead of discrediting them with obvious and abounded facts we have to consider their "Beliefs.” Consider what? Lies spread about the worst tragedy in human history?

The most dangerous part of this incident is when an evil idea or a lie or wicked agenda becomes "General Knowledge.” Accepting that Holocaust denying commands respect and consideration amounts to perpetuation of Anti-Semitism as an accepted part of our society.

Cantor Lee: So how do we deal with this? One positive outcome to this situation is the increased awareness of the need for Holocaust Education in schools for all students. Rabbi David and I were quite surprised recently when a non Jewish 60 year old woman who is quite educated was not aware of the experiences of survivors in the camps. In discussing this later we came to the conclusion that we live in a Jewish world where this is part of our culture and common knowledge. The woman was never exposed to this subject during her education.

As Rabbi David wrote previously, during a program with Survivors who were children during the Holocaust he was thunderstruck by their hope and commitment to their mission. I was too. When these amazing men and women speak to students in schools their main message is twofold, that kindness, compassion and tolerance must begin with each one of us, that we must stand up for others.

When this story first broke Rabbi David and I began doing what we always do. We worked in the spiritual realms to bring about outcomes that are in the highest good of all. People may understand this as prayer or sending light or spiritual healing.

Understandably this situation has brought to the surface much fear, anger and despair which has been part of our focus. But also included in our spiritual work is light and compassion for William Latson. I can’t even imagine the dark night of the soul he is experiencing right now. The Torah defines such a time as being in the desert which is actually meant to help us spiritually advance.

I don’t know what the soul journey is of William Latson. But I do have a dream that he comes forward and says, “I am speaking to you from my heart. I am truly sorry. Please forgive me.” And he then becomes a proponent for Holocaust education throughout the country. I know, you now think I am crazy!

But I know the power of compassion. So maybe if we all focus on compassion my dream or another positive outcome will come to be. If you are not comfortable having compassion for William Latson, send compassion to others affected by this or even yourself. G-d will know exactly what to do with it!

Rabbi David: May it be so...

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Dairy on Shavuot and Other Things....by Rabbi David Degani

(Past member) — Wed, 29 May 2019 16:00:00 GMT

Why do we eat dairy on Shavuot?

When G-D created the universe his first command was: "Let there be Light!"

This of course was not a physical light since the physical light was created on the fourth day in the form of the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. The first day's Light was the spiritual Light, the manifestation of G-D-liness on earth. This Divine Light was necessary in order to create a creature in G-D's image, a human being, in a mundane world. Just like a painter proudly puts his signature on a masterpiece, G-D has put his "signature" in our world, his proud creation, in the form of a Divine Light.

Our soul, G-D's "signature" inside of us, our Divine essence, always wants to ascend back to be with the Creator. In order to ease our soul's yearning to reunite with the Creator, G-D decided to send another Divine instrument into the earth so our soul would not be so lonely in our physical world.

This is where the Torah comes in. Since the Torah is the word of G-D as was taught to Moses on Mt. Sinai, it too is Divine and acts as a "Mate" to our own soul.

This is why the holiday of Shavuot, the time of "sending" the Torah to earth is so important. It is the time when G-D made sure that our spiritual essence will have a counterpart so it could be content here on Earth, thus allowing it to develop and flourish.

For the Jewish people, the nation which was assigned to be the keepers and guardians of the Torah, this merging with our souls was relatively fast. Yes, there were issues with our ancient forefathers who strayed away from the Torah but our biblical prophets always kept us in line - some through much effort. For some other nations however the merging process is still ongoing...

So what is this "Merging" all about? The words of the Torah resonate well with us. They awaken our Divine Essence and cause us to be more than physical beings walking on this earth. Cantor Lee and I experience this and observe it with others every time the Torah is read in public.

This is true of our Bar/Bat Mitzvah students who begin to mature after the experience of chanting from the Torah in front of their families. This is true of chanting during our Friday night services or during our spiritually charged Shabbat circle services, when a special "electricity" is created among us.

The holiday of Shavuot is therefore spiritually unique and dear to our heart. While the holiday of Passover denotes the time when we became a nation, the holiday of Shavuot honors the time when we became Jews and the time when mankind received its spiritual dimension to support and complete its physical existence.

And about that dairy question:

After receiving the Torah, including the dairy laws, our ancestors realized that they could not eat the already prepared meat dishes since it was not done in accordance with the newly given dietary laws. Until they could prepare new meat dishes they probably ate blintzes, cheesecake from the Cheesecake factory, lox and bagels, white fish on a bagel with cream cheese. (The cardiologists among the Israelites needed to make a living too didn't they?)

B'Shalom

Rabbi David

(Here is Cantor Lee's post about Shavuot from a few years ago: Healing Light of the Torah )

May we all experience the Light of the Torah!

The Last Generation by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 15:09:28 GMT

As we approach the yearly Holocaust Memorial Day, this year on May 2^nd, we remind ourselves of the importance of designating this special Memorial Day not only for the sake of future generations but to also listen to the stories of as many survivors as possible. They are the ones who witnessed the horrors first hand and somehow survived to remind a forgetful world what they saw and experienced. Their message is invaluable to us especially with the rise of Antisemitism in Europe and on campuses all over the US.

Seventy-five years after the horror it is frightening to realize that except for very few basic facts, most Americans know very little about the Holocaust and especially its lesson to mankind. Indeed, it seems that the world did not learn from the horror of Nazi Germany. There are still horrible mass killings as well as gross human rights violations all over the world.

In the near future the severity of the Holocaust will be diminished even further. The generation of survivors who were adults in the 40's has for the most part died off.

As a child growing up in Israel in the 60's, I remember that the Memorial Day for the Holocaust was a day of listening to many survivors who witnessed the Holocaust as adults. It was the realization of what people are capable of doing to other human beings that horrified us even as children. My generation and my parents' generation in Israel know the lessons of the Holocaust very well. We get its horror and the modern time danger of ignoring it. We never forget because we were educated to never forget.

However, this generation of witnesses have died. Their stories, their constant pain, their stories passed away along with them. What remains from their precious stories are videos pictures, books, some poems. But will that be enough to educate future generations about the Holocaust?

And yet we now have other kinds of survivors. The ones who witnessed the horror as children. We are introduced to a slightly different perspective. The perspective of the children of the Holocaust bearing the same never ending pain. Now we hear the children's stories of the horror. While they are older adults now, the memories of their childhood which was snatched away from them in the most brutal, unimaginable ways is very much alive.

In February Cantor Lee was asked to sing during an annual program for the organization, Children Survivors/Hidden Children of the Holocaust of Palm Beach County. I joined her as a guest. Attending the ceremony was a real privilege for me. The never ending pain of these survivors from 75 years ago along with their powerful desire to celebrate and appreciate life stuck me like thunder. They were singing about hope, about living for the sake of all who perished, about their love for Israel, Jerusalem and about their pride in being Jewish.

It was the hope and the strong positive energy that startled me so profoundly. It brought to mind the famous poem by a young man named Pavel Friedmann found in the Theresienstadt concentration camp, "I never saw another Butterfly." A poem longing for hope and for better days against the darkness of the time.

What was taken away from the children of the Holocaust has been brought back so powerfully by these amazing people. I guess they are the butterflies who came back to the world in the name of all the victims.

But as it is said in Pavel's poem, these survivors are the last, the very last ones. When these men and women now in their 80's and 90's leave our world, the Butterflies of the Holocaust, the symbol of hope will be gone with them.

Who will tell the story? Who will stand as witness?

Whenever our Hebrew School children have the privilege of listening to a Survivor speak to them not only about their experiences but also about the lessons which must be learned, I always pray that the children will listen and remember these conversations. Each time I tell the children that their responsibility for generations to come is enormous. I tell them that they are the absolute last generation to have the privilege to see and talk to a Holocaust Survivor.

And even when truth prevails over Holocaust deniers spewing their lies, it will be up to our children to tell their grandchildren and great grandchildren that they were the last generation who saw, listened to and talked with actual Holocaust survivors. They will be the ones to tell the stories in the name of the survivors, in the name of all of us. They must now be the butterflies.

May we all have the fortitude to remember and never to forget.

Rabbi David

The Last Butterfly by Pavel Friedmann

The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing
against a white stone...

Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly ‘way up high.
It went away I'm sure because it wished
to kiss the world goodbye

For seven weeks I've lived in here,
Penned up inside this ghetto
But I have found my people here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut candles in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.

That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don't live in here,
In the ghetto.

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Leaving Egypt by Cantor Lee Degani and Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 19:05:49 GMT

Leaving Egypt

Cantor Lee: I had a interesting experience with a child recently. The girl, a sixth grader, was practicing the initial focusing techniques from our program, the Infinite Child Institute. As part of that process, any worries and feelings of stress are released. It has been quite an eye opener for me over the past few years of the amount of anxiety and fears children carry these days. This child told me that she worries quite a bit and gets herself all worked up.

The child was amazed with how she felt and kept repeating, “I feel so calm! I feel so peaceful!” Being sensitive to energy as many kids are, she felt the actual moment the worries released. We all know that feeling when a weight is taken off our shoulders! She described it as a force taking something from her.

But after a few moments I could see that she was uncomfortable. She said she had never felt that way before and it scared her! Her mother tried to convince her that this was a wonderful thing. G-d was taking her worries from her! But the child blurted out, “I want them back!”

This theme of returning to those places of worry and anxiety that confine us is one of the deeper teachings of the Passover story. The word Egypt, or "Mitzrayim" in Hebrew, means narrow or constricted places and refers to our states of mind.

Rabbi David continues: The story of Pesach has fascinated generations of Jews throughout our history. It is probably the first ever mass psychological experiment in leaving one's comfort zone.

We have always been taught to look at the exodus narrative as an amazing event in human history in which a defenseless nation breaks the slavery yoke imposed on it by a powerful empire. No doubt, the first night of leaving slavery behind, the night of freedom was an exhilarating time for all. But from the stories that follow we learn amazing things about the human mind, including that even the best of changes in our states of mind may not be that easy to maintain.

While the Israelites embraced their freedom after experiencing slavery, there was a low threshold in tolerating changes. They continually returned to the idea that the horrors of slavery did not seem so bad after all. Indeed, walking in the heat of the desert, relying on a trustworthy invisible G-D to provide water, food, and shelter was a new experience which called for courage and tolerance for change. As sweet as freedom was for the Israelites, fear got the best of them. Poor Moses had to listen to their complaints and mistrust every time a challenge presented itself such as a shortage of water and food. Facing any difficult situation they suddenly remembered how good they had it as slaves in Egypt. At one point they were even ready to march back to Egypt.

We are not so different than our ancestors walking in the desert towards the Promised Land. The most positive changes in our life often come with great hesitation and fear of the unknown. It does take courage to stay on course with the change and not to lapse back into an old not-so-good situation or an unhealthy state of mind.

As we sit around the Seder table this year and remember how precious freedom is, let us also remind ourselves that the road to freedom requires changes that we need to guard at all times with courage and commitment.

Happy Passover!

Cantor Lee and Rabbi David

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Purim According to the Gospel of Rabbi David by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 16:55:37 GMT

In the traditional custom of writing parodies on the *Purim story, here is Rabbi David’s take on the whole thing…

(By the way, if you think there are some partisan opinions here - Nope!)

Purim According to the Gospel of Rabbi David

As the holiday of Purim approaches here is the real story of our good friend Miss Esther Queen better known as Esther D Queen - don't ask me why.

So this whole thing happened in Persia. Them Persians had a king. His name was Achashverosh. He was a nice fellow really. A little drunk and a party animal but nice.

This King had a sheriff named Haman the Evil, a well known terrorist and a white Supremacist who also acted as an informant for the Mafia. Then there was this dude Mordi the18th, aka Mordi-*chai, who was a high ranking cabinet member in Achashverosh's cabinet in charge of state church relations (I think) and who also happened to be a Reform Jew. Nevertheless, Mordi-chai wore a *kippah and used to *daven every morning in front of Capitol Hill. (Oh yes, I forgot to mention, the capitol’s name was Shoe Shine, or Shushu or Shushan or something like that)

One day Achashverosh was conducting his white palace briefing in front of a live audience. He decided that they all needed some entertainment so he said in front of national TV: "Ya'll need some entertainment." He then asked his wife, a well known pro life/pro-choice (take your pick) women's rights/energy conservation activist, and also a go-go dancer, named Vashti, to come in front of the cameras and perform her now famous ballet moves while singing "I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys-R-Us kid." She did not wanna do it, so she didn't.

Well, let me tell you, the king was so furious that he immediately revoked her application for asylum and sent her to Mexico. Apparently "Vashti" is a Spanish word meaning, "Don't ask me to dance or I will file an injunction against you in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Anyway, the king suddenly remembered that he forgot to replace his queen with a newer model so he announced a Grammy Awards ceremony and whoever would come with the sexiest, most revealing dress would be the next queen. The king, a freethinker did not care if it would be a woman, a cross dresser, a crossed eyed or a crosswalk.

Now Esther, a student at Shushan U. West campus was working on her masters in Climate Change Studies. She wanted to change the earth by running as a state representative so she could talk and everyone will eagerly listen! And she will be in all the papers and talk show hosts will hate her! How wonderful is that!

It was all because her uncle, the famous Jew, Mordi-chai, forced her to compete in this ridiculous competition (she thought so) that much to her chagrin she won. She immediately assumed the royal title, "Her Majesty Duchess of York, (the peppermint kind), Cambridge and Shushan" (or Shoe Shine, or whatever)

Now remember that she was also a Jewish princess. How lucky can she get!

One beautiful morning Sheriff Haman the Evil was taking a stroll around the white palace and noticed to his dismay that Mordi refused to gnash his teeth, make faces, fall into the ground and dance the Hora in front of him. This was way too much for him to tolerate and he decided to get rid of him and all them Jews. He went to the king and explained the problem he had of Jewish people being alive.

Achashverosh being human could not understand the imminent danger of the Jewish people who are making the world a better place and inventing all these medicines. He suggested instead of killing them, building a nice tall wall around Shushan (or Shoe Shine or whatever) so Mordi-Chai and all them Jews would not be able to come in.

But Haman rejected that idea. So Achashverosh suggested an electronic monitoring of all the Jews including the use of drones and sophisticated cameras but then he remembered that electronics had not been invented yet, so sadly he gave up on this idea. However, Haman was such a *nudge (the Hebrew word "Nudnick" is a better term) that the king just wanted him off his back so he agreed to Haman's plan to get rid of all the Jews.

That did not sit well with Mordi. Not at all. In a secret meeting with Esther D Queen that took place on the Tarmac of Shushan International Airport (SIA) he urged her to leak this information to the press. (He actually suggested Wiki-Leaks but Esther did not want to get involved with such hot potatoes.) Esther rejected this idea so Mordi told her in no uncertain terms that she must confront the king about this issue. "After all," he said, "this king's decision is a clear violation of the constitution, an abuse of power, an insult to all women as well as African Persians. This is also a terrible decision which will affect our climate.

What choice did Esther have? She was trying to get out of it by telling her uncle that one cannot just go to the king without an invite. This is punishable by death. “So send him a tweet first,” Mordi said. “He loves to tweet.”

I guess you know the rest of the story but I will tell it to you anyway.

So Esther took her chance and under great risk to herself she came in front of the king uninvited so she could invite him and Haman the Evil to an important meeting in Vietnam where they would discuss some worldly issues, drink a lot and eat gefilte fish with *kasha varnishkes. Since the king loved kasha varnishkes the way his grandmother used to make them, he agreed in principle to the plan. The king was happy. Haman the Evil was happy and Esther was so tense that she was on *shpilkes.

The big day came. The room was full of reporters. This event was of course televised on channel 18 for all to see. Some sharp reporters were quick to point out that this was all a stunt to divert attention from the real problems of inequality and low minimum wage in the Mac-Haman fast food chain owned by Haman himself.

In the meeting the king, after drinking much of the local Saki, finally heard that his beloved wife is actually a college graduate social activist and a nice kosher Jewish girl and that Haman is a racist, discriminates against the Jews and Hebrew school graduates and in fact, he wants to kill them all including Esther D Queen.

Well, let me tell you. If you did not see Achashverosh that moment on TV's "Face the Nation" you have never seen such an angry man in your life. As you know, the end was not too good for Sheriff Haman the Evil. He and his 10 boys were hanged. After that they died.

Esther continued being cute. She became state advocate for Energy and Fresh Air Conservation as well as an activist in the “Save the Cows” movements.

So he wouldn’t be bored, Mordi the 18th became state representative to the UN where he found plenty of other Hamans to deal with. I wouldn't want to be in his *tallis.

King Achashverosh became a gun control advocate and started practicing Zen Yoga and King-fu, which was good for him because he was very overweight.

And I? I am outa here...

Rabbi David

*Purim Story – in a nutshell:

Characters: Achaverosh – King, Vashti - first queen, Esther – new Jewish queen, Mordecai – Esther’s uncle and community leader of Jews, Haman – prime minister.

In the 4th century BCE the Jewish population of Persia was under a great threat of elimination by an anti-Semitic prime minister, Haman, in the court of the King Achashverosh. The king who was not overly concerned about the welfare of his countrymen gave Haman permission to execute a mass murder of the Jews on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Adar. The date was chosen through lots or Purim.

Unbeknownst to Haman, Queen Esther was Jewish. She was selected during a beauty contest after the former queen, Vashti was banished from the kingdom for refusing the king's order to dance at his banquet.

Esther invited both the King and Haman to a banquet where she revealed to the king who she was and that murdering all the Jewish people would include her.

The king who adored Esther became outraged over this revelation and ordered the hanging of Haman and his 10 sons. Mordecai became the new prime minister.

*chai – Hebrew word meaning life with numerical value of 18

*kippah – skull cap Jewish men wear, also know as yarmulke

*daven – Yiddish word for pray

*nudge – Yiddish word for pest, a bother

*Kasha varnishkes – traditional Jewish dish combining kasha with noodles

*shpilkes- Yiddish word for state of agitation, impatience, can’t sit still

*tallis – Jewish prayer shawl

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Drowning in Politics by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 00:33:35 GMT

Drowning in Politics

In so many places that I go and people I meet, the conversation inevitably turns into politics. It is always highly emotional, with much discontent and even down right hatred. No matter which side one speaks for, it always sounds like righteous indignation and a barrage of accusations. We are absolutely right and the hated other side is made of mostly criminals in leading positions. Can we not see beyond our highly charged emotions? We are so occupied with trying to discredit our adversaries (in the name of what's best for our country, of course) that we can't see beyond our emotions.

But wait, it's even worse than that. Our sharp political differences are much more than a philosophical outlook on what is good for our country. The "other side" is now our true enemy to be despised, humiliated in every possible opportunity and, if only it was legal, to be "eliminated"

Does this sound too harsh? It is not! In many families around the country (as well as in our congregation!) brothers, cousins, sons and daughters with different political outlooks either don't talk to each other at all or keep their relationships to family obligations only.

Is this what we want?

The only time this country went through such explosive divisive politics was right before the civil war and that did not end up too well. While of course we are not facing another civil war, we are nevertheless just as divided today as then. There is a different kind of war going on. A war of words where everything goes. A war where our unity, which is so important for the country (and its safety!) is set aside for the sake of satisfying our ill emotions.

How sad is that. Our good friends, the Russians, the Chinese, some of the Middle East fanatical nations are laughing at us, trying to take advantage of this situation any way they can.

We can fix this. We do not need to act like this. This bickering is an insult to our country, to our veterans, to all of us who care deeply for our country's welfare.

Let me tell you what makes me optimistic that things will get better. I know of at least two members in our congregation who are on complete opposite sides in the political spectrum. There are always heated political debates between them, as you can imagine. Yet they are very close friends and care deeply for each other.

Politics should never be a vehicle for ridicule and hate. Differences, even sharp differences, are healthy. In fact, it is part of our strength as Americans. Our differences come with a strong sense of unity, respect and tolerance. We seem to have lost that.

Let’s come back to it for the sake of generations to come. It might very well be a question of survival.

Rabbi David

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Happy Tu B'Shvat by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 12:42:34 GMT

The holiday of Tu B'Shvat, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat, (Jan. 21st this year) was designated as a special recognition of the importance of nature for the survival of all creatures.

In its origin it was designated as the new year mark for the trees' growing cycle. This was used in order to calculate the age of the trees for the purpose of fruit tithing for the poor as well as calculating the first three years of a tree's life when its fruit was not allowed to be eaten. Over the centuries as our sages began to further appreciate the enormous role trees and nature play in survival of Earth and its creatures, a celebration of nature was born. Originally the Tu B'Shvat commandment was simple and straight forward: "Every year, you shall set aside a tenth part of the yield, so that you may learn to revere your G-d forever." Sharing the blessings of nature with the needy was a way to develop a deeper sense of reverence for our environment.

However, beyond the appreciation of the farmer's harvest and, the celebration of our nurturing environment, the holiday has a much deeper meaning.

The Jewish tradition recognizes Earth, Gaia, as a living entity which cradles, protects and feeds all life. But, as our sages noticed, nature is very delicate and vulnerable to Human upheaval both physically and spiritually. Therefore, when G-D created humans he designated them as custodians of earth in charge of the welfare of the earth and its inhabitants. We were to correct and repair all that becomes poison to earth.

When entering the promised land Moses warned the Israelites that not only physical impediments but also spiritual decay will make the land sick. It will literally "regurgitate" its inhabitants. (Leviticus 18:28) While Moses was talking specifically about the holy land of Israel the same is true of earth in general.

The Kabbalists, the Jewish mystics, understood that we humans need to cleanse ourselves spiritually first, so we can better take care of our environment. They devised a self cleansing ceremony, commonly known as Tu B'Shvat Seder, modeled after the Passover seder. The ceremony involves a serious of blessings which express deep appreciation for Earth and nature. By eating fruits of different characters such as the fruit's hard parts which represent challenges as physical beings, we acknowledge that humans too are not perfect and may not do their best as custodians of mother earth. The act of eating a variety of fruits, which also symbolizes the goodness of Earth, reaffirms that we are not forgetting our role as preservers of earth and all its inhabitants.

This Tu B'Shvat seder, this self cleansing ceremony allows for a better sensitivity for Mother Earth. Today, it especially has enormous significance to our modern life, as we are putting our Earth, the only known home for all living things, in serious jeopardy. From deforestation to severe pollution, chemicals that cannot be broken down to depleted oxygen and diminished ozone protection from the sun, we must repair the damage we are inflicting on our beloved Earth.

G-d designated the Jewish people as carriers of his special Light of Peace and Justice in the world which includes being a voice for Mother Earth. The modern holiday of Tu B'Shvat not only elevates us spiritually but reminds us of our responsibility.

Happy Tu B'Shvat!

Rabbi David

Plant a Tree in Israel for Tu B'Shvat!

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Chanukah Like You Never Heard it Before by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 02 Dec 2018 01:14:44 GMT

The historical events surrounding the story of Chanukah are a little different than what we are told as children. The real story of Chanukah involved complicated upheavals both internally within the Jewish population of Judea and externally as part of the ever changing relations with the Syrian Greeks.

The influence of the Hellenists, the Jews who adopted the Greek culture and religion which included some of the Temple priests, was serious enough to severely threaten the continuation of the Jewish monotheistic and moral based religion. This existential threat was so severe that many saw the end of Judaism as imminent.

The Greek ruler Antiochus the Fourth who was entangled in wars in Egypt saw in the Jews a source of constant rebellion and was determined to eliminate Judaism once and for all. He turned Jerusalem into a complete Greek city, turned the Temple into a shrine for Zeus and forbade the Jews from practicing any Jewish laws. The Hellenists, were now in complete control of the entire country. The Jews who remained loyal to their heritage lost all hope for redemption. When Judah Maccabee gathered there with a very limited number of loyal followers, his rebellion against the Geeks seemed impossible to win.

Due to his guerrilla warfare genius, Judah managed to chase the Greeks out of a limited area surrounding the Temple. This took three months to accomplish. As we all know, he cleansed the Temple and rededicated it to G-D. However, by no means was this a complete victory against the Greeks and their vast Jewish Hellenists allies. Therefore the celebration of Chanukah is a remembrance of the re-dedication of the Temple and not of a decisive victory over the mighty Greek army.

Following the capture of the Temple by Judah many more Jews who began to believe that complete victory was possible with the help of G-D, joined the rebels. Judah gained a substantial number of loyal soldiers and a three year war against the Greek Invaders began.

First order of things was to send soldiers to protect Jews in the east side of the Jordan river as well as the Jews in the Galilee and the Mediterranean shores from local non Jews who with the help of the Hellenists wanted to eliminate Judaism.

In order to put a stop to Judah’s successes, the Greeks sent their best general, Lisias, along with a huge army to face Judah’s rebels. The major battle that ensued was a decisive win for the enormous Greek army. The Jewish rebels dispersed everywhere and the rebellion was just about over at that point.

A blockade was put on Judah and a few of his loyalists who retreated to the Temple area. Everything seemed to be lost. With the expected death of Judah and the rest of the Maccabees the end of Judaism in Judea seemed to be a sure thing.

This is when the Chanukah miracle really happened. Lisias suddenly faced a bitter political rival Philipus who was advancing toward the Greeks with a huge army in order to declare himself the Greek emperor. Lisias then retreated immediately from Jerusalem, left most of Judea and signed a peace agreement with Judah.

This peace agreement did not last too long. Another Greek general, Bacchides attacked Judah and his army and in a decisive victory he eliminated most of the rebels and killed Judah himself. This was the end of Judah Maccabee’s revolt against the Syrian Geeks. Therefore unlike common belief, Judah Maccabee was unable to successfully rebel against the Greeks.

Jonathan, Judah’s younger brother waited two years for the right opportunity to try and rebel again. Jonathan was a brilliant statesman and a great general. He knew how to take advantage of the political bickering among the Syrian Greek generals who all wanted to become emperors. With winsome and brilliant political maneuvers, offering loyalty to specific influential Greek generals, he managed to re-assemble his own Jewish army and to liberate, piece by piece, areas of Judea which were under Hellenist, Greek and other idol worshippers' influence. Jonathan was eventually murdered at the hands of Hellenists in Jaffa.

Simon, the last of the Maccabee brothers continued the task started by his brother Jonathan of the retaking of Judea from the local Greek and Hellenistic population. His successes aggravated the new Greek emperor, Antiochus the 7th who sent yet again army to help the Hellenists and to stop Simon from expanding their control over Judea. Yet again a battle took place between Antiochus’ army and Simon. This time the Maccabees won and the Greek army retreated out of Judea.

At this point the Greek Emperor Antiochus the 7th realized that losing so many soldiers for control over a small piece of land called Judea was not worth the effort. In addition the international power of Greece was diminishing against the rising power of Rome.

Therefore the Maccabees’ eventual victory was the result of the Maccabees stand fast effort to free Judea. With a little luck or perhaps a miracle and with hard fought battles along with brilliant political maneuvers they managed to gain an independence for Judea for the next 80 years, only to end at hands of their deceiving old ally, Rome.

Happy Chanukah,

Rabbi David

A Thanksgiving Story by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 23:21:10 GMT

A Thanksgiving Story

A story I once heard from a friend and a colleague. When he was a child during one Thanksgiving holiday meal his father challenged him along with his siblings to think of five things which annoyed them the most. That of course was not hard for the children. Within a few minutes they all had a generous list of aggravating things which they eagerly recited to their dad. "Now" said the father. "I want you to put in front of every aggravating item the phrase "I appreciate" and find a reason why you appreciate each and every item. As children, my colleague said, they could not complete the challenge. "We resisted such a seemingly impossible task."

"Now", his father said, "Think of five small things that you like and enjoy. Again, write the phrase "I appreciate" before each item and give a reason why.” “That of course was a much easier task,” my friend told me. "You see" continued the father, "When you learn to appreciate the little things in life you like, you will be able to better deal with challenges and maybe find a way to appreciate them as well.” As a child, my friend said, he did not quite understand what his dad was trying to teach him. Later on in years to finally understood his father’s lesson.

Appreciation of all aspects in our life, big and small, is paramount in Judaism. It is a corner stone of our belief system . In fact the many blessing we are encouraged to say every day are a perpetual expression of our appreciation of our life.

Think of the basic formula of appreciation, "Baruch Ata Adonai" - Blessed are You G-D. We bless G-D because we acknowledge what G-D does for us and for all mankind everyday, every moment. This of course is the opening statement to all our blessings. It is our expression of appreciation of everything around us, from blessing the variety of foods to anything new in our life, to experiencing a natural phenomenon, to life cycle events and of course many others.

In fact, this ongoing state of thankfulness for all things in our life has a deep spiritual purpose. Having a perpetual mindset of appreciation, by reciting a variety of blessings throughout the day is a powerful spiritual tool. It affords us the inner strength to face life's challenges. When we see our daily events as blessings which warrant expressions of appreciation, this ongoing gratitude gives our life a dimension of sacredness, it brings us closer to G-D and keeps us on a higher spiritual level. Jewish tradition puts all this in place to make sure that we are better equipped to appreciate all which is good in our life and to better face the not-so-good and even find the blessings during the difficult times.

The above was written before the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. So how in the world can appreciation possibly apply in this situation? We certainly aren't grateful this happened! Not only are we dealing with a horrific act of hatred but it is one of pure Anti-Semitism that has touched our very core as Jews! Collectively we are experiencing a wide variety of reactions including horror, grief, despair fear, anger and the need to find blame.

Judaism offers the spiritual tool of appreciation to assist us in the processing of these emotions so we do not sink into them, such as sinking into despair. When we draw our attention to that which we appreciate in our general lives, thus raising our consciousness, we can more easily lessen the severity of our emotions, process them more quickly and return to a sense of inner peace and well being. From this higher state we can then take the steps and actions needed to bring forth change.

Can we possibly also find the blessings? One I am personally seeing is that people of all faiths are coming together in solidarity. May this coming together be the first step in transmuting all forms of hatred and bigotry in our world! For this I can be truly grateful!

Rabbi David

Thunder's Mom by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 11:58:20 GMT

Thunder’s Mom by Cantor Lee

It was one of those beautiful days when everything just seems to flow perfectly! Rabbi David and I had just officiated a renewal of vows ceremony at Disney and were still flying high from the energy! Now we were looking forward to the drive home as we always love the peace of a long car ride. We were even going to be home in time for our homeowners meeting! Rabbi David sits on the board and there was an important issue to be discussed that evening.

But it seems the universe had other ideas. An hour into the drive on the turnpike the tire blew. That didn’t phase us, we would just change the tire. But lo and behold, the rental car didn’t have a spare tire! I began calling the rental car agency while Rabbi David walked to the nearest mile marker to see where we were. Things however became quite chaotic. I couldn’t get through to the car agency and kept getting disconnected from turnpike assistance. When we finally got through, the car rental agency wanted to tow us an hour out of our way to get another car. We decided to call AAA instead but kept getting disconnected.

I just paused in the midst of all this somewhat confused. Did I not call on the angels when we first began driving? It is just automatic for me to pray for protection anytime I get in a car. So I stopped and prayed now, calling on the archangels, the driving angels and the turnpike angels, asking that the energy would change.

Like magic everything began to go smoothly. AAA would be there within an hour and the tow home would be covered by our policy. They were also sending the turnpike police to check on us. While we waited we came up with all sorts of ideas as to why this was happening. “Maybe we are being protected from an accident!” I told Rabbi David! Whatever the reason we now saw it all as an adventure and it certainly continued to be one!

The tow truck driver had a deep voice on the phone so I was surprised when “he” turned out to be a “she!” Her name was Rebecca and she was just so lovely! When we got into the tow truck she had classical music playing with my favorite composer, Bach! She learned that I play classical piano and I learned that classical music calms down her 18 year old Autistic son, Thunder, the youngest of her four children.

She told us about her life with Thunder, of how she learned at 2 years old that he was diagnosed with Autism. “I went to jail for him!” she told us. She wasn’t about to put him in an institution as advised and got quite angry when told all that he would never be able to do. “Not my son!” she yelled and grabbed the woman by the neck. “It was the grabbing by the neck that got me forty-eight hours.”

She began educating herself about Autism and got support through internet groups. When Thunder was six he spoke for the first time but it wasn’t English. It was Japanese as he wanted to see his brother’s Japanese anime book. He now speaks nine languages and learned it all though google. “He can’t do anything with Math, though” she told us.

Rebecca wasn’t about to put Thunder in the school system. She wasn’t going to have anyone call her son stupid or bully him. She homeschooled him and learned over the years what would work for him including strict schedules, never touching him, turning his closet into a safe space and which foods would trigger the “moments.”

The “episodes” were the worst when Thunder was eight and nine years old. Her husband couldn’t handle it anymore so they got divorced. Rebecca wasn’t about to give up though. Not even as he grew older and stronger. He can’t feel any pain himself so he isn’t aware when he causes others pain. Thunder has broken both Rebecca’s arms and her collar bone. She works out to stay stronger and tougher than he is. She told us the trick is knowing how to talk to him sternly without raising her voice and getting him into the closet safe space when needed.

She wouldn’t date or have people come to the house. “They just wouldn’t understand about Thunder” she told me. But the father of her daughter’s boyfriend had other ideas. He went to Thunder first and told him he wanted to take him and his mother on a date to get pizza. Thunder was quite thrilled with the idea as pizza happens to be his favorite food!

Rebecca told us other stories as well, of all the animals she has rescued while on the road. She presently has thirteen dogs and two potbellied pigs. One time she rescued a puppy being severely abused. She beat up the man putting him in the hospital. The puppy went into surgery and the man got 90 days in jail for animal abuse. Rebecca’s time was eating pizza with the sheriff for seven hours. Everyone including the sheriff respects her in her small community. She is known as Thunder’s mom.

Another time she rescued a Chihuahua from a garbage dump. Ferocious wouldn’t have anything to do with Rebecca but took to Thunder after he bathed her and dressed her wounds. Ferocious doesn’t let anyone near Thunder except for BB, Thunder’s other dog, a pit bull rescue. BB has been trained to call Rebecca and 911 on a special phone if Thunder is hurting himself or others.

Rebecca also shared stories about her tow truck. Thunder named her Abby calling her Rebecca’s adopted baby. And Rebecca definitely takes care of Abby just like a baby! She told me she isn’t an outgoing person but when in the truck she is quite friendly. Abby is the one who helps her to be so. I told Rebecca I understand completely, that yes, vehicles have their own consciousness, that Abby is in partnership with her.

Hurricane Irma was quite tough as the house had much damage causing Thunder’s schedule to be disrupted. The well was also damaged so the family hasn’t had water since then. Rebecca goes every other day to get water for the household needs.

But she sees Irma as a blessing as it brought her boyfriend to her. After the pizza date he came to help with the hurricane damage and never left. “I saw how he accepted Thunder and could understand him” Rebecca told me. So they are planning to get married. “I always see the silver lining in everything” she said.

I told Rebecca I knew the flat tire was so I could hear her story. She confided that she had argued with her boss about taking the job. It was the end of a long day. But she knows she was also meant to meet me. She was so excited to learn about my third eye blindfold program and energetic work with children with ASD that she is going to participate in the next adult session! “I am always open to new ideas!” she told me.

After we hugged each other goodbye I pressed some money in her hand and said, “This isn’t a tip, but a gift for Thunder. Take him for some pizza!” She smiled and said, “He will love that and think it is so cool!”

We all have those experiences when we are touched so deeply. A mother recently told me that during her daughter’s Bat Mitzvah ceremony (Jewish rite of passage) something beautiful happened. “I feel different inside” she said.

Something beautiful happened during that ride with Rebecca. I too can say I feel different inside.

Love,

Cantor Lee

Please read and share our blog posts: Rabbi & Cantor's Messages

Excerpts from Rosh Hashanah Sermon by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 14:09:14 GMT

Excerpts from Rabbi David’s Rosh Hashanah Morning Sermon

(Rabbi David’s Disclaimer: This does not refer to any particular person, group or association. It is a general statement.)

According to the Bible there were close to a million soldiers that served in King David's army. By comparison 1,000 years later, the great Roman empire in its heyday had a similar amount of soldiers divided into 30 legions.

When the Jewish nation split into two kingdoms, Judea and Israel, the huge army split as well. It was then that the Israelites lost their unity. They lost their might. In the following centuries during endless wars with their neighbors, Judea and Israel each lost territory and population. This division, lack of unity and hostility between Judea and Israel continued until they were both eventually destroyed.

In the first century when Judea revolted again Rome, there were a bit less then 300,000 Jewish soldiers facing 350,000 Roman soldiers. If you play a pure numbers game the odds of winning was not necessarily with Rome. The Jewish revolt failed not because of an inferior number of Jewish warriors but again because of lack of unity. Due to the animosity between Jewish groups, they could not find a way to work together against a common enemy.

There is a famous Talmudic story about a wealthy man in Judea who had a party and wanted to invited his good friend Kamtzah. By mistake, the wealthy man's personal enemy named Bar Kamtzah was invited instead. When the wealthy man saw his enemy, he demanded that Bar Kamtzah leave his house immediately.

Bar Kamtzah asked the wealthy man not to embarrass him in front of the entire village and to invite him as well. The wealthy man refused. Bar Kamtzah then offered to pay for whatever he would be eating at the party if he would be allowed to stay. The wealthy man still refused. Bar Kamtzah then offered to pay for the food for everyone in the celebration which was the entire village, in order not be embarrassed. Still, the wealthy man refused and demanded that Bar Kamtzah leave the premises immediately.

The rabbis who were present at the party did not come to his defense and were silent throughout this whole episode. In his Anger, Bar Kamtzah went to the Roman emperor and told him that the Jews intended to rebel against him. The emperor in his anger attacked Judea and destroyed the temple.

According to our tradition, the Temple was destroyed and our ancestors were chased out of our land because of this incident. Because of senseless animosity between brothers…

I realize of course that hate is a very harsh word to use. It is one of the most destructive powers in society. It is what brings out the worst in us. It robs us of our clear thinking, our ability to reason. It takes away our humanity, our dignity. It has the power to literally change our personality, to bring people to violence.

There is a fine line between opinions which are kept as civil disagreements and those differences which breed hostility, that completely take over and create intolerance.

In the story of Bar Kamtzah and the wealthy man, what made G-D so upset was that this dispute was senseless. It caused humiliation and dishonor. It is known in Judaism as Sinaat Chinam, which translates as pointless hate.

We have all seen on TV and social media people saying malicious things about others. From the top echelon to the rest of us. Many seem to be consumed by this affliction of attacking others.

Have we lost our will to build a bridge between political opinions and ideologies? When principles and ideologies become very emotional we defend them to the end. We know we are right and anyone who does not share our opinion cannot be right.

As we go through our political unrest, people seem to dig their heels into their positions and like a snow ball, our differences lead to even stronger discontent and intolerance. Emotions take over and paralyze our ability to work together for solutions.

I have never seen any political or social debate where one side manages to convince the other side to change their position. The debates just go on and on... with bitterness and high emotions everywhere.

Political debates are healthy and good. It is a sign of diversity. It is sign of a free nation. But disagreements should not be allowed to escalate into rifts and chaos.

Building a bridge of understanding must start by all of us reexamining the idea that one's political views are completely correct and others’ opinions are completely wrong. We must try to find some common political ground.

We have always taken pride in our diversity. Different ideas and ideologies lead to healthy debates among us. Working together despite opposing opinions unite us. It makes us stronger.

We need this unity. In today’s world we simply cannot afford to appear as a divided nation. This weakens us in the eyes of those who are trying to hurt us. Divided we are in danger.

We have already seen how this intolerance has come into the fabric of our personal lives. It has torn apart families, hindered friendships, brought brother against brother. It is even hurting our freedom of speech. People are afraid to express themselves on social media or among family and close friends for the sake of not fighting.

We are all concerned with our national and personal safety, and prosperity for all. We all want to preserve our strength and respect among all nations. We don't have to agree with each other but we have to work together. Being united means a stronger America which means a safer world.

Senseless hate, whether politically or socially based or otherwise, is not an option for us anymore. There are no winners, we all lose.

We can do better.

Remember that whatever our children learn from us they may continue doing as adults and as future leaders of our nation.

From the top of the leadership echelon to every single one of us, let us change all this. Let us resolve that this coming year we will not be a part of all this negativity. This ray of hope and unity has to start somewhere. Let it start from us, today.

For this coming year I pray that we curtail all inappropriate verbal expressions due to political or ideological disagreements or for that matter, any disagreement.

In honor of the New Year.

For the sake of generations to come…

Shana Tova,

Rabbi David

Please read and share our blog posts: Rabbi & Cantor's Messages

The Book of LIfe by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 02 Sep 2018 12:24:23 GMT

From Rabbi David

For everything there is time. As the earth rotates around the sun it creates cycles in our lives. Jewish life, of course, is based on those cycles of time. Seasons change, they come and go and turn into years and decades. Some scientists will tell you that there are physiological and even psychological “rotations” in our bodies which reflect the seasonal changes in nature. While these changes seem to be more noticeable in animals we as Jews recognize that each season puts us in a certain frame of mind or “mood”. As Fall approaches, we become increasingly aware of the High Holy Days.

In the past, the mere approach of the season evoked fear and awe in the hearts of our forefathers. There was a literal change in their demeanor. People became truly weary of their fate which traditionally is decided, written and finally sealed during the course of the season. In order to tilt fate to their side, they intensified their yearly practice of the three “Ts”: Teshuva – repentance, Tefila – prayers and Tzedaka- acts of kindness and good deeds.

In Judaism, this is serious business. Our legends teach that the Book of Life is opened in the heavens as the Almighty begins the process of evaluating the lives of all creatures. The heavenly High Holy Days scene is similar to our modern courtroom. However, while the accuser angel is busy preparing his material against each of us, there are no attorneys to defend us. We are our own advocates. Not fair you say? Well, that is why we are given time to probe our behavior and deeds. We are given time between the first day of the last month of the Jewish year, the month of Elul to the holiday of Succot which comes four days after Yom Kippur. Traditionally, we first engage in “Cheshbon Nefesh” literally, soul searching, then we take steps to correct (or begin to correct) that which needs correction. Moving in the right direction will go a long way to sway the heavenly scales of judgment to our favor. That is why the three “T’s” are so important.

As adults in a modern Jewish world we all have some doubt about the concept that our deeds are being judged by a mighty entity which we call G-D. What could we have possibly done to face severe consequences such as, G-d forbid, disease, poverty, or other adversities? In fact, what does all this mean to us, living in a modern, more sophisticated world? At the first glance, the mysterious Book of Life along with the an old fashioned scales to weigh our personal Good vs. Bad deeds, is not an effective way to “sell” us on the important concept of a yearly personal audit of ourselves. Where is the Almighty, anyway? None of NASA’s deep space probes has ever encountered large heavenly books, scales or angels.

For many of us these questions create a modern day dilemma. Other then the importance of merely keeping the Jewish tradition as it has been celebrated for millennia, how can we make all this resonate within us? How can we understand the High Holy Days in a way that is meaningful to us?

To “buy into” the traditions of the High Holy Days, one has to accept its concept and symbolism. If we remove the physical dimension from the heavenly scale, the Book of Life and the accuser angel, their modern relevance becomes clear.

It is about us, you and I, here on Earth. It is about the way we live our lives and the principals that guide all of us, whether we are believers or not.

The scales are about having a very clear understanding of what is right and what is wrong in our life and having a commitment to base our life on this understanding.

Grab the scales from its heavenly hideout and place it upon your heart. Then use it to weigh your deeds regularly. Evaluating oneself and having the courage and determination to correct that which needs to be corrected is a wonderful way to deal with difficult and challenging issues and keep our life on track.

Pull the Book of Life from its heavenly hideout and place it inside of you. Since our life is guided by free will, it is you who writes your destiny in it. Jewish tradition subscribes to the idea that life without compassion and acts of kindness is like a book with empty pages. So in order to rejuvenate and energize our days, and make them meaningful, our deeds should benefit us by benefiting others. Be for you, Be for others.

And why our prescribed prayers in the prayer book that constantly petition for forgiveness? Why are we confessing so many “sins”? It is about exercising our inner strength to recognizing our own fallibility as humans. Judaism ask us to have the courage to pry into ourselves and dig out that which is wrong with us, set it free and start anew. Not an easy task - just ask any psychologist.

We recognize that we are not perfect. As we go through life we err by wrong thoughts and wrong deeds. As we all know, the first step to recover from a bad situation or a bad habit is identifying and recognizing the problem. The High Holy Days, therefore, are a celebration of the human spirit, a time when we honor our ability to probe deep into ourselves with courage and humility to expose and correct our wrongdoings.

May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year!

L'Shana Tova Tikatevu,

Rabbi David

Please read and share our blog posts: Rabbi & Cantor's Messages

The Name on the Chair by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 20:49:10 GMT

Throughout the years we have had various children do a particular project. It involves having the Bar or Bat Mitzvah teen remember a child who died in the Holocaust, one who didn’t have a chance to come of age. It is such a beautiful mitzvah project and one that has always touched my heart! But this past weekend something was different.

There are several organizations that arrange for Bar or Bat Mitzvah “twinning” with a Holocaust child. This family chose “Remember Us” I always love how they try to match the name of the child with the Bar/Bat Mitzvah child’s English or Hebrew name. In this case Abigail’s middle name is Eliza as is her Hebrew middle name. She received the name Liza Akerman to remember.

Abigail and her mother researched to find out as much as they could about Liza. They learned she was born in Kishinev in 1931 and died in Belgorod-Dnestrovky 12 years later. There isn’t any mention of her mother but Liza, her father Dudl, grandmother and two sisters were in concentration camps during the war. All perished.

I wondered after the service what it was that made Liza’s memory become so alive for all of us. Was it her name on the chair? Abigail insisted that there would be a chair of honor, that Liza would stay beside her during the service, that Liza was included in the pictures beforehand.

When Abigail spoke about Liza during the service there was such a Sacred Presence that came into the room! It was a Presence of such Love, of such adoration! It touched something so deeply within all of us! As I looked around I saw the tears streaming down faces. Was it the soul of Liza saying thank you?

There was just something so profound that happened during that service. Later I understood so deeply within that the Presence in the room had come to bring healing for the wounds, the scars, the memories that we carry of the Holocaust.

May this healing continue as we remember all children in our collective history who were prevented from coming of age, as we remember all children of today’s world who are being prevented from coming of age.

This Presence of Love brought such hope! I know that there will come a time when there will no longer be new names to put on future chairs.

May it be soon…

Cantor Lee

Origin of Spock's Vulcan Hand Symbol

Honoring a Warrior by Rabbi David Degani and Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 11:35:53 GMT

From Rabbi David: It is a well known fact that humans are social creatures. Unlike some animals he is not meant to live a solitary life. We have an emotional need to share life experiences with others. Maybe that is the reason we evolved into the sophisticated creatures that we are. It seems that sharing one’s experiences whether happy such as a wedding, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, graduation or sad ones of sickness or death lead to better human understanding of the world around us. We call it progress. Whatever the reason for our needs of human interaction, I learned its power recently when I lost my beloved father.

Dad was an amazing, high achieving and loving human being. He lived a long life but that did not make leaving us any easier. Mourning is a very painful process. In its wisdom the Jewish tradition dictates that in the first week of mourning, when the shock and the pain are most intense, we sit and deal with the pain without really doing much of anything else. It is called "Shiv-ah" literally, "seven" for the seven initial days of mourning. This is the time when human interaction with the mourners is so critical.

There is a Jewish saying that visiting the sick or the mourner is such an important mitzvah that it is as if the visitor physically revives the sick or the mourner back to life. When a visitor enters the house of a mourner it is as if angels accompany him or her.

This past month, I became so much more appreciative of the mitzvah of visiting the mourner. The encouragement and consolation I received from all of the wonderful people and children who visited me or expressed their condolences in other ways cannot be put into words. I am very grateful to all of you for the love and care you have shown me and Cantor Lee not only during Shiva in my most intense time of need but also throughout the years. We are family. We care deeply for each other. Knowing that helps me immensely as I go through the continued process of grieving for my Dad.

From Cantor Lee: I wondered how it would be for Rabbi David to officiate his own father’s funeral. He has had experiences officiating for other family members, including my brother-in-law eight years ago. I still remember that when it came to my turn to chant the prayers, of looking out at everyone and wondering if I could actually sing. But as I have learned over the years, there is just something so powerful about our prayers. I only need to surrender and the prayers will sing for me.

As I watched Rabbi David I could see how difficult it was for him to begin the service. But he too surrendered and let G-d speak through him. Yes, I know he is my husband, but each time during any funeral we do, I am always touched so deeply by the comfort and healing he brings. And so it was during my father in law’s funeral.

When I think of my father in law, Tzvi, I just automatically associate him with Israel. As Rabbi David said in his eulogy, “My dad was Israel. Israel was in his soul. He ate, drank and thought about his beloved country all the time from the minute he woke up to night time.” I am grateful that my children have heard first hand his stories over the years for Tzvi truly lived the history of Israel. He helped make Israel’s history!

Tzvi lived in the land of Israel from the time he was a very young child. Born in Poland, his mother died when he was four years old. His father, wanted by the government as a Bundist, fled to South America. Tzvi’s maternal grandparents smuggled him into what was then Palestine in 1928.

(I am continuing with excerpts from Rabbi David’s eulogy)

“He was forced to leave school at the age of 10 to help in his grandparents’ shop. At the age of 12 he went on his own and opened a kiosk in the Tel Aviv food market and ran it for 4 years. My dad was a life warrior. Whatever difficulties he faced from childhood, he learned quickly to face it head on.

At the age of not quite 17 he joined the struggle for Jewish Independence in the land of Israel. It meant fighting in four different wars and surviving all of them.

He first joined the British army in early WWII. A few years later he joined the Jewish underground, the Haganah, which actually fought the British. From there he joined an elite fighting group which after several bitter battles literally stopped the Egyptian army from advancing into Tel Aviv. This was during the heroic War of Independence. He then fought two more wars. The first was when Israel was attacked by Egypt and Syria in 1956. The other was the well known Six Day War in 1967.

For a while he even served in the Israeli Secret Service in Lebanon since he spoke several dialects of Arabic, Hebrew, English, Yiddish and a little of a few other languages. In his house he displayed proudly pictures from all the wars as well as an official State of Israel's recognition for his bravery in the battlefield.

My dad fought the war of life. He did well as a provider, as a meat distributor to factories and to the army. He worked physically hard. Very hard. From childhood until he retired the hours were always long. Leaving very early in the morning and always returning when it was already dark.

My dad had his share of issues and challenges which were thrust upon him many times during the course of his life. Some of the issues were painful and frustrating and very difficult to deal with. But he stood tall in all of them, facing his challenges head-on. Always.

Many years ago he had a complicated triple bypass operation which the doctors did not think he would survive. He used to joke that he probably buried all the doctors who treated him as he lived to almost 94.

Dad did things his way. Always. Known for his stubbornness, in Israel he was a very well known figure. He seemed to know everyone in the country. He was an arranger. If you needed something arranged, no matter how difficult, he would have a friend or know someone in the field to arrange it for you. We are talking all walks of life. He even knew the upper echelon of the Israeli military, the highest ranking officers of the IDF including the likes of Moshe Dayan and Itzchak Rabin.

He had his own ideas about everything and that was the way he lived his life. Even the last day of his life.......”

My father in law left us on July 4^th. Rabbi David had hoped that wouldn’t be the day he would choose as we would always associate the holiday with his death. But on each July 4^thas I celebrate America's Independence, I will remember that Tzvi was a part of making Israel once again Independent. What a perfect day to honor him each year!

May his memory be a blessing…. and may his deepest wish that Peace comes to the Middle East, that there is no longer such as a thing as war....come to be…

Love,

Rabbi David and Cantor Lee

Please read and share our blog posts: Rabbi & Cantor's Messages

A Message from Beyond by Cantor Lee Degani and Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 13:49:11 GMT

I know....I have written about it previously. But each time Rabbi David and I continue to be in awe that there is never a Torah portion by accident. Each B’nai Mitzvah child is meant to receive a specific one!

This time I initially didn’t know the child that well. The family lived out of town and had been referred to us. I didn’t think we could help as we weren’t available on the date that was already planned for the child’s Bar Mitzvah. I remember being surprised that the mother changed the date without even meeting us. It wasn’t until later that I understood why the new date was so important, of G-d's hand at work. It meant the child would receive the specific Torah portion of Naso containing the Priestly Blessings.

When I spoke to the mother I learned the family’s story, that her husband had died a little more than seven years ago. The first thing her husband said after learning he had cancer was that he just wanted to see his sons each become a Bar Mitzvah. “Of all the things he could have said!” the mother told me. After her husband died, the mother made sure her two boys received their Jewish education through a day school and that the family remained active in their local synagogue.

When it came time for the child to write his speech explaining the Torah portion I excitedly shared how Spock from Star Trek took his greeting from the hand position used during the Priestly Blessings. Leonard Nimoy had grown up in a traditional synagogue where the Kohanim, the descendants of the Priestly Tribe would bless the congregation using this specific hand position. The child told me he really didn’t watch Star Trek but he knew his dad loved it. He also told me his dad was a Priest, a Kohen. “Oh, that means you are too!” I told him. (see Rabbi David’s explanation below)

At that point I began to get goosebumps along with the message to pay attention, something is important here! I told the boy, “There is never a Torah portion by accident. G-d wanted you to have this one which is all about the Priests!”

As soon as the lesson was over the mother called. She had sat in on the lesson and was still flooded with chills. “I have to send you a picture.” she said. It was of her husband’s tombstone. The hand symbol of the Kohanim was engraved on it.

(Last name erased for privacy)

I always wonder how G-d manages to arrange these things. What are the chances that out of the whole year, this is the Torah portion the boy received, the only one with the Priestly Blessings! And quite honestly, even though it is a custom, with all the funerals we have officiated, I have never seen a tombstone engraved with the hand symbol of the Kohanim!

When it came time to give his speech during his service, the boy explained that he knew his father was sending him a message through his Torah portion, that he was always watching over him. I caught Rabbi David’s eye. He too felt the strong presence of the father in the room.

As with any life cycle event there is always “stuff” that comes up within families that needs to be processed. In this case it once again brought up the grief of the father’s death. But there was also healing and it came through the Torah portion’s message. It was such a beautiful message from beyond! A message from a father saying Love never dies...

Information about the Kohanim from Rabbi David When G-d instructed Moses to dedicate several families from the tribe of Levi as priests, ("Kohanim" in Hebrew) they were given the responsibilities of overseeing the carrying of the holy tent and the holy vessels such as the holy lamp, ark and other ritual objects during the forty years of wandering in the desert. They were also entrusted with conducting all the sacrificial rituals which were quite elaborate.

During the time of the First Temple built by King Solomon as well as during the Second Temple, many Kohanim actually lived in the Temple itself and conducted all the daily, Shabbat and holiday rituals. Many others lived among the tribes of Israel and became instructors of the Torah laws, making sure that the rituals were followed precisely. For example, Prophet Jeremiah came from a family of priests who lived in the Galilee city of Anatot.

It is quite amazing that for the past 2,000 years the Jewish priesthood has been passed from father to son for countless generations. In modern times, since we have no Temple, animal sacrifices are of course out of the question and ritual practices are officiated by rabbis who are not necessarily priests, the function of the modern day Kohanim is limited. In synagogues they are called to bless the Jewish people with the Priestly Benediction and also are part of a ceremony in the home called a pidyon haben, the redemption of a first born son so he is relieved from the requirement as serving as a priest.

Although there are Kabbalistic explanations of why the specific hand position is used for the Priestly Blessing most people only know the tradition goes back to Temple times. The special blessing they recite was actually commanded in the Torah. G-d dictated to Aaron, Moses's brother, the exact text of the blessing. When blessing the congregation at the end of the service the Kohanim cover their entire body with their Tallit first, then they spread their fingers and offer the blessing. It is important not to add or subtract from the text and to recite it exactly as written in the Torah.

The English translation of the blessing is:

May G-d bless you and guard you

May G-d cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you

May G-d lift His face upon you and bring you peace

May we all receive these blessings in our daily lives!

Love, Cantor Lee and Rabbi David

My Mother's Divine Plan by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 31 May 2018 13:03:10 GMT

My Mother’s Divine Plan

I call it the Driving Force and also the Divine Force. When it comes I have no choice but to follow it. It came the Friday morning before Mother’s Day. I was planning on spending the day with my mother in her rehab facility where she was recovering from a fall. But the Driving Force said, “Go Now! Do not go later as planned!!”

I was frantic as I was driving! When I arrived the ambulance was on its way. The paramedics asked “Which hospital?” I thought, “No wonder the Divine Force wanted me to get there! It was so I could pick the best hospital!”

In a short amount of time the two doctors came to me. My mother would die within a few hours without surgery! My brother was on speaker phone. “No,” we said! “Her heart doctor said no surgery! Find another way!” The two doctors were upset. “You want your mother to die? You want to put her in hospice?”

My brother and I wondered later why as two intelligent beings we didn’t stop and ask for more information, of what the consequences would be. We have made certain promises to our mother. But the emotions had taken over.

As they took her I knew I needed to stay centered, peaceful, pray. This is always my way. I was able to observe from within how my body was reacting, that I was shaking, freezing cold. I noticed how tears came when I finally reached my sister and husband.

As I sat in the waiting room, I wondered why I couldn’t connect to my spiritual healing gifts. They are second nature to me! All I could do was put on facebook and other groups to please pray for my mother! I asked G-d that all the prayers sent on her behalf would be used for her highest good. I spoke to my brother. We both were having doubts whether we made the right decision.

“The surgery went well,” the doctor told me. But late that evening we were losing my mother. The nurses said, “Tell your brother to come straight to the hospital from the airport. There isn’t much time.” At 12:00 p.m. we all gathered around and Rabbi David said the final prayers. The Divine Force was back. “Sing the Misheberach!” it said! Later my sister asked me why the healing prayer. “It was for the ultimate healing,” I told her.

Everyone was shocked when my mother opened her eyes in the morning. It wasn’t until the next day, Mother’s Day, that she could get some garbled words out. I wanted to follow her wishes. She managed to communicate that this is not what she wanted. But then clear as day, another voice came from her that said, “I knew I was dying. I had to come back.”

Later that afternoon she needed to have a nasal feeding tube to receive nutrients. “Absolutely not!” my siblings and I agreed! We decided to wait 24 hours for any decisions about hospice. Maybe there would be improvement tomorrow. The Driving Force came back late that evening. “Go back to the hospital immediately!!” I understood why when I saw my mother. She made her decision. No more treatment, no medications. I accepted this and was filled with gratitude to see the peace that came over her.

But with each day in my home, even off all her medications, my mother improved. She could now swallow, eat by herself and even move in the bed with help. Soon it became a party everyday with all the grandchildren traveling in to say goodbye!

After a week we moved my mother to her own apartment with an aide. She still has much ahead of her and is still off her medications. My brother and I have discussed that in honoring her wishes, if we had to do it over again we would make a different decision. But I keep on going back to that voice that came through, “I had to come back.” In the end the decision we made was in alignment with my mother's Divine Plan.

Rabbi David always says that when G-d told Abraham to go to a new land He used the famous words, “Trust Me.” That is all I can do right now. Trust in my mother’s Divine Plan, the one she has planned with G-d.

To all who offered your prayers, thank you! There have been so many miracles along the way. One thing I know without a doubt – your prayers have helped to bring them about!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for continuing them…May they all be used in alignment with my mother's Divine Plan!

Love,

Cantor Lee

Israel's Day of Regaining Independence by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 11 May 2018 19:48:06 GMT

May 15th will mark the 70th anniversary of the Israeli Declaration of Independence. In Israel the actual Independence Day, Yom Ha-atz-maut is celebrated according to the Jewish calendar which is on the 5th day of the month of Iyar. This year it fell in the middle of April.

It is interesting to note the real meaning of the term "Independence Day. It marks the original date of a nation's independence. If an independent nation suddenly finds itself occupied by a foreign nation or several nations in succession and then finally frees itself, its independent day celebration would still be the original date before the occupation.

Therefore the celebration of Israel's independence day on Iyar 5 1948 is not accurate and in fact may be detrimental to the state of Israel. Claiming that Israel became independent in 1948 allows the Arabs and their many supporters to claim (as they have being doing) that the Jews had nothing to do with the holy land until they started illegally occupying it at the beginning of the 20th century. This is exactly why the Arab claim is that in 1948 Israel became an independent country for the first time ever on land not belonging to them.

The truth is that Israel was independent from the 12th century BCE to the 5th century BCE. It was then conquered by a foreign army only to be liberated in the 1st century BCE by the Maccabees. It was then occupied again by a long succession of foreign invaders including the Moslems, Ottomans (Turks) and the British.

It is also interesting to note that over these dark centuries there were several Jewish attempts to regain control over the land. These were naive messianic attempts and not military attempts. Because of the long history of independent living in the land of Israel the modern term Israel Independence Day is no doubt misleading.

It is my opinion that Israel's Independence Day should officially be named "Israel's Day of Regaining Independence.”

Yea, I know, it will never fly, but it is a thought...

May Israel continue to stand for Truth, Peace and Light.

Rabbi David

Passover Thoughts by Rabbi David

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 20:26:22 GMT

We all understand the significance of Passover as the holiday of freedom. It is a freedom granted to our ancestors who were enslaved in Egypt through divine effort and sadly through much suffering of the Egyptians. Passover's profound message of freedom is of course universal. It speaks to the core of mankind’s basic instinct, the "yearning to be free." Although the holiday of Passover is a Jewish holiday, it also represents a universal appreciation of freedom everywhere.

When the Jewish people began celebrating this freedom festival the world was still very cruel and barbaric. It was only in 1776 with the American Declaration of Independence that both personal and national freedom was finally understood to be a natural right of all mankind. While the declaration was written 242 years ago, the world is still in the process of catching up to its message. Three thousand years after the event of Exodus there is still much oppression around the world. In many countries slavery or slavery conditions of workers as well as oppression of women and gay people still exist.

It is interesting to note that even in the ancient kingdom of Israel, while there was a concept of workers without pay for war captives or under certain circumstances for Hebrews, the fundamental human rights for this kind of workers were spelled out in the Torah and were strictly observed. They were treated as domestic help with decency and respect. The word "Eved" which is the Hebrew word for slave is a basic derivation from the word, worker, "Oved". That means that in ancient Israel the concept of slavery was much different then what the ancient world understood it to be.

The struggle for freedom as depicted in the story of exodus gained much significance not only in the African American community during centuries past but during the second world war as well, when a most incredible Jewish revolt against the Nazis took place in the Warsaw ghetto under impossible conditions We remember the small group of Jewish fighters led by 23 years old Mordechai Anielewiczw who held the mighty Nazi war machine back for three weeks and never gave up until there was no more pistols and Molotov cocktails left to fight with. This year on the first night of Passover we are commemorating the 75th year anniversary of what was an iconic symbol for heroic resistance to the Nazis throughout occupied Europe.

May they inspire us to love and protect freedom as much as they did.

Chag Sameach,

Rabbi David

Why? How Do I Answer the Children? by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 19:25:42 GMT

I first learned of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at 3:00 p.m. when my sister texted me. She was in lockdown at a nearby pre-school where she holds her music program. After checking the current situation (deaths weren’t being reported yet,) I immediately posted on social media and in healing groups I belong to asking for prayers for our entire area.

I already knew some parents wouldn’t be bringing their children to our Hebrew School later. As parents our instinct kicks in, we feel vulnerable and want to protect our children, keep them close to us during such times. I remember it well from 9-11. Even now I had the urge to call my own children even though they are adults.

Of the few children who did come to school, most of the older ones knew about the shooting. So of course we prayed and sent our Light to the entire situation. Just connecting to that Sacred Energy with the children was a balm for the shock I was still feeling.

Later as I worked individually with a child, I received another text that 17 had died. Although the shock was now back I somehow continued to finish working with the student. I then went into the next room to tell my husband. I planned to say “seventeen dead” in Hebrew so the children wouldn’t understand but I just couldn’t remember how to say “seventeen!” Instead I said “seventeen” in English and the word “dead” in Hebrew. One student immediately asked “Seventeen died?” I answered, “Yes.” The next question was, “Why?”

There were six children, 5^th-7^th graders, sitting around a table, now looking up at me, expectantly waiting for an answer. I froze. How do I answer them? Should I tell them what I know? This has always been my promise to G-d, to bring to my students the hidden spiritual teachings on a child’s level. My guidance took over and I began answering their questions.

We talked about how we never really die, only our bodies do. That all who died from the shooting are in a different form and are with G-d now. That when terrible things happen changes can be made, that all those who died sacrificed their lives for us. They didn’t know about it consciously but did on a deeper level, the soul level. But this still doesn’t erase the pain and grief that loved ones left on earth are feeling, that we are all feeling.

We talked about the shooter, of how people who act in such ways do not feel loved. We compared this to bullies not feeling loved, of how they feel alone. But even so this doesn’t mean we will allow their actions.

We discussed how it was when I grew up. Special needs and mentally ill children were isolated, bullies could do whatever they wanted, problems were hidden. We are now living in a time when all the hidden problems are being shown to us so we can make changes. G-d needs each of us in our own way to make these changes. For children it can mean speaking up even if scared, expressing feelings, being kind.

I am never ceased to be amazed by my students. As the children shared their own stories they once again showed me their innate understanding of who they really are.

A part of me wonders if the fifth grade girl would still have asked, “Seventeen died?” if I had said both words in Hebrew. But another part of me knows the answer for in the deepest workings of the universe, the children are here on earth to bring forth changes.

To all affected by this horrific tragedy, Rabbi David and I offer our deepest condolences. May we all receive healing, love and support as we move forward with the changes that need to be made to provide a safe and loving world for our children.

Is Tu B'Shvat a Minor Holiday? by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 20:47:01 GMT

Is Tu B'Shvat a Minor Holiday?

I recently heard the argument that the Jewish holidays are divided into major holidays such as Rosh Hashanah and Passover and minor holidays such as Chanukah and Tu B’Shvat. I beg to differ. I do not agree with this division. All our holidays have enormous importance and great reasons to be celebrated.

There is however one major difference between what many think as major holidays and what is considered "minor" holidays such as Chanukah and Tu B’Shvat.

Many Jews consider the Jewish holidays that were commanded in the Torah as major holidays or religious holidays and the one which were not of a Torah origin as minor holidays. However, some of the "Minor" holidays have in fact world wide importance.

Without the event that lead to the celebration of Chanukah, for example, and saving of the Jews from an almost certain and complete annihilation, there would be no western civilization as we know it. There would be no Christianity, no Islam and for that matter, no Judaism. The world would have been much different without the moral precepts of Judaism to guide humanity's ethical evolvement.

While Tu B’Shvat is an entirely different kind of "Minor" Holiday, it certainly has world wide implication as well. The Holiday of Tu B’shvat could be considered as the origin of world celebrations of nature and of Gaia, Arbor day. It is the ancient Jewish expression of appreciation of mother earth.- the first ever of its kind among western civilizations.

Tu B’Shvat is about the acknowledgment of nature's utmost importance to human survival. It recognizes the vulnerability of mother earth and the urgent need and obligation to take care of her.

Tu B’Shvat reminds us of the urgency of taking care of our planets by, among other things, drastically reducing pollution of all kinds, eliminating toxic emissions and toxic chemicals that do not disintegrate as well as stopping deforestation.

When we celebrate Tu B’Shvat we remind ourselves that our ancestors understood the value of healthy nature to our survival some 2500 years ago, at times when most of the nations were engaged in killing each other and caring for nature was totally foreign to them.

The holiday of Tu B’Shvat is therefore our acknowledgement of the importance of working together as united dwellers of our wonderful earth to maintain it, keeping it clean and healthy.

May we all work together to make it so....

Rabbi David

The Child at the Wedding by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 13:19:47 GMT

All children are special. No question about it. But some highly evolved souls come to earth to work on their spiritual missions during their childhood years. With our Shirat Shalom children falling into this category, Rabbi David and I are honored to partner with G-d to provide these children with their religious/spiritual education. (This picture is one of our students who is now in high school.)

When we connect with one of these children outside of Shirat Shalom we know it is always for a reason and so it was with an adorable 8 year old girl we recently met in Key West. From Illinois, she and her two teen age sisters were there to participate in the destination wedding ceremony of her father and soon to be step mother.

Rabbi David and I really didn’t know anything about the girl but as soon as we saw her we recognized who she is and quietly exchanged knowing glances with each other using the secret language married couples develop. As we spent time with the family we continued to communicate silently, both of us so touched by the beautiful relationship between the step mother and this child.

It was quite important to the bridal couple that the three girls be included in the ceremony. There is a beautiful custom in Jewish weddings where the bride circles around the groom seven times merging their two souls and creating a new family circle. When the bridal couple asked if the girls could also circle along with the bride, Rabbi David answered, “What a wonderful idea!”

There is always so much Sacredness during a wedding ceremony. But somehow there was an additional dimension of Love during that circling that radiated out to everyone in attendance. I was busy singing so I couldn’t secretly communicate with Rabbi David at that point but I knew he was feeling it as much as I was.

Perhaps those who know this child well can give all sorts of explanations for her tears. But I know without a doubt that she was feeling the Divine Sacredness that was present. And this so touched my heart as it did many others! But that is the power of these special children and part of what they have come to earth to do. Open our hearts to bring healing.

I doubt I will ever meet this child again. But I will always carry the memory of her within my own heart. And so we will meet time and time again. Yes, that is the power of these special children!

The Bride's Prayer by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 12:28:04 GMT

Rabbi David and I have so much fun officiating weddings together as we always feel as though we are getting married again! And we figure that with close to 40 years of marriage we are bringing additional blessings to our wedding couples! (yes this picture is of us on our wedding day!)

But perhaps what I most love is the Sacred Energy of the Divine Feminine that can be felt when standing under the chuppah (canopy.) This Sacred Energy actually has a name. We call her Shekinah.

For this particular wedding Shekinah came much earlier than usual and caught me quite by surprise. It actually happened during the signing of the Ketubah (marriage contract) that takes place before the ceremony.

After everyone signed the Ketubah, the bride was given a gift, a beautiful plaque that contained a prayer called the Bride’s Tefillah, or Bride’s Prayer. It was translated from the Hebrew. As soon as the bride began reading this prayer out loud, I could feel the energy of Shekinah sweep into the room.

Although as a cantor, (singer of prayers) and as a Lightworker, I am very sensitive to the various energies of prayers somehow this still amazed me in that moment as I witnessed the Power of a Prayer. Of how Loved we are, that we are always answered when we call.

As the room was transformed by Shekinah’s presence, I looked to see how others were affected and caught Rabbi David’s eye. Yes, he felt it too. I wondered if Shekinah would now stay with us until the ceremony began but She quietly left after a few moments. But as She always does she came again under the canopy.

Here is a picture of one type of chuppah or wedding canopy:

Meet Lee and David Degani of Congregation Shirat Shalom

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 22:44:54 GMT

(This is an article that was published in VoyageMia Nov. 2017 Click here for link to article)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee and David Degani.

Lee and David, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Lee and David: If you had told us 25 years ago that we would soon become spiritual leaders of a congregation we would have laughed! That was definitely not part of the plan! But you know that saying…. In this case, it was, “Man and woman plan and God has the last laugh!”

The seeds for Shirat Shalom (Song of Peace) actually began with a class we formed for our second-grade daughter in 1994 to enhance her Jewish education. At first, we just worked with children who already belonged to a synagogue but within a couple of years, we began attracting families who weren’t affiliated.

Lee: I still remember so clearly the lightning flash that woke me up one night. It made me sit right up in the bed! The message was to begin a chavurah (a community) with the unaffiliated families of the children we teach! Ten families joined in the fall of 1998 and we began meeting once a month. We officially became Congregation Shirat Shalom the summer of 1999 with our mission to return to the spiritual and mystical roots of Judaism. Two years later I left my job and became the full-time Cantor and Director of Education. After another two years, David came on board as full-time Rabbi.

Lee and David: Thinking about those early days always brings smiles as we were so radical with our ideas! We were even nicknamed the Rebel Temple! For example, we welcomed interfaith families with open arms, parents had the choice of Hebrew School or a Tutoring Program for their children’s Jewish education and could enroll anytime. Our main focus would be our children. Hebrew School would only meet once a week and would be a fun experience! Remaining affordable was a priority so we never planned on having a building. Of course nineteen years later, these ideas are not so radical anymore and are more accepted

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Just like everyone else we were affected when the economy spiraled down in 2008. After all, people need to pay their mortgage before donating to their congregation! But we are grateful that we were able to get through those few years afterwards and are where we are today.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Today, we continue to implement unique ideas such as our Online Tutoring Program and even traveling to conduct B’nai Mitzvah ceremonies for out of town or state families. This was initiated ten years ago after one of our families had moved out of state and asked if we would travel to conduct their child’s Bar Mitzvah service. We like to say “Have Torah, Will Travel!” Our Online Tutoring Program is so popular that most of our local students meet us online for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah lessons!

We actually have our own unique way of conducting B’nai Mitzvah services that makes everyone feel included and welcome. People will often say it is the warmest and most beautiful service they have ever attended. Perhaps it is because we have such a close connection with each child and family. And yes, Lee cries at every single ceremony!

Although more rabbis are now performing interfaith weddings we have been doing so for years. Whether it is for a Jewish couple or Interfaith couple, we design our wedding ceremonies with the understanding that we are merging first and foremost two loving souls who may come from different backgrounds. We always receive many compliments that people are so touched Cantor Lee’s beautiful voice and Rabbi David’s authenticity as well as his sense of humor! We ourselves have actually been married 39 years. Each time we conduct a wedding ceremony we feel as though we are getting married again!

Perhaps we are most known for our emphasis on bringing spirituality and the Kabbalistic teachings to our congregants in a way that is easy to understand. For years we have been holding meditation and healing circles and Lee also offers private energy healing sessions. In our Hebrew School, we teach Jewish meditation on a child’s level. We ourselves are blessed and honored to be channels of God’s Divine Light whether we are leading a service, teaching or during a life cycle event.

We have always had a saying that Shirat Shalom leads and we follow. And it has led us to our most unique and radical idea, the Infinite Child Program – Our Crown Jewel Spiritual Training for children of all faiths. But before we tell you what it is about, here is how it came about…

Lee: It actually began with a prayer. As any longtime teacher knows, children learn much differently these days. Although I have always been able to help children become successful who have difficulty learning to read Hebrew, I have even been stumped with some of the children the last couple of years. So I prayed, “Please God, help me help these children!” And the answer came…

David and Lee: The Infinite Child program teaches children focusing and mindfulness techniques while they are wearing a blindfold. As a result not only are children having an easier time learning and reading Hebrew (as one student put it, “it was magic when I had to practice for my Bat Mitzvah the next day!”) but they are also improving in secular school subjects as well as having transformative changes socially and emotionally!

Just to prepare you, the next sentence may be initially difficult to fathom…With training, the children are actually able to see and read while wearing the blindfold. It seems we all have the ability to use our third eye, our Infinite Light Vision. It is just that we were never taught or encouraged to use this sacred gift.

As people learn of our Infinite Child program we receive reactions from utter amazement to total disbelief! We so understand for each time a child reads blindfolded and experiences transformations we too are amazed. Can it really be true? But it is!

We feel so blessed to add this radical new idea to our other ones. Perhaps one day, just like the others, it too won’t seem so radical…

Do you feel our city is a good place for businesses like yours? If someone was just starting out, would you recommend them starting out here?
We are living in a time when more and more people are looking for answers and are being drawn to spiritual teachings. Whether it is through Judaism, another religion or spirituality in general, we feel South Florida is a prime area for spiritual seekers. If someone truly feels the calling to be a spiritual leader the universe will lead the way. In the end, we all have the same foundation and that is Love. And as we bring more Love into the world, well, the possibilities are unlimited! Even a World of Peace is possible…

Contact Info:

Website: http://shiratshalom.org/
Phone: 561-488-8079
Email: shiratshal@aol.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shirat.shalom/
Other: www.infinitechildinstitute.org

Chanukah by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 22:12:01 GMT

Chanukah by Rabbi David

Chanukah is celebrated on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. The story of Chanukah which took place in the second century BCE, 2200 years ago, is about a Jewish rebellion against the Greek oppressors.

While it is a common belief that originally this rebellion was about the restoration of national independence, it was actually ignited due to religious oppression. At the time of the Maccabee revolt, Greek culture was sweeping through the entire Middle East and beyond, courtesy of Alexander the Great who had established Greek culture everywhere he conquered. The center of his Greek influence was Alexandria, the city he founded in Egypt which bears his name. The Greek influence on the Jews was profound and reached the most conservative circles. In fact, many of our sages in the Mishnah and Talmud, the Jewish masterpiece of legal debates, laws and amendments, had Greek names. Even the leader of the Jewish rebels is better known by his Greek name Mattithias.

Some of the Jewish population was more influenced by the Greek culture then others. This Jewish segment was called Hellenists. The Hellenists were completely immersed in Greek culture. While they were not interested in worshipping Greek idols, they found themselves partaking in Greek idol rituals as part of Greek cultural events in which they participated. This balance between their Jewish monotheistic religion and the Greek culture was fragile. As long as the Greek occupier was not restricting Jewish religious practices, peace was kept in the land. In the second century BCE a ruler by the name of Antiochus changed this delicate balance. He decided that for the safety of his empire and as a means of unification, the Greek religion should be the only one allowed.

In Judea, the reaction to this new policy was mixed. The hardcore Hellenists, of course, accepted it and were willing to forsake the Jewish religion. This segment of the population was fairly large. Although all Jewish religious activities were forbidden including circumcision, Torah study and celebration of Shabbat or any holiday, most of the people were hoping that this policy was only temporary. Most of the people therefore, had a passive attitude and were not willing to fight for their religious freedom.

The Maccabees were a family who lived in a small Judean town called Modiin. The patriarch of the family, Mattithias understood that the Jews were facing dire times. He realized that if nothing would be done, the Hellenists would quickly convert and become Greek. The rest of the population, in the absence of any Jewish life whatsoever would eventually do the same. He and his five sons went from village to village to try to gather an army of rebels, although initially they managed to gather very few people. The group ran to the mountains of the Judean desert and started a raiding campaign against Jewish villages. They forced many of the farmers to join them, threatening to destroy their homes. This tactic worked well. Within a few months the Maccabees had a small untrained army.

Judah, one of the sons who became the leader of the renegades, used a nightly hit- and run tactic against Greek army posts throughout Judea. The rebels gained more experience and their fighting skills improved. As they began to gain more respect from the Judeans, their “recruiting” tactic became unnecessary since many more joined them with the belief that independence from the Greek was actually possible.

Over the course of this three year war, Antiochus brought in huge armies. At times he threw into the war everything and everyone he had. His armies were well trained and well equipped. Judah, however, was a smart tactician . Right from the start he avoided face to face battles and kept raiding the Greek reinforcement units at night, setting their camps on fire. The Macabees quickly became very popular and were joined by a multitude of men.

The holiday of Chanukah is the celebration of Judah’s first face to face major victory which resulted in freeing the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. The cleaning and the spiritual cleansing of the Temple was a major task. This is because the Greeks had turned the holy Temple into a pagan temple. The Temple was filled with filth, Greek statues with pigs and other animals running loose .

In order to complete the cleansing process and rededicate the Temple, the seven branched golden Eternal Light had to be lit. The special purified oil used for that purpose was not available. However, a small oil container was found in the high priest’s chamber. This container had enough oil to last for one day. According to our sages a miracle happened and the oil lasted for eight days until a new batch of oil was ready. This of course is the official reason for the eight days of Chanukah celebration.

After the rededication of the Temple, the Maccabees continued their struggle to free the entire country as the three year war spread from Judea to the Galilee. The number of men in the Judean army was no match to the multitude of Greek reinforcement troops that kept coming to face the Maccabees. The rebels had to split their far inferior army into several fronts. Four of the five brothers eventually died in battle. Brother Simon, the only one left, eventually formed the independent Maccabean kingdom which lasted for about seventy years until it was taken over by the Roman army in the year 66 BCE.

It is also interesting to note that while the Maccabees had a clear victory in Jerusalem After years of fighting with no end in sight, the Greek emperor needed his armies for other urgent “missions” elsewhere. He withdrew from the entire Judean territory and in fact, signed an agreement with the Maccabees. .

As we celebrate Chanukah this year and the determination of the Maccabees, may we rededicate ourselves to bringing the LIght of MIracles into our lives! All is possible...

Happy Chanukah!

Rabbi David

Moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 20:14:10 GMT

The general consensus of most news outlets is that it is the wrong time to move the American embassy to Jerusalem and that it should only happen after a comprehensive peace agreement between the Arabs and the Israelis. It seems to me that there is a misunderstanding regarding exactly where the proposed new location of the embassy is.

Many don't realize that Jerusalem is actually divided into two separate cities. There is the new Jewish city, known as West Jerusalem or New Jerusalem, and the Old City which has always been home to four different ethnic minorities; Jewish, Arab, Greek Orthodox and Coptic. While the two were united in 1967 after the Six Day War and are now one city they are nonetheless very different.

The American embassy is set to be moved to West Jerusalem, the Jewish city, which is only about 150 years old. This New City, New Jerusalem, is located in an area that was recognized as Israeli undisputed territory by the UN since Israel's independence in 1948, way before 1967 when the Old City became part of Israel. The embassy is moving to an undisputed Israeli area.

When the US recognized the state of Israel, (the first one to do so among all nations) it recognized the right of the Israelis for self determination. That meant that they can choose their capital to be anywhere they want as long as it is within a recognized Israeli territory. Therefore putting any embassy in West Jerusalem back when Israel became independent in 1948 should have not created any political issues.

So why the refusal to locate the embassy in a legitimate Israeli territory? While the Arab leadership does not claim West Jerusalem to be an Arab territory, they have a problem with any Israeli territory. Despite the fact that West Jerusalem has always been an Israeli city, it still represents by its very name the eternity of the Jewish people and the permanency of the state of Israel. The Arab leadership can't have that!

When Israel became a state, only the undisputed West Jerusalem and not the disputed Old City of Jerusalem were part of the territory. The excuse the Arab leadership gave with their insistence that embassies were to be located in Tel Aviv was that the fate of the legitimate Israeli territory of West Jerusalem should be decided in a negotiation. That means that any Israeli territory is up for negotiation translating to Israel’s existence is up for negotiation.

America and the rest of the world bowing to Arab demands to not locate its embassy inside a legitimate and recognized Israeli territory is not only illegal but also amounts to political extortion. In 1995 Congress recognized this and enacted into law the movement of the embassy to Jerusalem. Our American presidents circumvented the law through a loop hole which allowed the postponement of this decision. The constant circumvention of this law is not the way to respect the decision of the Congress.

By being a part of this travesty, the United States gave legitimacy to an Arab claim that at present Israel has no right to exist and that its fate as a country depends on negotiation with the Palestinians, many of whom in Gaza, Lebanon as well as the West Bank want nothing less then a complete destruction of Israel. This is what the leadership has been teaching their children (or shall we say brain washing them) for the last 70 years.

If the Palestinians want a destruction of Israel why are they willing to negotiate a peace agreement? To begin with, many of the Palestinians in Gaza and Lebanon flatly refuse to negotiate peace with Israel not now not ever. Those who are willing to negotiate live in Judea and Samaria ("the West Bank")

But in order to understand their motive, one needs to understand what for them is not negotiable. They will not negotiate their right to "Return to Israel" which means they want to flood Israel with (according to them) 1.5 million Palestinians "Refugees" as a way to slowly but surely erode the Jewish Majority in Israel.

In other words, it is their long range plan to take over the country without war. The Palestinian emblem is the map of Israel. Their doctrine which they refuse to change is Palestinian control of Israel with a Jewish population as a minority with no influence.

Therefore, the reason the Arab world is so upset with this preeminent decision is because it symbolizes the eternity of the state of Israel. It tells the many fanatics among the Arab countries as well as the Iranians that the destruction of Israel is nothing but a pipe dream.

Rabbi David

Jewish Mindfulness by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 15:58:11 GMT

Mindfulness, a form of meditation, seems to be quite popular lately. With its benefits now widely acknowledged including that it combat stress and helps us to become happier, this practice of being aware of each moment is being taught in classrooms, prisons and workplaces. “Being in the moment” or mindfulness is actually a major part of Jewish practices. One could even say that the observance of Judaism is in itself mindfulness.

The ancient rabbis have given us many tools to practice mindfulness including the recommendation that we recite 100 blessings a day. This fits in perfectly with the secular notion of mindfulness as gratitude is a major component. This approach of the ancient rabbis happens to be one of my favorite practices as it is easy to teach and follow. Each blessing of gratitude gives us the chance to pause, take a breath and appreciate the little things in life. In our busy, rushing, hectic world where there never seems to be “enough time” what an easy way to gift ourselves with “pauses.” It gives us the opportunity to develop a different perspective and appreciate everything around us, our life, our friends, family, things we enjoy doing. When life becomes hectic we tend to take the small details of our life for granted and have limited appreciation for them.

Assuming being awake an average of 16 hours every day, if we commit to 100 blessings a day that translates to one blessing every 10 minutes of our waking hours! While many of the blessings are prescribed and are recited together as part of the daily morning service, there is room for many other blessings to appreciate the small events of the day. In fact, Judaism has formulated blessings for many seemingly mundane as well as rare daily personal and natural occurrences. But we are also told to develop our own blessings.

The significance of this kind of constant awareness goes far beyond the personal level. It leads to other biblical teaching of interpersonal relationships such as love your neighbor as yourself, pursue peace, protect the earth, and to always practice compassion and justice.

In Hebrew School we have been having some fun with practicing mindfulness with the older children by having them eat their challah blindfolded. We begin by asking them to visualize how the challah began as seeds of wheat, recite the blessing and then continue with how it smells, feels on the fingers, on their teeth, when chewed, swallowed etc. Not only are the children integrating a major Jewish value but they are receiving the additional benefit of practicing focusing techniques which aid in the learning of Hebrew.

Judaism asks us to always pause before eating by reciting a blessing with the intent to not only appreciate but enjoy our food. In fact the table where we eat is considered to be a mini altar modeled after the altar in the Holy Temple.

As we continue to instill in our children and also remind ourselves of this beautiful core Jewish value to be in a state of appreciation for our life and everything around us, nothing will symbolize this state of mind more profoundly than the Thanksgiving holiday which we will be celebrating shortly.

Now I wonder what it will be like to eat turkey blindfolded….

May we all be blessed with much to appreciate! And may we all remember to laugh!

Rabbi David

A Canopy of Love by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 11:40:07 GMT

There are always glitches at weddings. It may be a lost or misplaced item, a delay in the starting time, late relatives, bad weather, you name it. It just seems to be part of the whole experience.

At our most recent wedding in Clearwater Beach, the weekend after Rosh Hashanah, the weather decided to again have its say. Twenty minutes before the ceremony was due to begin a decision was made to move the ceremony inside. Naturally the bride was devastated. Instead of overlooking the ocean from a sixteenth floor balcony, the ceremony would be in in a room that wouldn’t have enough chairs for all the guests.

I knew that as soon as the bride walked down the aisle and stood under the chuppah, (the wedding canopy) it wouldn’t really matter whether we were inside or outside. For something magical always happens under the chuppah. The Divine Essence that comes is Shechinah, the Feminine aspect of G-d. She transforms the entire space with Her Sacredness and Love.

But it seems there was another glitch. There was no longer a chuppah. The winds were so strong the whole thing was knocked down and it couldn’t be re-erected! Rabbi David and I quickly came up with a plan. We would just make our own chuppah, modeled after the traditional hand held one we often use. It is made with four bamboo poles and uses a tallit (prayer shawl) as the canopy.

I had an extra tallit with me. We just needed something to take the place of the four poles. The hotel came to the rescue and found four tall easel holders. Perfect! It would do! But then there was a further glitch. The groom was unusually tall, too tall for our makeshift chuppah!

Okay, we would have to institute Plan B. Two of the groomsmen would hold the tallit over the couple during the ring exchange. I asked the two tallest groomsmen to practice holding the tallit and yes, the groom just fit underneath! We still wouldn’t have a chuppah throughout the entire ceremony but this would be better than nothing! But even so, I was still like a disappointed bride.

Rabbi David had his own ideas. Right before the ceremony he told me to make sure the people remained standing after the bride circled the groom. He then told everyone we would be creating a Canopy of Love to replace the wind blown one. He asked us all to raise our hands, form an arc with our arms and send Love to create a canopy over the couple.

And a canopy was truly created! But this one wasn’t just over the couple, Rabbi David and me but extended over everyone! The wedding ceremony itself was filled with such Joy and Laughter! The Canopy of Love truly connected each one of us…

On our way home we stopped in Port Charlotte, the half way point between Clearwater Beach and our home in Boca Raton. Our hotel manager told us that the hotel was booked to capacity with people from all over the country who had come to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

My heart was so touched by this!

It seems that a Canopy of Love is everywhere…

Our Tallit Chuppah at my daughter's wedding...

The Bridal Couple under the Tallit during the ring exchange...

Who We Are by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 21:43:18 GMT

Rabbi David's Rosh Hashanah morning sermon

Who We Are

We are living in a tumultuous time, no doubt.

We have just experienced nature's rage and fury first hand.

Some say it’s just a weather pattern cycle, with no connection to man.

To others it looks like man made global warming with glaciers melting, holes in the ozone, millions of cars all over the world polluting.

But either way, Mother Nature as we all know is not happy.

In the last several weeks we have all witnessed just how fierce Mother Nature's fury can be.

Like many of us, I believe that there is an intimate spiritual connection between all living things and Mother Nature. Ask a Native American and he will tell you that earth is a living thing. It is a living entity. It has its own consciousness.

This Rosh Hashanah when we reflect on last year’s events, when we take stock of who we are, it is also a good time to reflect on what we have just experienced with the storms and what this experience tells us.

It seems in the last couple of years and as time goes by, we have been experiencing so many sharp divisions between different ideologies. In certain campuses and cities, rioting and intolerance is spreading like a disease with no shortage of blame everywhere. Opinions have become so emotional that division and strife has even torn apart families and friends. From social media, to certain universities and schools, and public places, and even in certain cities, disagreements are answered with aggression and intolerance.

It seems that we have allowed social, political and racial unrest and even violence to divide us. Even racism is rearing its ugly head.We watch as rioting is taking place in cities across the country. We are silent as certain freedoms, the corner stone of our life are being challenged. We have allowed our differences to painfully divide us. We should never allow ourselves to fall into this cesspool because that is not who we really are. And all this is in the face of so many other issues.

And I know that we, like Americans everywhere, are not willing to accept these kinds of situations. We despise violence because, as we teach our children, violence is never the answer. We all have the Light of G-D within us.

Then came Harvey and Irma.

I don't think there is one person here who was not affected by the epic devastation of Hurricane Harvey in Houston and Hurricane Irma here in Florida and the Caribbean. We all saw the incredible human suffering and misery inflicted on so many of our fellow Americans in Houston and Florida. Especially those who live in the path of those two monsters.The total devastation of flooding and powerful winds caused so many people to lose everything they had.

It must have been a day or two after the storm as they were showing the devastation in the Keys on TV that I saw something amazing. There were several homes next to each other, completely demolished with nothing left.

Yet, on top of the rubble which was once the roofs of the buildings, American flags were either displayed or flown.

And I understood the power of that message.

From the devastation, from the agony, we all emerged the way we really are, strong in spirit, compassionate, caring for each other.

We have seen scenes of rescue unfolding in front of the camera which are difficult to believe. Heroic efforts to rescue entire families from raging waters or from underneath the rubble.All over the Keys and on the West side of Florida, people driving around looking for anyone who needs help or water or shelter. Neighbors helping neighbors, strangers doing anything possible to help.

Rioting in cities across the country are the work of the very few with twisted goals and agendas. Coming together in times of need is really what we are all about.

And I am proud to say that.

So I, with you together, pray today that this spirit of caring and unity, will forever be our true mirror. And we can look at ourselves with pride.

I bless all of us this Rosh Hashanah with a prayer to our Eternal G-D of Israel for a Year of Health and Prosperity.

A Year of Love, Tolerance and Understanding.

A Year of Happiness.

L'Shana Tova,

Rabbi David

(This was written before the devastation of Maria. Our prayers are with the beloved people of Puerto Rico and all affected by Nature including our neighbors in Mexico)

Introducing the Infinite Child by Rabbi David & Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 16:47:57 GMT

May it be soon....

Rabbi David and Cantor Lee

Here is a child at the stage of first reading blindfolded.

Read how we can help monarch butterflies

A Beacon of Hope by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 09:39:37 GMT

In Jewish communities around the world, the entire month of Elul, the last Hebrew month of the year, is considered the month of Teshuva - repentance. We recite Slichot, prayers for forgiveness and sound the Shofar in the morning service. This of course is done as a spiritual cleansing in preparation for the High Holy Days. Although traditionally Ashkenazic communities recite Slichot for the last 10 days before Rosh Hashana, many follow the tradition of non Ashkenazic communities and recite Slichot for the entire month of Elul.

During Elul we all do a "Cheshbon Nefesh", an evaluation of our soul based on our deeds during the passing year. This is a period in Jewish life that is meant to awaken us to our spiritual existence. The first day of this month of spiritual evaluation is so important that it is considered equally important as participating in Slichot services and listening to the Shofar for the entire month.

It is amazing that the solar eclipse happened exactly a month to the day before Rosh Hashanah. Coincidence?

There is an interesting story that happened in the western US in the month of May 1833. A day before the sun eclipse of May 15th that year a few families who were traveling west in search of land to settle were captured by the Sioux Indians. It just so happened that one of the captured men was a novice astrologer and knew about the eclipse that would happening the next day. (An astrologer by the name Dr. Bessel had come up with the basic though somewhat primitive math in 1820 to be able to accurately predict sun eclipses.)

The novice astrologer told his captors that he had power over the sun and the moon and as a warning to them he would hide the sun for a few minutes. If they wouldn’t let their captives go free he would hide the sun forever. When the eclipse happened the next day the Indians were scared enough to heed the threats and release their captives.

Seeing the sun eclipse as a warning or as a sign for some upcoming significant event is not new to us. It seems that as long as thousands of years ago the Sumerians, Persians and Greeks were very much aware of sun eclipses and saw them as omens. Many throughout the centuries believed the same.

This rare sun eclipse fell on the day that many of us were getting ready to recite forgiveness prayers as part of our preparation for the High Holy Days. The official start of Rosh Chodesh Elul (new moon month of Elul) was sundown Aug. 21^st just a few hours after the eclipse.

Maybe the "Jewish timing" of the eclipse is a special sign from heaven signaling a very unique opportunity. It is therefore incumbent upon us, who were designated to be a Light unto the Nations some 3,300 years ago to continue to transmute all negativity from the world through our prayers for peace for our country, for Israel, for the world.

Especially with what we have been facing, this High Holiday season will give us the opportunity to come together with our collective spiritual power and deliver a powerful "Message" to the world.

Despite the turmoil everywhere we will stand strong in the face of all adversities. With the Power of Love and Peace we will "eclipse" all evil.

As we were taught by our mothers and fathers we shall remain a Beacon of Hope for a better world for oppressed nations, for the removal of brotherly squabbling in our own beloved country and the elimination of wars and terror around the world.

Who will be that Beacon if not us?

L'Shana Tova,

Rabbi David

Radiating Peace During the Eclipse by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 13:20:32 GMT

So much excitement about the Solar Eclipse! I still remember the solar eclipse in 1979! But this time I will be doing something I didn’t do back then, well at least consciously that is…

Rabbi David and I will be joining hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of people around the globe who will be meditating or praying for world peace, love and harmony during the eclipse. What a beautiful way to bless G-d for creating the eclipse! And what a wonderful way to become co-creators with G-d to bring peace to our world! We so hope you and your children will join us with your own meditation or prayer!

Praying for peace is as natural to the Jewish people as breathing. As Rabbi David likes to say, it is ingrained in us. In the traditional liturgy we recite prayers for peace three times daily. We also have many beautiful teachings for peace including aligning ourselves with the Divine Light that is within each one of us. The Hebrew words are “Ner Adonai Nishmat Adam.” “The Light of G-d is my Soul.” Proverbs 20:27

In Hebrew School each week when we practice lighting the Shabbat candles we teach our children to become aware of their Divine Light and to send it to those in need of healing. A favorite always is sending our Light to the animals!

We also often focus on bringing Peace into the world. Here is one variation our children are familiar with that you and your children may wish to try also!

1. Light a candle and set the intention to connect to G-d’s Light to bring peace into the world.

2. Feel your feet firmly on the ground. Pretend you have roots growing from your feet that go down into the earth.

3. Hold up four fingers up and look at them. Four is a sacred number in Judaism.

4. Take a deep breath in to the count of four. Exhale your breath slowly to the count of four. Repeat this round three more times.

5. Think or see the color blue which is the color of Peace.

4 6. Breathe in blue to the count of four. Bring it up through your roots into your heart.

4 7. Exhale the blue to the count of four back down into the earth. Repeat three more rounds.

8. Feel or see this blue Light of Peace in your heart and hands.

9. Say or think the Hebrew word Shalom (Peace) to connect to G-d even more and make the Light stronger.

10. Send or radiate the Blue Light of Peace into the world.

11. Stare at the flame of the candle and see people hugging each other, soldiers returning home, your family members getting along, however you see Peace.

12. Thank G-d for being a co-creator with you to bring Peace into the world!

13. Don’t worry if you didn’t do all the steps exactly so… However you bring Peace into the world is Just Beautiful! Thank you!

Introducing the Infinite Child by Cantor Lee & Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 21:18:56 GMT

Introducing the Infinite Child

May it be soon....

Rabbi David and Cantor Lee

Infinite Child Institute

In this video a seventh grader has reached the stage of reading blindfolded.

The Ultimate Bar Mitzvah Picture by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 23:50:06 GMT

I love to look at one particular picture from my son’s Bar Mitzvah which was over 20 years ago! During one point of the service Rabbi David and I sang to him. The picture is of my son looking up at me as I sang.

But the picture wasn’t taken by a photographer. This was a conservative shul and pictures were never allowed on Shabbat! That meant we couldn’t even take pictures before or after the service!

So you are probably wondering how I have that picture! Did someone take it secretly? Well the picture was actually taken by my heart and put in my memory. And still to this day, each time I see that picture, my heart brings me back to that most precious moment!

In Congregation Shirat Shalom we also have the same rule about not taking pictures during the ceremony. You would think that being so alternative (we were even nicknamed the Rebel Temple when we first began!) that it would be fine to take pictures during a Bar or Bat Mitzvah service. After all we allow them before the ceremony.

Well believe me, we have tried at various points throughout the years and even recently to allow pictures. And each time it has affected the energy in the room making it more difficult for us to create and maintain a sanctuary.

We all have had that experience of entering a regular synagogue or church sanctuary and feeling the quietness, the sacredness there. When a room is used time and time again for sacred ceremony, the Divine Energy builds up and is always present. Since we don’t have our own building we have to create that same feeling in a regular room. And yes, some places are more difficult than others. Before the service Rabbi David and I not only spiritually prepare ourselves to be channels of this Divine Energy but also energetically prepare the room as well. That sacred space then needs to be maintained throughout the service.

When a child becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, a new aspect of his or her soul is brought “online” and yes there is truly a shift in the child. There is also much Healing and Love from G-d that penetrates the hearts of each person in attendance. It is up to each individual how that is accepted. As servants and instruments of G-d, Rabbi David and I take the responsibility of creating an environment that allows this to happen very seriously!

During this past year there were two separate occasions where the photographer was quite upset with our policy of no pictures during the service. After all, other rabbis allow it… We only have the utmost respect for other rabbis. How wonderful allowing pictures works for them! But it doesn’t work for us. End of Discussion. Period.

Quite honestly we don’t understand ourselves why taking pictures with a camera even without a flash affects the sanctity of a service but a stationary video camera does not. So yes, we allow a video camera that remains stationary in the back of the room during the service.

So until such time where our policy may change (as we are always open to all possibilities) pictures of the ceremony will just have to be taken by the Heart Camera.

But perhaps this is what G-d really wants. For each time those pictures are revisited, the Love of that moment is brought back into our world!

And it seems to me in today's world, we need as much Love as we can get!

If I Forget Thee, O Jerusalem by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 22 May 2017 22:32:23 GMT

On May 24^th this year, the 28^th day of Iyar, Jewish people all over the world celebrate the Hebrew date of the 50th anniversary of the reunification of the city of Jerusalem. The actual secular date was June 7, 1967.

As the UN wants to force Israel to give the city of David (Old Jerusalem) to the Arabs, it is important to remember that except for the times when Jerusalem was conquered by foreign occupiers who restricted the Jews from living there (Byzantines, Crusaders, Ottoman empire etc..) , Jews were always the majority of the population in the city. It is also important to remember that any non Jew who is freely residing in the city today is in fact a descendant of foreign occupiers.

During the 15^th -18^th centuries, the Ottoman empire, like the many occupiers before it, prohibited Jews from moving into Jerusalem. The Jewish population, therefore, dwindled significantly. However, beginning in the early1800’s Jews regained majority status in the city until 1948. In May of 1948 the Jews were brutally forced out of the city through starvation by the Jordanian army, with the generous help of the British who supplied the Jordanians with heavy artillery, ammunition and advisers.

But of course, our connection to Jerusalem goes way beyond being the majority population of the city. The Jewish spiritual bond to Jerusalem is so strong that Jerusalem is in fact Judaism itself. It is us, our collective soul. Taking Jerusalem away is removing our soul from our body.

I remember once I conducted a marriage ceremony for an Orthodox family. The excitement, love and happiness was clearly visible on the faces of the bride and groom. Nothing else mattered to them as they were standing there under the chuppah. At the end I asked the groom to break the glass, as tradition dictates. The groom, who no doubt was thinking of nothing else but his bride got ready to break the glass. But first he did something which has been traditional in Jewish weddings for many centuries. He pulled out a small prayer book and to the teary eyes of some of the guests he read the following psalm, strong and loud:

"If I forget Thee, O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning, Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I forget Thee, if I set not Jerusalem above my greatest Joy" Only then did he go ahead and break the glass.

I also remember one of the most important days in modern history well. It was June 7th, the 28th day of Iyar 1967. In the early afternoon Israeli paratroopers broke into the old city running like madmen to the Kotel while Jordanian snipers were still positioned on rooftops. Running with them was a reporter from “Kol Israel” “The Voice of Israel.” We did not have Israeli TV yet so the entire country gathered around their radios to listen.

It is about a fifteen minute run between the Lions gate, the western gate of the old city wall, from which the paratroopers broke into the city to the Kotel. We could hear the chaos around the reporter as the war was still going on around him and as 19 year old paratroopers who never saw the old city, were desperately trying to locate the wall.

Then there was an eerie silence for a few seconds. The reporter could not talk. All we could hear was his quiet crying. All he could say was "I am not a religious man but....." and he could not finish his sentence. He was at the Kotel.

For the next few minutes all we could hear were the paratroopers singing "Yerushalayim shel Zahav" "Jerusalem of Gold" which they had been taught a few day earlier. Rabbi Goren Z"L the chief military rabbi keep on sounding the Shofar on and on and on...

The entire country was sobbing around the radios. Even as a young kid at the time I understood that I was experiencing what countless generations before me were so desperately praying. What a privilege it was to be a part of those electrifying moments.

On June 7th 1967, 50 years ago, our heart was returned back to our chest. Our soul is back in our body. No more taking it away from us. Ever!

Rabbi David

Baby on the Torah by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 09 May 2017 17:41:20 GMT

Yes, this is a baby lying on the Torah! Isn’t she beautiful!! Her name is Brielle and she is two months old in this picture. She recently attended her first Friday evening service, (outside her mother’s tummy that is!) and we were all blessed to welcome her into our Shirat Shalom family!

Rabbi David and I knew that we would be calling up the baby and parents for a special blessing but we didn’t have a plan to place her on the Torah. Our tradition dictates that we don’t even touch the Hebrew letters with our hands. So to put a baby on the sacred scroll?

But it seems G-d had other ideas. You see several times throughout the day I was shown the same vision. You probably can guess what it is! Yes, the baby on the Torah! Each time I thought I would speak to Rabbi David about this. But you know how these things go… I would get involved with my activities and would forget.

In the evening when the parents brought Baby Brielle into the sanctuary I could feel the energy in the whole room change. “Wow!” I thought! “This baby is pretty powerful!” I was again shown the vision of the baby on the Torah. I knew I needed to give this message to Rabbi David but we were just about to begin the service.

When we called up the parents and the baby for a special blessing it seems G-d gave Rabbi David the same message! As soon as he put the baby on the Torah, I began to cry.... I looked out in the room and it felt as though time had stopped.... There were tears streaming down faces, smiles of love, looks of wonder…I could feel the power of this baby, that every heart was being pierced open!

Afterwards there were a couple of people with questions such as, “Weren’t you worried that the baby would soil her diaper while on the Torah!” I just smiled and answered, “No, I knew G-d wanted us to do this. I had absolutely no worries!”

I asked Rabbi David later why he put the baby on the Torah. He answered, “We have talked about this many times. You know I am often told to say or do things…”

Baby Brielle will be receiving her Hebrew name soon, Shoshana Bracha. Shoshana means Rose and Bracha means Blessing. Her English name, Brielle is actually a shortened form of Gabrielle, who is one of the archangels. Gabrielle in Hebrew means G-d is my strength. Perhaps that explains the power Baby Brielle has.

What a gift for all of us to have this beautiful Rose as a Blessing in our lives! And now in Shirat Shalom we also have a new tradition for welcoming babies!

May we all be strengthened by the power of our traditions, and may we continue to create new ones…

Yom Ha'atzmaut by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 21:12:47 GMT

Bidding farewell to the holiday of Passover is always followed by a very special week which is between the 27th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, Holocaust Memorial Day (April 23rd this year) and the 4th day of Iyar, Israel Memorial Day (April 30th this year.) The 4th of Iyar is a designated memorial day for Israeli soldiers who gave their lives in all the wars waged against Israel since the War of Independence. As expected it is a solemn week. This special memorial day for the Israeli soldiers is commemorated one day before the countrywide joyful 5th day of Iyar, Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel Independence Day. (May 1st this year)

The fact that the sorrow of the Memorial Day is immediately followed by the celebration of Israel's independence is very important. It is done by design.

There is an important phrase used in every circumcision ceremony for thousands of years: "Beh-Dama-ich Cha-ii", "you shall live through your blood."

Israelis, more than anyone, know that freedom has its price and in Israel's case, it is a very high price. Israelis live paying for their independence with blood almost every day of the year. Through their blood they live and, as we all know, prosper and thrive in all aspects of their lives on a national level as well as the individual level.

These two days are designated to be back to back to remind all of us that guarding our beloved Israel can never cease, that the state of Israel is the world's Peace Canary. Protecting it on the world stage is protecting liberty and freedom throughout the entire planet.

May G-D bless the state of Israel , the IDF and the Jewish people all over the world.

May these blessings radiate out to ALL People in the world.

May our children only know Peace.

Rabbi David

Thank you from the Butterflies by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 21:26:52 GMT

Several of our Shirat Shalom children are participating in a pilot program that expands children's minds helping them to become more empowered, balanced and do better in school. We are thrilled with the results so far - more information to come!

After the first session, one student, an adorable 3rd grader was done early so I took her outside. She was quite excited about this which didn't surprise me as all children love going into our backyard! It is filled with ponds and hidden places, perfect for a child to explore.

As we went onto the side deck which is within a hidden enclave she excitedly called out, "Look there are two butterflies!" They began circling around her which delighted her even more! As I stood watching from a distance a swarm of butterflies came and began circling around her! There were so many - I didn't even know we had that many butterflies in our backyard! I continued to just stand where I was, mesmerized as the child began dancing with Joy within their circle! I am not sure how long I stood there watching this Dance of Joy, on both sides, of the butterflies and the child!

Two weeks later I finally had a chance to post pictures on facebook of our students planting for Tu B'Shvat, the holiday honoring Trees and Nature. In honor of Mother Earth, the children planted milkweed seeds to help propagate monarch butterflies who are presently in danger of their population diminishing.

Something made me think the butterfly dance two weeks earlier was connected to this so I checked the date the child had come for that first session. It was the day after Tu B'Shvat on a Sunday. The Wednesday before was when the children planted the milkweed seeds in Hebrew School!

We all have those times when we receive confirmation deeply within that yes, something is true. This little girl was one of the children who planted the milkweed seeds that week.....

At that moment I knew without a doubt the butterflies had come to tell her Thank You!

A Journey Home by Gayle Greenberg

Shirat Shalom — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 02:29:17 GMT

Dedicated to: JWRP (Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project) and the JEC (Jewish Education Center) – without whom I wouldn’t have had this great journey home and a greater sense of what being Jewish truly is.

As my eyes fluttered open after a long flight over from the US to Israel, I still didn’t have a clue what I was truly embarking on. I left the comfort of the plane (oxymoron, I know) to enter the land of Israel. As I walked towards the meeting spot, I was greeted with cheers, bursts of laughter, and singing. The flag was proudly raised as 250 women met up in the Tel Aviv airport. Before I could say hi to anyone, I was enclosed in a circle of arms - - people hugging me, people I have never met, nor will I ever forget.

After getting our sim cards and phones set up for Israel, we all wandered our way through the street to fill the waiting bus. Our group leaders introduced us to the other trip leaders on our bus. The 14 members of my specific group were sharing a bus with girls from PGA, Stuart, and Israel. We were all strangers including the members of my own group as we had only met a handful of times prior to the hot July day. As if this wasn’t surreal enough, we begin the drive from Tel Aviv to Tiberias. Our tour guide spouting out historical facts as we take in the scenery surrounding us. One of the first historical stories we were told was about something that took place on Mt. Carmel, near Mt. Sinai, between Elijah and the priests of Ba-al. The significance being that just a few short months before, my son was called to the Torah in honor of his Bar Mitzvah. His Haftarah portion was this story. I read about it, heard my child speak about it, and here I was looking at the same mountain Elijah had visited long ago.

Once we arrived at our hotel, we went to our first welcome meeting. Here, Lori Palatnik introduced herself and gave a brief overview of a few things to expect. Lori is a dynamic speaker. She hooks you from the moment she begins talking. Throughout the next 8 days, we met with her and learned. We learned about parenting, how to treat our spouses, how to read and understand ourselves and the people we love. Each day the lesson was tied to something we would be learning about that day as we toured the ancient towns. First Jaffa and Tsfat, then onward to Tel Aviv for a few short hours, and Jerusalem. We went to Negev and ate where Abraham ate. We engaged in a drum circle and rode camels and danced the night away. We traveled up Masada. We visited with IDF soldiers and brought them packages filled with things from home – toiletries, shirts, socks, etc. . . We went to a Mikva, and of course to The Wall. We toured the tunnels, and spent time wandering the streets of the Old City and shopped on Ben Yehuda. We even went to a Shuk on the busiest day of the week - - Friday before Shabbat. While each and every one of these places is incredible and spiritual, and amazing, it doesn’t even begin to touch the surface of what we were doing here. It is only natural to begin to think deeper, and I found that something was awakening inside.

What was it about this place that touched my heart and soul? I am not sure I can explain it, but I will try. First of all, let me explain something. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t shed tears. Sometimes they were quick tears, and other times they were sobs. Of course,

Yad V’shem automatically brings tears to one’s eyes. Jut the sheer madness and craziness of Hitler and what he did to the Jews. The stories that were shared of those that survived. The children that perished, the moms and dads, the grandparents - - my family, your family, all a part of our ancestors - - it’s unfathomable, yet it happened. Again, I expected to shed tears here. However, one particular place that hit me hard was this place called Nalaga’at Center. This is a cultural arts center. Everyone here is blind and/or deaf. These men and women perform shows. There is a food bar as well. The waiters are all deaf. The performance we saw was a one woman show. The people who are deaf and blind were born with a condition. They were born deaf, but they went blind as they hit puberty. They remember seeing, and they remember losing their sight. The show was a memoir of this woman’s life. It showed us how at 13, she remembers losing her sight and going home to her mom as she sobbed. It was heartfelt, and I was especially struck and overcome with uncontrollable tears, as I am slowly losing my sight. Remember, this is all acted out through a blind and deaf person. No talking, she can’t see, yet the audience felt her pain, her anguish, her fears. After the show, I had the opportunity to “speak” with the actress. I found out she has a few kids and new grandbaby. This woman’s strength, perseverance, her outlook on life is incredibly strong. And for the first time, I didn’t feel so sorry for myself or feel as though my lack of sight would diminish me. I had hope.

Later on, we spent the afternoon at One Family. The mission of One Family is overcoming terror together. This is a group that helps rehabilitate broken families as a result of acts of terrorism. The men, women, and children who come here for support have lost loved ones in the wars, terrorist attacks in the cities, and in some cases the children have lost both parents. Here we met a few women who lost their boys in the recent wars. While they are certainly sad, the light in their eyes, the way they spoke of their loved ones, was so endearing. Talking about them helps to keep them in the present. While not all people are able to do this, these women we met were inspirational. And of course, the tears kept flowing from all of us in the room. And, there was a feeling of hope.

The day before Shabbat, we went to the wall. We prayed at the wall, we cried at the wall, we held each other at the wall. It was quite melancholy. The last time I was at the wall was when I was 12. I was here with my family including my own Grandma and Grandpa, and a woman whom I always considered a grandmother, Grandma Alice. (my cousin’s grandma). I felt them here with me. I remembered their wet eyes, and I remembered the many Jews who are no longer with us who fought for the land of Israel. Again, a bittersweet end to many days of crying.

Everything in Jerusalem closes between 3 and 4 o’clock. Even the Arab Quarter shuts down. This is a time that families are preparing for the next 25 hours. Shabbat quickly approached. As day turned into night, we welcomed the Shabbos Queen at the wall. We danced, we sang, we laughed. It was completely different from the day before. Shabbat was here! Shabbat was all around us. It was truly a festive evening. Growing up Conservative, I was always taught that Shabbat is a weekly holiday. It never felt like a holiday. Here, in Jerusalem,

Shabbat is as festive as it comes. Men, women, children, young, old, and everything in between is celebrating.

Funny, celebrating was a weird way to end the week, a week of crying, of learning, of listening to the stories of our ancestors fighting for rights, fighting for religion, fighting for survival. Here, in America, while it isn’t perfect, we haven’t had the same trials and tribulations, at least not in my lifetime. I started thinking back to the days of WWII. The Jews fought to stay alive. People risked their lives just to be Jewish. Jews are 2% of the population. I kept thinking about my own history. Growing up, my grandparents were Orthodox, my parents were Conservative Orthodox, and my brother and I were raised Conservative for most of our lives until our parents turned towards Conservative Reform. My family now is Reform. Do you see the pattern? We are assimilating and losing our identity that our ancestors fought so hard to keep. I know why. It is easier to fit in. Being religious is difficult in our world where we are only 2%. The activities our kids enjoy are on Shabbat - - soccer, baseball, football, hockey, etc. . . It was on Shabbat that I decided that I needed to make a change in my life for my children. While I have been slowly coming to this realization over the past year or so (when I realized my kids didn’t know there was an order to the service - -oh my, I really dropped the religion ball!), it resonated with me in Jerusalem. If I want any of the customs I grew up with to be passed down to my children and their children, I need to do something now, before they are all grown up and set in their ways.

Back in the USA, Shabbat rolls around. I wish I had the time to bake fresh challah, but I don’t. I run to Publix after work, grab two loaves of challah, put out my candlesticks, wash off my Kiddush cup (I am embarrassed to admit how much dust was on it as it is only used at Passover for the prophet Elijah), and print out the weekly Torah portion from the website www.myjewishlearning.com. We read the portion at dinner. We discuss it and figure out how it applies or doesn’t apply to our world today. We have had a few really good discussions. After the discussions, we have family game night. We all plug out and tune in. We treat the evening as if it were special because it is special. It is Shabbat. I would be lying if I told you everyone in the family loves this, but they don’t. I get push back. I know that we are too assimilated to go beyond six hours on Friday night. But, it is important to me, and I hope that one day everyone will look back and say, “Wow, Friday night Shabbat was a night I looked forward to.”

My trip to Israel was way more than a trip. It was a journey. It was about finding me, and what’s important. Israel is a home to all Jews. Israel is home to me. I feel a connection with Israel that I have never felt before. I see why people visit and end up staying. Israel is a country of hope.

Gayle is a member of Congregation Shirat Shalom.

Becoming a Jewish Nation by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 16:55:38 GMT

Shortly we will finish reading the first Book of Beresheet (Genesis,) and begin the second book of the Torah, Sh'mot (Exodus.) While each book of the Torah carries important messages, the Book of Exodus is of utmost importance as it talks about the events that led the family of Jacob and his twelve sons to become the nation of Israel. This transformation took place over the course of 400 years.

But the way G-D chose to create the Israelite nation is a little peculiar. The original idea of coming to Egypt to begin with was to ride out the seven years of famine in a place where food was still available.

Why didn't Jacob's family return back to Canaan, their homeland after the seven years of famine had passed? Why be strangers unnecessarily in a foreign land?

No doubt G-D had a plan. He wanted the Israelites to become a multitude in Egypt. Their sheer numbers threatened Pharaoh so much he saw no other alternative but enslavement.

But why did the plan include having us suffer through slavery on our way to becoming the nation of Israel?

Perhaps the answer is that national attitudes are forged through common experiences. Suffering together through a long, cruel period of slavery caused the Israelites to understand and internalize deep in their souls the enormous value of liberty and justice. This became one of the most important parts of our spiritual makeup, always worth fighting for throughout our long history.

However, because of other nations' influences the institute of slavery did exist in ancient Israel. Nevertheless, there were very strict laws protecting the slaves. Foreign slaves were acquired through victories over enemies whereas Hebrew slaves were acquired because of debt that had to be repaid. Hebrew slaves had to be set free after seven years no matter how large the sum still owed.

While foreign slaves remained slaves forever, the concept of slavery was much different in Israel than in the rest of the Biblical world.

To begin with, there is no Hebrew word for slave, not the way we understand the term. The closest word is "Eved," a derivative of the word "Oved, a worker. Eved translates as one who works without getting paid. The statues of an Eved, Hebrew or foreigner, was like that of a regular worker with all the legal protection from cruelty and inhumane treatment. Especially since the Jewish people were designated by G-D as carriers of the Light of Freedom, the Eved was never considered to be property and had to be treated as a regular worker. Therefore, the Torah issued a stern warning against mistreatment of slaves.

Consequently, slaves were considered as part of the maintenance crew of the household or working crew out in the field. Many slaves most likely had a better life as "slaves" than as free people. An echo of this fact can be seen in a biblical law stating that if a Hebrew slave refuses to go free after seven years because he feels comfortable in his slave status, the owner of the house must shame him by cutting his ear lobe...

As the Israelites gained an even deeper understanding of the sacredness of freedom, the practice of owning slaves became quite rare. This is true especially during the second Temple. Slavery was eventually abolished altogether many centuries before the rest of the world caught up. (or is still catching up...)

Looking back over history, perhaps the reason for creating the Jewish nation through hundreds of years of slavery was necessary to create a unique people who would be able to always carry the ideals of liberty and justice no matter the circumstances. This we have done for thousands of years even during some extremely cruel centuries.

May we continue to do so...

Rabbi David

The Pastor's Bar Mitzvah Prayer by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 14:07:18 GMT

It is over three years now since the mother first called but only now that I publicly share the story....

She began by telling me she would just speak from her heart. Her family was very active in a non denominational church in Kentucky which very much honored the Jewish people as Jesus was Jewish. She and her husband wanted their son to learn Hebrew and become a Bar Mitzvah, the rite of passage for Jewish teenagers. This would help them all as Christians to understand the roots of Jesus.

As you can imagine, she was quite nervous telling me all this. I replied by sharing what we teach our children in Hebrew School, "There are many paths to climb a mountain, we all reach the top and are together there. All Sacred Paths are to be respected. " I also told her that Rabbi David and I are instruments of G-d. If her family was brought to us, it was for a reason.

We began teaching the boy Hebrew and the Jewish perspective of the Torah through our online tutoring program which uses a form of video chat. As with all our students we developed a bond with the entire family. As we progressed I wasn't quite sure how a Bar Mitzvah ceremony would be performed for at that time it wasn't in the plans to have Rabbi David and me there. I thought we would work with the pastor and have him conduct some kind of brief ceremony for the church members which would include the boy reading his Torah portion from a child's size Torah. We have one of these replica Torahs in Hebrew School and it is easy to purchase.

But one thing led to another and the family decided they would like us to come to Kentucky to perform the service. It was going to be very expensive to fly both of us to perform the ceremony so we decided only Rabbi David would go. This was somewhat disappointing as I felt very close to the family and as many know, we are a team, used to doing services together. But I also kept getting the message, the inner knowingness that I was to go also.

One morning before another Bar Mitzvah service I prayed and said, "Okay, if I am supposed to be there, please give me the financial means to do so." After the service, the father of the Bar Mitzvah boy, put cash in my hands, enough to pay for 2/3rds of a ticket! The next week I received money I wasn't expecting which paid for the rest of the ticket!

Once we arrived in Kentucky we were welcomed as such honored guests! Even the invitations said our names with the words "honored guests!" Everyone was just thrilled we were there including the pastor and his wife.

We set up a sanctuary in a Fire Hall meeting room. One option was to have the service in their church but they didn't want us to feel uncomfortable. The Fire Hall became a beautiful sanctuary which I thought was so appropriate since the mystical teachings tell us the Hebrew letters of the Torah are written by black fire on white fire. The boy and his grandfather even built an ark for the Torah!

We conducted a Friday evening service and explained all the prayers as we went along. The congregation of about 100 was mostly made up of the church members who participated in every part of the service by singing along with the Hebrew transliteration and English as well! There was actually one Jewish couple there but most of the people had never even met a Jewish person before, including the grandparents of the boy!

When Rabbi David spoke to the boy he told him that he is a bridge between two sister religions. At the end of the service, we invited the pastor of the church to give his blessing over the challah after the boy did the Hebrew blessing.

The pastor broke apart the bread and said, "We have been broken." He then put the bread back together again and said, "May this now be the beginning of our people coming back together."

There was something so profound that happened at that moment! I can only describe it as Waves of Love that came into the room deepening and expanding the Sacredness that was already there. Each person's heart was truly touched that day....

But that is not the end... For each time I have retold the story of the Pastor's Bar Mitzvah Prayer people share how their hearts are so touched by this! I have come to understand that with each heart touched, there is further healing of a broken past....

And so I share this story now with you.... Perhaps your heart will be touched too....

Workings of the Universe by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Sun, 18 Dec 2016 20:50:07 GMT

It was on Thanksgiving last year when my family for the first time watched the videos of my nephew, Jason, taken 23 years ago. My brother in law had just bought a video camera but he didn't have a chance to take too many videos of Jason for in another month he would die. He was 4 1/2 years old.

For those of us who remember, the video cameras then were quite large and to view a video the camera had to be connected to the TV. When my sister found the stored videos all these years later but no camera, she had them transferred to a DVD.

As we all watched the DVD I looked at my older nephew, Kevin, and contemplated how he was shaped by his younger brother's death. He was only eight years old at the time. I then turned my attention to my younger nephew Corey, now a college student, who would not have been born if Jason hadn't died. I could see how intently he was watching the brother he never met. I wondered what was going through his mind.

Afterwards I saw that someone had called my cell phone three separate times. Since there weren't any messages I decided it must be a robot call. After all, who would call on Thanksgiving!

When I returned home, I saw the phone had rung again but this time there was a message. A twenty-three year old boy, the older brother of one of our seventh grade students, had died! My first thought was how Thanksgiving for this family would be forever changed! My second thought was that just like my nephews, my student's life would now be shaped by the loss of his brother.

I had spoken with my student's mother a few weeks earlier when she picked a date for his Bar Mitzvah. The day before the funeral she shared that when she was riding in the car to identify her son, she realized that the month and day of her younger son's Bar Mitzvah was the same as her older son's!

"I didn't even realize they had the same date until that moment!" she exclaimed. "Will they have the same Torah portion? It was Vayishlach and had something to do with brothers." I answered it was doubtful as the Torah portion goes by the Hebrew calendar which is based on the moon and not the secular date which is based on the sun.

A few days later I remembered our conversation and looked up the Torah portion. That evening during the Minyan service (service in house of morning) I first shared the story of how the secular date was the same. And then that the Torah portion was the same as well! It was Vayishlach, a story of two brothers, Jacob and Esau, a story of struggle and forgiveness. All of us at the service that night can attest to the Divine Presence that came into the room at that moment.

This year on Thanksgiving I again thought about the Workings of the Universe. Of how last Thanksgiving we were able to "see" my nephew Jason due to my brother in law buying the camera when he did. Of how I received the phone calls the same time I was watching the video and thinking about my nephews losing their brother. Of how the secular date of the Bar Mitzvah and Torah portion were the same for my student and his older brother.....

During his recent Bar Mitzvah ceremony my student spoke about his older brother, of how just like Jacob in Vayishlach, the leadership role of the family has been passed to him, the younger brother. He spoke of how "11 years ago today, my brother had his ceremony on this exact day and we have the same Torah portion, so this is not a coincidence."

It seems that within the Workings of the Universe, the messages are always there....

I believe they are Messages of Love....

My Student Austin and his older brother Alex.

Never an Accident by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 15:23:06 GMT

Through so many years of teaching B'nai Mitzvah students, I have come to understand that the Torah portion a child receives is never by accident. There is always a hidden message that so resonates with the child! Recently, this was reconfirmed for me with my student, Yaffa, during her Bat Mitzvah lesson.

I knew Yaffa was one of the "Intuitive Children" as soon as I met her in third grade. Of course by nature every child is intuitive but I recognized the deep compassion and sensitivity within her being, how she was so drawn to all that is Sacred. As a seventh grader this is still who she is.

As we were concluding her weekly Bat Mitzvah lesson I asked if she had heard about her friend's accident. The friend had fallen off a horse three days earlier and was in the hospital. Being so sensitive she was quite upset! No, she hadn't heard!

I assured Yaffa that her friend was healing and reminded her she could help with prayer, with sending Healing Light. Her whole face lit up with Joy that she could help in this manner as she is a child who understands and sees energy!

At that point her internet went down and our online meeting was cut off. As I waited for her to sign back on I glanced through her Torah portion. A set of Hebrew words immediately jumped out at me!

As soon as Yaffa was back I excitedly pointed the words out to her! "El Nah, Refah Na La!" These were the words that Moses called out to G-d to heal his sister Miriam when she was struck with leprosy! Please G-d, Please Heal her!

"These Hebrew words are so powerful, Yaffa! They are used to help people heal! They are the same words on my healing tambourine! You can use these words with your friend!"

Yaffa shut her eyes to see the words. "Yes," she smiled with her eyes still closed, "I see them! They have a glowing light around them!" I answered still excited, "Use them, Yaffa! Put them on your friend's body!"

She kept smiling and nodded her head, for she had already done so....

I sat in awe afterwards understanding that this child's prayer was truly helping her friend. If the internet hadn't gone off, I wouldn't have seen the healing words to give her. And what are the chances she would even have this specific Torah portion, Beha'alotecha, containing the healing words which she instinctively knows how to use!

No, it is never an accident which Torah portion a child receives....

Rabbi David's Christmas Lights by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 03:27:48 GMT

Once again Rabbi David put up the Holiday Lights for our neighborhood's entrance. Last year when he did it for the first time we thought it was so funny! The Rabbi of the neighborhood was putting up the Christmas lights! He had no idea what it would entail but took it very seriously. After all it was a mitzvah! (good deed)

He called a Christian friend and asked, "How do the lights stay on the trees? " She thought the question was pretty hysterical. "Just start doing it," she said "and you will figure it out! " He enlisted some help from the neighbors as to what kind of lights to buy and also later on to help him with placing the lights on the higher trees.

Many Blessings for All during this Season of Light...

Thanksgiving by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 14:01:54 GMT

Thanksgiving is as genuine American apple pie. I don't think that any other nation sets aside a dedicated holiday to show such an appreciation for our life. Yet we Jews can take a little credit for influencing the creation of this holiday. It is commonly assumed that the Pilgrims modeled their original Thanksgiving celebration after the holiday of Succot. According to the biblical explanation, Succot was a holiday of Thanksgiving to celebrate the end of agricultural year. There were many celebratory activities, especially in Jerusalem, thanking G-d for the spring, summer and fall crops.

In our modern American Thanksgiving version we also express gratitude for everything in our life, for who we are and what we have. In the Jewish tradition we are actually encouraged to be in an appreciative mode every day of the year. It is our obligation to try to recite 100 blessings of thanksgiving every day, always starting with "Baruch Ata Adonai", Blessed are you Adonai. How is that for an endless daily thanksgiving celebration! These blessings cover all aspects of our life. They range from our smallest daily needs and functions to seeing majestic views, to experiencing new things etc.

I believe that this year's Thanksgiving celebration is even more significant for us. We have just gone through a painful election which has torn us into a deeply divided nation, complete with lower emotions of hate and ill wishes. So deep is the division that in many families, certain topics are still avoided in order to prevent quarrels.

Appreciating what we have is a powerful way for us to begin to heal and come together again as a nation. We as Americans and Jews have so much for which we can be thankful. Whatever our political affiliation, we are and always will be one nation. For the sake of all of us and future generations let us begin working together and start with our own family members and friends. All of us are the guardians of liberty and freedom.

Indeed, things are not perfect and there is much to be done socially and economically and on the world stage in order to keep the United state what it has always been, a Beacon of Hope. But despite the political turmoil, our country is strong and safe and we have the freedom to evaluate our economy and social issues. And as we gather together at our Thanksgiving tables let us also remember and appreciate how many lives have been given so we may even have the privilege of enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday.

Yes, we have much to be thankful for this year. May we continue to be blessed with much to be thankful for every day of our lives. And in doing so, may we Jewish people continue to not only share our blessings with those in need but also follow our teachings that ask us to model respect, understanding and compassion for all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rabbi David

More about Gratitude

The Rainbow by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 12:05:42 GMT

First from Cantor Lee: The first week of November this year we read the Torah portion, Noah. G-d puts a rainbow in the sky..... On Rosh Hashanah evening this year, "The Rainbow" was the title of Rabbi David's sermon/story. Enjoy!

The Rainbow by Rabbi David RH Eve Sermon

This year there were major changes in the communication style between G-D almighty and yours truly. Some of our members correctly pointed out to me that sending an email to G-D is way passe', old fashioned and behind the times.

Heaven forbid, we should suggest the Creator of Time is behind the times...

Therefore all my communication with G-D from now on is by Tweet or Instagram. Since the holidays were approaching I got myself a Tweeter account (yes, Rabbi David means to say "Tweeter" account here - his sense of humor...)and was ready to tweet that I would like to discuss some urgent Jewish matters with the Old Mighty. I do this, as you know every year before the High Holidays. It is of course a Holiday tradition.

Usually I am the one doing the talking, the complaining. He is listening. I tweeted that I would like to have our annual discussion hoping that he would see it.

"Dear Rabbi David" the reply said, " you complain to me every year. But since it is your tradition to kvetch and complain at this time of the year about all the problems in the world I will yet again honor your tradition.

However just like last year, this holiday season again I cannot send down my chariot that usually picks you up since it has a transmission problem. And since we don't have a heavenly Uber service yet, all of our communication will have to be more of the earthly high tech kind.

Not good enough I thought to myself! I immediately tagged on G-D's face book page a selfi of myself being upset!

I wrote, "We must meet! How about if I meet your representative in some more earthly venue like a restaurant. We have some nice restaurants here in Boca." He tweeted me back, "Agreed!! But I choose the venue. And it will be on Mt. Sinai. Date and time to follow."

Mt Sinai?! How in the world....will I get to Mt. Sinai? I want to tell you that as you know, every year as the High Holy Days are approaching my beloved wife Cantor Lee gets nervous. She wonders what kind of kakamaimi story about meeting with G-D will I tell her this year? The news did not sit well with my beloved wife.

Cantor Lee, may she be blessed, was very upset with my new mishegaas."Are you telling me, my dear husband, the Rabbi, that you are going to schlep half way across the world to climb on some mountain?

Why can't G-D talk to you here in Boca Raton? There are so many nice places, country clubs, beach front hotels. Why can't you use skype or face time like normal people?'

But I insisted. "Just like old Moses," I told her, "when G-D Tells you to go, you go."

Sure enough, the complete instructions came a few days later with the date and time specified. When I reach the top of the mountain I will be greeted by a man. His name is Angel Chaim. He is assigned to listen to all my grievances and complaints.

I packed some clothes and food and bought a ticket to Israel on El Al. After a long flight I arrived in Israel in the early morning and immediately took a bus to Eilat, the closest city to the Sinai border.

Sinai as you know is not a safe place for travelers. Several terror organizations are active there, fighting with the Egyptian government. And yet tourists are crossing the border from Eilat.

At the border I joined a tourist group which boarded an old Egyptian bus. And that is how the actual trip to Mt. Sinai started. It is an hour's ride though the bare hot desert to get to the mountain. Nothing but sand and sky. The tour bus finally stopped at my destination.

"Jabel Musa" the tour guide called in Arabic. Mt. Moses. All the tourists got off the bus to take some selfies with the mountain in the background.

They were so excited and felt very special. Then the tour bus continued toward Cairo, Egypt. They promised to pick me up on the way back from their Nile tour in three days. I hoped so. It's a long way back to Eilat from here.

I started climbing the mountain for my rendezvous.

You think Masada is hard to climb? Let me tell you. Good old Moses must have been in amazing shape at the age of 80 something to scale this mountain. One has to be crazy to climb it in the middle of the day with this kind of heat. I was wondering what time of the day G-D asked Moses to climb the mountain to get the Ten Commandments.

As I was ascending I remembered the story about Elijah the prophet who by order of G-d went from Judea all the way to Mt Sinai. He climbed the mountain, then stood there at the top looking for G-D. There was no thunder, no fire, no noise, just a calm wind that blew through the mountain top.

That's when he finally understood that G-D appears in the calm and quiet of his soul.

As the mid day calm desert wind blew and the silence of the wilderness really began to stir me, I got a glimpse of what Elijah felt finding his G-D in all of this.

The energy around was intense. I kept climbing for hours drinking from the water I brought with me. I reached the top as the sun was setting in the west.

What a beautiful sight! The desert sky turned all red as the sun began to disappear and the wind grew a little stronger, blowing against me, cooling me down.

I was exhausted. I lay down on the ground getting ready to sleep. Angel Chaim will most likely not come tonight...

I slept like a rock among all rocks around me. Pre- dawn desert is just as beautiful as the sunsets. As I woke up, I sat there quietly watching the sun begin to rise in the east and felt that quiet wind blowing. What a sight!

Before I realized that I was hungry and thirsty I spotted a man approaching me out of nowhere, a little strange looking with a short beard, sun glasses baseball hat, khaki shorts and a tee shirt. It read, 'In G-D we trust. Everyone else prays.'

"Rabbi David I presume," he said with a big smile and a healthy handshake. It is so good to finally meet you in person. "Angel Chaim, good to see you too," I replied.

"And how was your trip?" I assured him that I was well and in good spirits and looking forward to our serious discussion about this year's urgent Jewish matters.

"Here," he said as he unpacking his backpack, "I brought you a few pastrami on rye sandwiches, some water and some heavenly fruits - all Glat kosher. After all, we cannot have a serious discussion on an empty stomach." I agreed.

After a nice breakfast it was now time for the business at hand. Angel Chaim pulled out his laptop and began diligently typing everything I was saying.

"Look, your honor, your angelness," I started, "every year we seem to have the same discussion. I complain about the chaos in our world, wars, terror, hatred, hunger, anti-Semitism. All I get are promises and what are supposed to be comforting words. Then, someone in heaven records my complaints, backs them into the clouds in a file, then files it away in the heavenly Archive. And the situation gets worse."

Angel Chaim hesitated for a minute and then pointed at the desert. "What do you see?" he asked.

"I see the endless desert with beautiful mountains around us."

"And what do you feel?"

"I feel serene and calm. I feel the calm wind of the early morning desert."

"And did you feel that way last night?" "No," I said, it was pitch dark. I felt a little uncomfortable lying on the ground in an unfamiliar place."

"And what happened when the sun rose?" he continued. "Well," I said, "with the light came the calmness. I saw the beauty of this place and the light wind brought peace and calm."

"And yet," Angel Chaim insisted, "this is a desert, a harsh environment which can be very unsafe and frightening. " "This is true," I replied.

Looking at my puzzled face he continued.

"This desert is a beautiful place. I myself come here sometimes to relax and have a drink in my happy hour. The rough and hostile environment along with its beauty have co existed here for a long time."

"So you are trying to tell me that world turmoil will always co exist with us as part of our life? And I had to come all the way here to hear this? You could have just said that to me on skype back in Boca!"

Angel Chaim smiled again. "Tell me Rabbi, after a long period of rain, when the sun finally emerges from the dark clouds, what usually happens?"

"Well, when it is still drizzling and the sun comes up, we see the rainbow of course."

"Well, Rabbi, would you please look up in the sky?"

I looked up towards the rising sun and the most amazing thing happened. A beautiful rainbow appeared in the east.

No rain . No drizzling. Just a large colorful rainbow!

"Do you get it now, Rabbi? You keep asking us to create miracles, to miraculously bring peace unto the world. It is not that simple but not impossible."

I was still puzzled.

"Miracles only come with Hope, Rabbi. Hope for Peace is a powerful gift, given to people. It helps defeat evil. It has been helping many generations before you and generations to come. Just as this rainbow always will be with you.... so will the Hope that comes with your prayers for peace.

I answered, "We have been hearing this for thousands of years. Can you be more specific? How about some kind of time frame?"

Angel Chaim smiled, "the stronger your hope, the stronger you are. The more you cherish what you believe the faster it will come."

The man with the strange tee shirt who called himself Chaim the Angel was packing his bag. "Keep the faith Rabbi," he said, "evil does not exist forever."

The biblical story suggests that after his Mt. Sinai experience Elijah the prophet felt content for the first time after a long period of aggravation.

I was not sure. I just stood there staring at Chaim, the angel. He left with a promise to deliver our conversation to his boss, the Old Mighty and disappeared as suddenly as he came.

As the sun rose in the east I climbed down the mountain. Not a small task for my sore knees and waited for the tourist bus returning from Cairo. I had plenty of time to think about my encounter with Mr. Chaim, the Angel.

I wondered what I could take from this experience to tell my congregation back in Boca Raton. I thought about eternal hope and steadfast belief in a better world, a peaceful world.

In the famous musical, "Fiddler on the Roof" there is an expulsion scene when the Jews of the Shtetl of Anatevka are forced out of their homes, not knowing where to go. As they were chased out of their homes, they turned to their Rabbi. "Rabbi," they said, "wouldn't now be a very good time for the Messiah to come?"

"Yes," replied the rabbi. We will just have to keep waiting for him somewhere else..." to which the Rambam one of the greatest Jewish scholars of all time who lived in the 11th century said the following: "I believe in the coming of the Messiah and although he is delayed I will keep waiting for him to come.."

And it occurred to me that this year will be a very good time for peace to come. And if peace is delayed for some reason, as the Ramabam said, we will just have to continue to hope and pray for it.

And if we need another word of encouragement...

This afternoon my cousin Mario called me to wish me Happy New Year. He pointed out that this is the Jewish year of 5777. If we add the numbers we get 26. The number 26 is also the numerical value of the sacred letters of G-D's name, the Yud Hey Vav Hey. 10 is for Yud, Hey 5 Vav 6 Hey 5. The year 5777 is the year of G-D.

Perhaps this is a message for us that in this Year of G-D, this is the year Peace will Come. May it be so....

Rabbi David

Under the Sukkah by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 11:27:33 GMT

The memory comes back to me as it does each year during Sukkot. I am a child 3 or 4 years old waiting in the Temple sanctuary to visit the sukkah. I climb the steps with the other children but then time stops and I am alone. I am amazed by the clusters of fruit and thick leaves that form a canopy over me! A presence of Love embraces me, protects me.

It isn't until I am an adult years later that I understand who came to me under the sukkah. She is known by many names but in Judaism we call her Shechinah, the feminine nurturing aspect of G-d. The root of the Hebrew word Shechinah means dwelling place for She dwells inside each of us.

I sit under the sukkah as I do each year and She comes. I marvel at so many gifts we have been given to call her, to become aware of her Presence. She comes each Shabbat with L'Cha Dodi, She is under the chuppah with each bride and groom, when we are still, quiet under the sukkah as I am now.

The full moon shines through the sukkah roof, through its walls and once again She embraces me with her arms of Love. I pray and ask that we all feel her arms of Love embracing us. That we in turn bring her Love into our world.

The Living Story

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 18:28:24 GMT

From Cantor Lee: When Marty told me of the project he wanted to organize for Shirat Shalom and the story behind it, I knew this had to be shared! For this Living Story is one that has been a part of the Jewish people perhaps since the beginning. Marty's part in the story begins in 1951 when he was just a child....

I Remember my Grandmom by Marty Hyman

The year was 1951. I was almost seven years old and although my parents could not afford to send me to an overnight camp, I was sent to live with my mom’s parents, my Grandfather Jacob and my Grandmother, Esther, for the summer in Atlantic City, New Jersey. My Grandmother Tillie on my dad’s side lived across the street. Each weekend during the summer my mom and dad would come down the shore from steamy hot Philadelphia to spend the weekend in the cool breezes of the Atlantic Ocean.

One weekend in July, I remember when my dad’s mom, Grandmom Tillie, came across the street to visit us and she seemed very worried. She had just received the electric bill for June in the mail and was worried about how she would be able to pay the $6.50 bill. In fact, my dad had to pay the bill for her.

I felt bad seeing how worried she was about paying a bill. She was living month to month on a very small Social Security check that was so small that she struggled to buy her food, pay rent and pay all of her bills.

Yet, I still remember visiting her for Erev Shabbat dinner on the following Friday. After she prepared the table, and lit the candles, she went into the kitchen. I followed her and saw on the window sill over the kitchen sink that she had several different shaped cans. They were her collection of Tzedakah cans.

The writing on all of the cans was in Hebrew. I didn’t know how to read Hebrew at that time. So she explained that the rectangle can with blue writing on it was for the Jewish National Fund, one square one was for an Israeli orphan’s school, another was for trees for Israel and one round can was from her own Community Synagogue that was on Maryland and Pacific Avenues.

The joy that I saw on her face when she placed the few pennies that she had into the cans made me realize how rich she felt at that moment. This was a woman that was so poor she needed her son to pay a very small electric bill for her. But in that kitchen on Shabbat, I saw in my Grandmom’s face how she felt like the richest woman on earth.

Giving Tzedakah does that you know.

While the coins and bills that you may place in the can will help someone else, what it does to you, how it makes you feel so rich is also a very important result of fulfilling the mitzvot of Tzedakah.

Marty's Tzedakah Can Project

Marty and his wife donated 300 Tzedakah cans (yes 300! ) to Shirat Shalom and designed beautiful labels as well for each can. These will be given out during Rosh Hashanah, the plan being that each family returns a full can next year during the holidays.

Marty also included blank labels so the Hebrew School children could design their own Tzedakah cans. We invited Marty to speak to the children and they were mesmerized by his story! Afterwards as they each designed a unique label and made the commitment to fill their Tzedakah can with coins, we told them that they too are part of this Living Story!

From Rabbi David:

Marty and his wife, Fran, are the embodiment of who we are as Jewish people. I recall a scene from the famous musical "Fiddler On The Roof" when Reb Tuvia hands a piece of cheese to Perchick, the young starving student from the city of Kiev, and urges him to take the gift. "Take it," he tells Perchick , it will be my honor." At first I thought this is part of the scene's humor. Then I realized there is a much serious element to that scene.

Upon creating the Jewish nation the Torah gave us the secret for survival as a nation. One can see it as a theme throughout the entire 613 commandments. It is compassion for our fellow man, to animals and to Mother Earth. The Torah as well as the entire Jewish tradition understood that a healthy society is a society which creates the kinds of social laws which take care of the weakest, the poorest elements of society as well as laws that make this world a better place even in the smallest measures.

Over the years these laws of righteousness or Tzedakah turned from merely biblical legal obligations to who we are as Jews. We became a people of Compassion with a keen sense of justice and concern for others.

Helping others takes many forms. It is our deepest conviction that we came to this world not only to enjoy it but to contribute to its welfare. This is the "Tikun Olam" we often talk about.

In fact while we do Tzedakah willingly because we understand its importance, the great Rabbis of the Talmud kept reminding us that any act of Tzedakah such as donating money to a good cause or helping in many other ways is our obligation, not a choice. In old Europe and even now in certain Jewish circles it is a tradition that even the a person with the most limited resources has a Tzedakah box to which he adds coins as often as he possible can.

Marty was telling our Hebrew School students an amazing truth. It is the truth that Reb Tuvia told Perchick. Giving Tzedakah has a profound effect on us. It makes us feel better about ourselves and about our world. It gives us hope for better world for all of us.

Indeed, we can cure the world from all its strife and hate with the prescription the Torah gave us, with acts of kindness.

One act of kindness at a time.

Rabbi David

Would you like a Shirat Shalom Tzedakah can? We would be delighted to give you one! And how blessed we will be in knowing that in helping us we are in turn helping you!

Marty Age 7 and his grandparents

Confirmation Student Jared gluing 300 labels!

Marty with some of our Hebrew School Children

No Sins Here! by Rabbi David Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 18:50:24 GMT

As the High Holiday season approaches Jews traditionally begin to review the past year including what are we proud of, the mistakes we have made and our regrets. During High Holy Day services we even formally look at our wrongdoings which we may term as "sins."

Judaism has a unique perspective regarding "sins." It recognizes that we humans are prone to wrongdoing, mostly unintentionally, and sometimes with our full awareness.

But even when "evil people" commit "evil deeds" with full intent and awareness, their deliberate intent itself is seen as an unconscious deviation from their own deep inner decency and goodness.

Therefore the most evil person does not really sin. In fact in Hebrew we don't even have a word for "sin!" The closest word is "Chet" which means missing the mark or target.

These inner targets of goodness and righteousness are the fabric, the building blocks used by G-D to create our world.

When a person though his actions misses his inner target, a destructive energy is added to our world which affects all of us. It takes away from the beauty of our world.

Good deeds and righteous acts do the opposite. They cleanse the world from the polluted energy of evil. This "Cleansing" is the Jewish concept of "Tikun Olam" , repairing the word. Righteousness and good deeds are wonderful cleansers to a world full of "wrong doing."

When too much evil energy exists, Gaia, Mother Earth, will even take the necessary steps to get rid of this energy.

The Torah documents several such cases: The story of the flood, when one righteous person, Noah, was not enough to cleanse the negative energy that engulfed the earth. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah, when one good person Lot, was not enough to cleanse those cities. The story of Korach who rebelled against Moses. Korach's energy was so caustic that it caused the earth to swallow him.

When we come together as a congregation during the High Holy Days, we have the power together to cleanse ourselves and our world.

May it be so in this New Year of 5777!

L'Shana Tova,

Rabbi David

BE by Gabbie, 14 years old

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 14:38:35 GMT

First from Cantor Lee: As part of the rite of passage for a Jewish teen, the Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremony (usually at the age of 13), the student is required to design a mitzvah project which entails community service. This is such a unique and beautiful mitzvah project that can inspire all of us, I knew I had to share it! When I asked this amazing teen if I had permission to do so, she replied, "Of course you have my permission to share my project! I would really like it to reach as many people as possible!"

From Gabbie:

As most of you know, I am now 14 which is a later time to be entering the world as a Bat Mitzvah but also still perfectly okay, to me, I feel unique having this experience during this time of my life while various other changes are already happening around me, such as the beginning of high school and making new friends and new memories. I really wanted my Bat Mitzvah to reflect this. A Bat Mitzvah project usually consists of a good deed that you perform in order to enlighten a difference around you. I took this general idea and tried to make it different and unique in the same way that I am. Instead of executing one or two acts of change, I have decided to implement myself in 14 divergent ways of being so that I am able to perform many individual acts both now and in the future.

I call my project “BE,” this is because I want to inspire people to be their greatest selves and to be whomever they want to be. So for my Bat Mitzvah project, I came up with 14 separate adjectives that I want to become during my time as a Bat Mitzvah. And adjoining each one of these adjectives, is an activity that I can perform to further mold myself into becoming this characteristic. I am now going to read through each characteristic and explain how I have or how I plan to exemplify it.

Be:

· Active -- planning to participate in runs to support charity

· Appreciative -- simply say thank you and express to people how much they mean to you, it’s easy

· Artistic -- planning to support a classroom in need of art supplies by raising money through selling art work

· Considerate of the earth -- recycle and pick up trash in the woody areas around my town

· Courageous -- be outgoing and assist a stranger or stand up for people

· Determined -- finish what you start, stay focused and get things done. Personal goal and mitzvah regarding school work.

· Friendly -- always smile and be nice to others, encourage your friends both old and new or in the making, a smell gesture could change someone’s day completely

· Generous -- leave a nice tip at restaurants and such and encourage others to do the same, and just generally remember to give back, keep a tzedakah box

· Happy -- or “gay,” I plan to support others being happy as who they are by raising money for Orlando Foundation with bake sales

· Helpful -- volunteer at a soup kitchen, offer your assistance without having to be asked around the house or elsewhere

· Kind -- show small acts of kindness, left notes in books @ library, leave lucky pennies

· Intelligent-- always strive to learn and share information with others. Helping younger students, such as brother and friends

· Caring -- volunteered at an old folks home and socialized with the patients on Saturdays, we also played games

· You -- be yourself among all of these things, I have personally aimed to achieve this goal and be my best self around everyone

With these 14 separate attributes in trying to repair the world, I hope that was able to and will continue to make whatever small difference I can in this large world; I also want to encourage everyone here to do the same. You don’t have to use these adjectives but you can or you could make up your own; we can never stop improving.

Here is Gabbie, 14 years old

Gabbie's Project of putting hearts in Library Books

Read how Gabbie is continuing to BE eight years later: https://shiratshalom.org/Rabbi-and-Cantors-Messages/13361406

The Holiday of Love, Tu B'Av by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 00:37:50 GMT

After Rabbi David and I heard Alan's story we just sat for a few moments in silence. Finally I said to him, "Alan is going to be buried on Tu B'Av, The Holiday of Love!" We just looked at each other, knowing this wasn't a coincidence.

Not too many people have heard of Tu B'Av, Jewish or otherwise! It translates as the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av. The "tu" is comprised of the letters tet and vav which together have a numerical value of 15. Since the Hebrew calendar follows the lunar cycle, Tu B'Av always comes during the middle of the Hebrew month which is the time of the full moon. This year the holiday was on August 19th and began the evening before at sundown.

There is such a beautiful energy in the world during Tu B'Av that it is no wonder that is has come to be known as the Holiday of Love! It is considered to be an auspicious time for weddings and engagements.

The Holiday of Love was also the most perfect day for Alan's funeral. For his story is about a family rising above the past to come together in Love to care for him. I cried when I first heard his story and cried throughout the funeral service.

Although Alan had managed to take care of himself for a few years after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, the time came when he could no longer do it alone. His two young adult daughters sought guidance from their mother, Karen, who had been divorced from Alan for 18 years.

Karen called Alan's second former wife, Neuza, and together along with the rest of the family they formed a plan to care for Alan.

"It is the most horrific disease," Karen told me, "for he would gasp for breath 24 hours a day." Alan's suffering was more than heartbreaking but that wasn't why I cried so much. It was the Love from this family that couldn't help but touch my heart.

The Love of two former wives, Karen and Neuza, coming together to provide his care. The Love of Karen's husband who totally supported her as she cared for her ex husband. There were the hours Karen was gone from the house, the financial resources they had to provide, the physical care that was required when for so many months Alan couldn't leave his bed.

The Love of Alan's second former wife, Neuza who came back from Brazil to remarry him and move in with him so she could take care of him during his last months. Of how his care took every last ounce from her emotionally and physically but still she persevered.

The Love of his daughters who spent hours with their father during those last excruciating months. Of just holding his hand when his disease would no longer allow him to speak.

When it came time during the service for the prayer, Eil Malei Rachamin (The One Full of Compassion,) when we ask G-d to help a loved one return Home, I asked that everyone in the packed room radiate Love from their hearts to guide Alan as he took the next step on his soul's journey. The Love was so strong within the room and from Above I shook the whole time I chanted the prayer!

I didn't meet Alan who passed away at the age of 60 but still I thank him for being a catalyst to bring so much Love into the world. For in the end, no matter how it has come, it is Love that brings healing for all us!

The 17th Day of Tammuz

(Past member) — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 18:53:09 GMT

During the month of Tammuz which this year is July 7th - August 4th, we are ushering in the summer's main Jewish historical event, the beginning of the cataclysmic loss of our Temple. While Roman documents would never chronicle the unprecedented bloody fight and their own heavy losses, Jewish sources do talk about an amazing heroic stance of a few hundred Temple defenders against thousands of Roman soldiers.

The actual Roman blockade on the Temple mount started 5 months earlier on the 10th day of the month of Tevet. There were five months of starvation and then heavy fighting with the mighty Roman empire and all of its heavy blockade and wall busting equipment. The Romans could not break into the Temple much to the chagrin of the Roman senate. Roman soldiers were brought from all over Europe to help.

Knowing that other oppressed nations around were eying this event carefully, considering it an encouragement for their own revolt, the destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem became a "must do at all cost" for Rome.

On the 17 day of Tammuz (commemorated on July 24th this year), after five long months of blockade and fighting, the outer wall of the temple was compromised and thousands of Roman soldiers poured into the inner parts of the Temple attempting to burn it. Little did they know that they would be facing another 22 days of extremely bloody fighting against very determined and brave Jewish defenders inside the Temple plaza before the fight would end. Weeks later the Temple was set ablaze on the 9th day of the month of Av and the few remaining defenders, exhausted by starvation and war, perished.

Over the generations the days between the 17th day of Tammuz and 9th of Av, Tisha B'Av) (Aug. 14th this year) were dedicated to intense mourning. Many Jewish mourning customs are practiced including the avoidance of certain life cycle events such as weddings. The idea was to prepare oneself for the crescendo of the 9th day of Av, the memorial day for the actual destruction of the Temple.

However, over the generations and especially in modern times, the significance of this time period has expanded from a sense of victimhood and despair to ushering in a ray of hope for a gentler, more peaceful world. A modern understanding of the Temple destruction implies the hope of renewal and redemption. The old flames of the Burning Temple forever burned its imprint on our hearts.

Our Temple, the symbol of our highest moral standards, decency and humanity now exist inside of us. This powerful imprint gives us the ability and strength to cling to that ray of hope for a better world no matter how tumultuous our world becomes. In fact the more chaotic and dangerous our world becomes with much evil around the stronger our belief in peaceful times should be. This concept is known in traditional Judaism as " Chevlei Moshiach" the birthing of the messiah (also known as Messianic Age) and that is what helped our ancestors in every generation through some very hard times when their own survival was in question. We should therefore dedicate the 22 days of mourning to spiritual renewal, getting closer to our Judaism, our values, our Creator.

B'Shalom

Rabbi David

Healing after the Orlando Shooting

Shirat Shalom — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 20:28:00 GMT

Like so many others, my heart stopped when I first learned about the Orlando Shooting in a Gay nightclub on Sunday, June 12th. I quickly checked my inner guidance. Were both my daughter and daughter in law okay? They are often in Orlando and also perform their fire spinning program in night clubs.

Although my intuition reassured me, I still texted my daughter. Were they both alive and well? The answer came back "Alive and Well" along with a question about her blood type so she could donate to the blood bank.

Relieved, I then pondered why this happened during the holiday of Shavuot when Jews celebrate the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai. During the first night of Shavuot which began sundown on Saturday, many Jews throughout the world gather together and stay up the entire night studying Torah. The shooting began at approximately 2 a.m. Sunday morning when much Light was being released into the world from this sacred Torah study.

The next day, I had even more to ponder when I realized that 49 people had been murdered. With the shooter being killed there were 50 people who had died! These are the same numbers that are associated with Shavuot!

The Hebrew word "Shavuot" actually translates as "Weeks" as there are seven weeks or 49 days of preparation beginning right after Passover for each one of us to receive the Light of the Torah on Shavuot.

We follow a seven week program of self reflection and improvement. Each day for 49 days we focus on a different aspect of ourselves connected to the Sefirot which are part of the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah. We basically bring to the surface hidden or darker parts of ourselves. With the release and healing of these aspects we prepare ourselves to hold an increased amount of Light from the Torah which we will receive on Shavuot, the 50th day.

But seeing these correspondences didn't give me answers I could give to my daughter when I finally spoke to her on Tuesday. She was in the midst of grieving for her community, for her friends who lost loved ones, for the hatred that had surfaced.

I could only listen with my heart knowing that much darkness has been brought to the surface for us to all heal together. And the only way I believe that can happen is through Love.

During our conversation my daughter shared that she has recently been spending time each day sending Love to various people, even with those where there is friction. It seems that as a result she has experienced many random acts of kindness including strangers buying her coffee, giving her gift cards, even unexpected gifts. We discussed how sending Love has changed her energy field as well as everyone she encounters.

On Sunday the day of the shooting, my daughter posted on her facebook page,

"So sad and confused. My heart goes out to everyone coping. But don't allow this to restore your fear. Both fear and faith are belief in the unknown. Choose wisely.

LOVE, Not Hate."

It is only now as I write that I realize that 49 adds up to 13 which is the numerical value of "Ahavah," the Hebrew word for Love!

It seems Love has been the message all along....

Thank you for letting me share my journey with you! Love, Lee

Israel Independence Day

(Past member) — Wed, 11 May 2016 17:00:00 GMT

Israel Independence Day 2016 by Rabbi David Degani

On the 5th day of the month of Iyar, we will celebrate Yom Ha-atz-ma-ut, 68 years of Israel's Independence. For us as Jews, this event 68 years ago, became a powerful symbol of our everlasting existence as a unique people whose religion cannot be separated from its nationality. Israel Independence day is a reminder that our existence depends on having a land of our own and that land is specifically the land of Israel with very specific borders. This land is part of us, of who we are as Jews.

I am reminded of an episode which happened at the beginning of the 20th century when the Zionist movement was offered the country of Uganda in Africa as a homeland and a safe haven for European Jews, many of them who were victims of the infamous Kishinev pogrom in Russia. In a rejection letter the leader of the Zionist movement at the time explained that the land component of the Jewish religion is directly related to the land of Israel because of its specific spiritual value and its holiness to Judaism, without which Judaism cannot exist. This principal trumped even the immediate need for a safe place for thousands of Jewish Kishinev refugees.

Other than the religious claim, there are other profound reasons for the existence of Israel as a Jewish state (Judea and Samaria included). The crime of taking away a land from its people is not expunged due to time passed, not even 2000 years. When a nation is forcefully removed from its legitimate homeland, and as long as that nation exists, its claim to the land never gets old. The claim is always intact. Many of us don't realize that when the Muslims invaded the land of Israel in the 7th century the majority of the population was still Jewish. There were many thriving communities around the land beyond the cities of Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberius, Tzfat, etc. Most of the Jews were forced to leave because of extremely heavy and unrealistic taxation imposed on the "Non believers"- a tactic employed by Muslim occupiers over the centuries in order to facilitate a measured but steady exodus of non believer from their own lands.

This principle of never giving up our legitimate claim for our land has been even more profound when we the Jewish nation made it very clear to the rest of the world over the long years of exile through prayers and, in fact, through actions that we are not giving up on our sovereignty to our land.

In the last 2000 years the world knew very well that the Jewish people never gave up on our claim for the land from which we were exiled. In medieval times the church, fearful of Jewish immigration to their homeland which intensified periodically, forbade Jews to travel on Christian boats to the land of Israel. The same was true after the expulsion from Spain in the 15th century as well as other centuries.

The Arabs, recognizing that the land of Israel is the land of the Jews were especially fearful that the Jews would one day return to reclaim their land. One of the major attempts to resettle millions of Jews back in Israel was a plan to create an economic infrastructure first, which would allow for rapid Jewish migration. This plan was made by Don Yosef Nasi, a highly influential Jew in international circles, in the 15th century. The Arab nomads in Israel opposed the plan which Don Yosef had started to implement. The plan was eventually abandoned due to the extreme violent resistance of the local Moslems.

To ensure the Jews wouldn't return, the Muslims built a cemetery in Jerusalem in front of the city Gate of Mercy, Their reasoning for building it in this specific place was that when the Jewish messiah would come to the city, being a descendant of Jewish priests, a Cohen, he would not be allowed to go through a cemetery and therefore would not be able to enter Jerusalem and to establish a new Jewish kingdom in Judea.

In the 17th century an estimated eight thousands Jews, mostly young men, gathered in Turkey under the leadership of a man call Shabbetai Tzvi who promised them that they would take the land of Israel by force through his magic. They were all slaughtered by the Ottoman army. Over the centuries numerous "Messiahs" gathered Jewish believers around them in a naive attempt to magically take over the land of Israel. All ended up in failure. However these constant attempts, as naive as they all were, serve as evidence throughout the centuries that indeed, action was taken by Jews who tried to reclaim the land of Israel.

These and others similar actions indicate that the Jewish people never gave up on their rights to their land. It was a constant battle for our legitimate land which we finally won in 1948 with most but not all of the Jewish land in Jewish hands.

So is the term Israel Independence Day really accurate? To suggest that Israel became independent in 1948 is not only inaccurate, it also provides many Arabs with the anti- Israel propaganda they need. The term may suggest that Israel's independence as it relates to modern Israel separates itself from any Jewish evidence of independent living prior to 1948, as if there was no Jewish independent existence prior to the modern state of Israel.

The fact that Jews lived in the land of Israel for many centuries is not in dispute in international circles. Like most other ancient nations we were chased out of our land. What bothers Israel's enemies around the world is our return to our land recreates a prosperous powerful, independent Israel. We, according to our enemies belong in the past. We had our time on the world stage and lost our land some centuries ago. That is it. We are now just a group of people sharing the same religion. Jews returning back to their land is against the world's natural order of things.

It is therefore very important for us to understand that what we celebrate in front of the entire world is the Jewish Return to independent living in our land, a restoration of previous Jewish independence in the land of Israel after centuries of both yearning to return and at times, some actual attempts to do so.

May we be thankful for this return to our independence everyday! And with this gratitude, may it bring Peace to Israel, to us, to the world!

B'Shalom

Rabbi David

Pesach Energy by Cantor Lee Degani

(Past member) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 13:30:00 GMT

Pesach Energy

by Cantor Lee Degani

How I love Pesach Energy!

For it gives us a chance

to truly be free

from lack and limitation,

all of those lower vibrations!

And bring in its stead

Joy and Inner Peace,

Love and Compassion!

So when I light the holiday candles

I will set the intention,

that all of my loved ones,

all of my connections

will find their struggles

are now Freedom's Blessings!

Five Aspects of Passover by Rabbi David Degani

(Past member) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 13:00:00 GMT

The Five Aspects of Passover

I recently read an interesting article written by Rabbi Benjamin Blech, one of today's truly outstanding modern Jewish thinkers, a professor for Talmud studies at Yeshiva University. Rabbi Blech names five major aspects to the survivability of the Jewish people which were created during the saga of the Exodus from Egypt.

Memory The first aspect is Memory. History prevents us from living in a cosmic vacuum. Knowing who we are and from whence we came enables us to recognize ourselves as a nation and separate religious group. As ancient Hebrews this gave us a sense of our destiny with a mission to improve the world. (hence the concept of repairing the world). This is why remembering the Exodus from Egypt is a commandment mentioned numerous times in the bible. This remembrance has allowed us to fashion ourselves as a nation of freedom lovers and to introduce this concept to an oppressive world.

Optimism The second aspect is Optimism. This powerful psychological state of mind brings with it the innate belief that all oppressive power in the world, all tyranny, all powerful evil empires will be defeated and toppled especially at the times when tyranny is in complete control. As Hebrew slaves with no hope for deliverance from our suffering, Moses actually had quite a difficult time bringing us to this state of mind to allow us to see the coming redemption.

Faith The third aspect is Faith. When the Jewish nation was born out of the event of Exodus the concept of G-D's direct role in human life was created with it. Both in the bible as well as in later writings (such as the writings of the Rambam, one of the greatest Jewish philosophers) a common description of G-D is not an adjective but, in fact, a verb. "I am your G-D who took you out of Egypt", meaning there is direct divine intervention in our lives. G-D is not aloof but rather compassionate and open for our prayers and wishes.

Although G-D is all powerful, our relationship with him is direct and personal. He is the king but he is also our father (remember "Avinu Malkenu" Our Father our King from our High Holy Days liturgy) He acts when things need to get done for the benefit of humans, even if sometimes we don't see it that way. Like all other events in human life, the story of the Hebrews in Egypt is part of the divine plan with reasons not always clear to us.

Family Unit The fourth aspect of the Passover story according to Rabbi Blech is the Family Unit. In order to strengthen and insure the perpetual existence of the Jewish people as a separate and distinguished entity the family unit becomes vital. As we see in our own modern life the family unit ensures the functionality of our society.

In fact most of the seder's rituals are acts to stimulate questions from our children as well a time for a history lesson of who we are and what we are celebrating. This strong family direction enables us to overcome outside negative influences while instilling in our children an inner guide for decency, the love of freedom and Judaism.

Responsibility for Each Other Rabbi Blech mentions the Responsibility for Each Other as the last important aspect of the Exodus story. Our forefathers' long and intense suffering under the yoke of the Egyptians was not without purpose. It created in our "Jewish DNA" the ingrained sense of responsibility not only to repair G-D's world in general but for the betterment of our fellow human beings in particular. It is who we Jewish people are and what we do.

Remembering our ancestors' centuries of suffering , slavery and the denial of human rights obligates us to do our best to help others out of their own personal bondage, whatever that might be. Our ancestors' bondage qualifies and obligates us to be the leaders of the struggle against all which is wrong, to be the world's repairing crew.

May We All Remember In a few weeks, when we gather around the Passover seder table may we all remember how profound and fundamental the recitation of the story of Exodus is to our existence as Jewish people, as a nation, as human beings.

B'Shalom

Rabbi David

Purim Has Gone to the Dogs by Rabbi David Degani

(Past member) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 18:40:01 GMT

A Doggy Purim Megillah

This is the story of Purim according to the secret, untold, uncensored and unrealistic book of Raf Raf Purim.

The Raf Raf megillah was accidentally discovered by Ganef the Dog who was routinely hiding his stolen shoes in the yard only to discover this sacred book in one of his digs.

And we all dig that!

The book was authenticated by Dr. Beauty the Dog who is the curator of the Canine Institute of Biblical and Bone Treat Studies.

So it's like this: In a faraway place called Purr..sia lived a king by the name of Achashve-Dog. He has just married a new Jewish princess from Boca who is known as Queen Esta-Dog.

Things would have been just nice and dandy except that there was also a very poor and sick dog called Hey-Man. But since he was a dog - we call him Hey-Dog.

Since Hey-Dog wanted to be the head honcho, the big cheese, the big shot, he used to cruise the city on his fancy shmancy motorcycle like all leaders of the packs do.

He demanded that all the dogs pay tribute to him by giving them their bones. No more Jewish bone sharing and bone donations to needy dogs, no more believing in the one holy DOG spelled backwards.

Mordechai the dog who is known as Morti-Dog and who is also known for creating the morti-gra in Rio Brazil and in Boca Raton, Florida refused to give Hey-Dog his Jewish bones and declared that all Jewish dogs who, of course, all go to heaven, should never give up their holy scriptures and their bones.

Well, let me tell you. Hey-Man aka Hey-Dog was furious!

He went to Achashve-Dog and demanded to eliminate all these Jewish undocumented or should we say illegal immigrants.

Since it was an election year Achashve-Dog did not want to cause barking fits in his kingdom. He removed his royal collar and gave it to Hey-Dog to sign his terrible decree to eliminate all the Jewish doggies and to confiscate all their treats.

This is when Esta-Dog, queen of the dogs of Purrr...sia swings into action. She invites her husband Achashve-Dog the King along with Hey-Man the Hey-Dog who was the leader-of-the-pack-want-to-be with his fancy Harley bike to a special feast at the Boca Raton garbage collection center.

All three of them really enjoyed the best garbage that the state of Florida can offer, along with the smell.

Florida, as we all know is a small province of the Kingdom of Purr...sia better known today as the dog house of the world.

Suddenly Esta-Dog the Queen reveals to her husband exactly what Hey-Man the Hey-Dog is planning for the Jews.

Since Esta-Dog is Jewish, Achashve-Dog is getting really super upset with Hey-Man, the Hey-Dog. He gets into a barking fit, running around like crazy knocking down trash cans with all of the goodies inside.

Finally, he decrees that Hey-Dog should be banished from his kingdom. He is to return all the bones and all the treats he had taken from everyone around him.

Hey-Man the Hey-Dog is leaving on the midnight train to Georgia and from there he is leaving on a jetplane and he does not know when he will be back again.

Needless to say, Achashve-dog and all the Jews of Persia were very happy and marched in a Barknival Carnival through the streets of Purrr...sia.

And that's the way it was.

Hey-Man!... I mean Amen!

Dogs, bring your humans to Doggy Purim when we retell the story of Esta-Dog who saved the Jews! March 11th, 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Doggy Purim Details

The Tallit by Rabbi David Degani

(Past member) — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 15:00:00 GMT

One of our most spiritual commandments written in the Torah is the obligation to wear a special garment called a tallit. When our children become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah they are presented with a tallit, a prayer shawl which they wear for the first time during the service. What is it about seeing our children wearing a tallit that touches us all?

In the original commandment the Torah commands us to wear fringes around the four corners of our clothing, two in front and two in back. These fringes are part of an undergarment which today is called the "Tallit Katan" or small Tallit which is worn under the shirt. It is basically a small poncho, rectangular in shape which has four holes on its four corners. Four strings are inserted through each hole on each corner. They are then folded to create a cluster of eight strings which are tied together by looping one string around the other seven, in a prescribed way to remind us of the 613 biblical commandments. These strings are called "Tzitzit." Those who wear the tallit katan usually have the tzizit visible hanging on their clothing.

The Tallit we use in the Synagogue is the "Tallit Gadol" or the large Tallit which is the prayer shawl used during prayer time. It too has a rectangular shape with eight stings tied together in each of its four corners. Here too the strings are tied in a way which remind us of the number 613. The Tallit Gadol is worn only during prayer times. It could be made from any type of kosher material as long as it is not a blend of different materials.

The Tallit Katan which is worn everyday is meant to be a constant reminder of our unique obligation to make this world a better place for all mankind by observing the biblical commandments and precepts. This obligation is called Tikun Olam, literally repairing the world for the benefit of all.

The Tallit Gadol which we put on in the beginning of services has a slightly different purpose. It also involves a particular ritual. Before wrapping oneself it is customary to check the fringes in order to make sure none are missing or torn. While doing that the Light of G-d, the Shechina, is invited to descend upon us. Then the Tallit is wrapped around the head and a specific blessing is recited. It is then "lowered" to wrap the shoulders.

This act of covering the head and the shoulders with the Tallit and its fringes representing the 613 commandments is meant to help our body and soul concentrate solely on the prayers we about to offer. It is a powerful spiritual ritual of devotion and meditation which connects us to our ancestors of many centuries ago.

Although wearing the tallit has traditionally been reserved for males, females also may now choose to wear a tallit during services. Often the tallit for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah child is a gift from grandparents, parents or another close relative. It then becomes a treasured gift that forever links the child to the love of family and the Jewish People.

B'Shalom,

Rabbi David

Hebrew School Children Learn to Tie Tzizit

Leapfrog Anyone? By Rabbi David Degani-Purim 2016

(Past member) — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 13:30:00 GMT

This year in the secular calendar of 2016 we have a leap year and add an additional day to the month of February. It also turns out that we have a leap year in the Jewish calendar as well! But instead of adding a day we add an entire month! That means this year there will be 13 Hebrew months rather than 12. This occurs every few years according to a specific calculation and it is always added to the sixth month of the Jewish year, the month of Adar, creating Adar Alef (Adar I) and Adar Bet (Adar II.)

So why add a whole month? The Hebrew calendar is based on the lunar cycle which means the Jewish year lags behind the solar year by 11 days each year. If this isn't adjusted our Jewish holidays would end up being celebrated in unusual times of the year. Just imagine if Passover which celebrates the spring harvest/freedom would be celebrated in winter rather than spring and then eventually in the summer!

Or if the holiday of Sukkot which celebrates the fall harvest/remembrance of wandering in the desert drifts back to the summer and then spring. Tu B'shvat which celebrates nature's renewal/thanksgiving at the end of the winter would be moved back to early winter and then to fall. Shavuot which celebrates the summer's harvest/receiving the Torah is moved from early summer to spring and then winter. You get the idea...

Since this year in the secular calendar of 2016 we have a leap year and add an additional day to the month of February. It also turns out that we have a leap year in the Jewish calendar as well! But instead of adding a day we add an entire month! That means this year there will be 13 Hebrew months rather than 12. This occurs every few years according to a specific calculation and it is always added to the sixth month of the Jewish year, the month of Adar, creating Adar Alef (Adar I) and Adar Bet (Adar II.)

Since the agricultural aspect of these holidays is just as important as the religious ones, they all need to be celebrated at a specific times of the year. Adding a second month of Adar keeps our holidays in the right time of year!

Adar is the month when we celebrate Purim so which month of Adar do we celebrate it, Adar I or II? It is actually celebrated in Adar II during a leap year . Adar is traditionally a time to focus on being joyful. There is even a traditional saying for the month, "Be Happy it is Adar!"

During a leap year we focus on being joyful double the time! Adar begins on sundown Feb. 9th this year. So be Happy, It is Adar!! So be Happy, It is Adar!!

May we all be blessed with double Joy!

Rabbi David

Hebrew School Kids Encounter Carob by Cantor Lee Degani

(Past member) — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 19:26:29 GMT

Yes, it's true! The sixth and seventh graders ate real carob pods and made carob fudge in Hebrew School to celebrate Tu B'Shvat, Birthday of the Trees!

There are many stories in our tradition about carob trees including Choni and the Carob Tree that is associated with Tu B'Shvat.

Here is one version of the story: Choni, a pious person, sees an old man planting a carob tree and questions how long it will take for the carob tree to bear fruit. When the man answers 70 years, Choni questions why he is doing this as the man certainly won't live another 70 years. The old man replies, "when I was born in this world, I found many carob trees planted by my father and grandfather. Just as they planted trees for me, I am planting trees for my children and grandchildren so they will be able to eat the fruit of these trees. Choni falls asleep for 70 years and when he wakes up he sees the grandson of the man also planting a carob tree.

Yes, a beautiful lesson for our children and for us! And along with telling this story a beautiful custom has developed to eat carob on Tu B'Shvat! But will the children actually try the the real carob pods Rabbi David bought for them? Watch and see in this student made and produced video!

Happy Tu B'Shvat!! And Happy Birthday to the Trees!

Cantor Lee

Another Holiday for Eating - Tu B'Shvat! by Cantor Lee Degani

(Past member) — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:36:14 GMT

Tu B'Shvat

On the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat we celebrate Tu B'Shvat, a holiday that honors trees and nature. Since Rabbi David and I love to garden, planting something special in our backyard in honor Tu B'Shavat is not only a gift for Mother Earth but a gift for us as well! And as I wrote last year anything we do in nature helps to balance us!

And to help balance us, we are asked to eat fruits, especially those grown in Israel! Yes, another holiday for eating!! Each fruit also has its own special gift to give us. Participating in a Tu B'Shvat seder as the Kabbalists used to do helps us to further delve into these gifts which connect us to different spiritual realms. But even if we don't have the opportunity to participate in a seder we can still delight in the different fruits! Yum!

Delighting in our meals is a theme throughout Judaism. In fact our table at a meal becomes a mini altar. We are first asked to say a blessing and then eat with awareness that we are partnering with G-d as we eat. Through our senses of sight, smell, taste we are actually giving G-d the experience of eating! With this en-joyment of our food we are bringing ourselves to a higher state. And we then affect the whole! Pretty awesome how it is all set up!

Here are the different levels of fruit we eat at a Tu B'Shvat seder:

Level I - fruits and nuts with a tough outer shell and soft inside reminding us that G-d protects our bodies(outside) and souls(inside.) This is the Kabbalistic world of Assyiah - Doing, Actions, our physical world. Earth is the symbol. We drink white wine for winter when nature is asleep.

Level II - fruits with soft outer shells and hard insides (pits) reminding us that if we have strong inner energy, we don't need to be hard on the outside. This is the world of Ytzirah - Formation, energy and feelings. Water is the symbol. We drink white wine with a few drops of red for the beginning of spring when the sun begins to warm the earth.

Level III - fruits that are soft throughout so whole fruit can be eaten. There is no difference between our inner feelings and outer selves. This is the world of Briyah - Creation, ideas, hopes, natural laws and patterns of the universe. Wind is the symbol. We drink white wine with more red mixed in for the summer harvest and the richness of life.

Level IV - we do not eat any fruits as we are so close to G-d in this level who is timeless and infinite. This is the world of Atzilute - Nobility, oneness, harmony. The symbol is fire. We drink red wine for the end of summer and beginning of the fall season, to once again prepare for a new cycle. We light a candle to remember each one is responsible for bringing our Light into the world.

One more thing! Planting a tree in Israel is a beautiful mitzvah for this holiday! Hope you will do that too! Plant a Tree in Israel!

Happy Tu B'Shvat!

Cantor Lee

Here are some of the second level fruits we eat at a Tu B'Shvat seder

Here I Am by Rabbi David Degani

(Past member) — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 15:00:00 GMT

As the secular new year begins, perhaps the topic most discussed is of course our resolutions! We resolve to better ourselves in a variety of ways.

Me too. Except I heard on the radio this morning that more than 80% of resolutions never materialize at all! So this year I am going make a slight change to my resolutions.

I resolve to turn each resolution into a "Kavanah!" With this Jewish secret weapon behind me, my resolutions will be fortified enabling me to stick to them!

So what is this magic Hebrew word, Kavanah? It is actually a powerful Jewish practice which means to establish an extremely strong intention.

There are numerous expressions of this concept of Kavanah in Judaism. "Hineni" (Here I am) is one of them. When G-D called upon many in the bible such as Abraham, Isaac, and some of the prophets their response was "Hineni," It translates as "Here I AM." "Hineni" means I am ready physically and spiritually to perform this task asked by G-d with all my soul and might.

This laser sharp intention which stops at nothing, "Hineni" is said before the performance of many of our prayers and mitzvot. It actually raises our spiritual vibration into a higher plateau so that our prayers and mitzvot will truly be effective.

Another concept stemming from "Kavanah," sacred intention, is "Leshem Shamayim" (For the Sake of Heaven.) Everything we do, every thought we have, every word we utter should be for perpetuating the holiness of G-D. Being in this mindful state keeps us in a state of gratitude and from taking things for granted throughout the day. Our thoughts and intentions remain strong and sharp and our tasks are performed effectively.

So G-d, as we begin 2016, "Hineni," Here I am. For "Leshem Shamayim" the Sake of Heaven, I resolve to better myself, to perform Your mitzvot, to do good not only for others but for myself as well. And that includes making wise choices to stay healthy.

And while we are at it, G-d, may my actions radiate out into the world and help others to be happy and healthy! . After all, happy and healthy people make for a better world! And what can be a greater Mitzvah than that!

May we all be blessed with Health, Happiness, Prosperity and Peace in 2016!

Rabbi David

A Song of Peace by the Children of Shirat Shalom

(Past member) — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 01:00:00 GMT

Shirat Shalom, the name of our congregation translates as "Song of Peace." The following song is based on the visions of Peace of our children. Won't you help them by sharing their message? And don't forget to add your vision of Peace as well!

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SONG OF PEACE

CHORUS: We're the kids from Shirat Shalom

And we're here to sing our song

'Cause we see the way our world can be

and it begins with you and me

it begins with you and me

VERSE: I see a world of Love and Light,

I see a world where people don't fight,

I see a world where animals are safe,

Where everyone has a smile on their face!!

CHORUS:

VERSE: The air and the water is clean and pure,

Every disease now has a cure,

All the soldiers put down their guns,

Home and food for everyone!

CHORUS:

VERSE: Do you have a dream that 's deep inside?

Come now and sing it, don't let it hide!

Every thought we have adds to the whole

And that's how we bring to earth Love and Peace for all!

CHORUS:

We're the kids from Shirat Shalom

with the grownups singing along

'Cause we see the way our world can be

With Love and Joy and Harmony

A world of Peace for you and me

It's a world that we can see

It's a world that now can be!

(Spoken)
Child l: But wait a minute, we can't do a song without the dogs! Child 2: Right, what do they have to say? Child 3: After all, what is dog spelled backwards?

VERSE BY DOGS: We see a world where you're just like us

If you make a mistake don't make a fuss

No matter what you do, you're always loved

And that 's how we bring to earth heaven from above!

CHORUS: 'Cause we're the doggies from Shirat Shalom

with the kids and grownups singing along!

We see the way our world can be

With Love and Joy and Harmony!

A world of Peace for you and Me!

It's a world that we can see,

It's a world that now can be!

Written by Cantor Lee Degani based on visions of Peace of our children!

It is through our children that "Shirat Shalom," A Song of Peace, is being sung around the world!

Alien Bob (aka ET Bob) by Rabbi David Degani

(Past member) — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 21:30:00 GMT

Peace is a magical word. I often wonder how an imaginary visitor from Mars or beyond who lands on Earth for a visit would react when he sees the way we humans interact with each other. A few days after landing he would most likely report to the mother ship that earthlings are the most strangely behaved creatures in the universe and that no universal logic applies here.

The Alien visitor, we'll call him "Alien Bob", (aka "ET Bob") will probably report that earthling are certainly on the right scientific trajectory. Their achievements are basically in line with their human evolution give or take a few hundred years. He would probably assess that "Humans as they call themselves may one day solve much of their many challenges." The report, however, would probably include a survivability disclaimer: "that is if earthlings even make it to the next earth century"

ET Bob would no doubt be perplexed with our existence paradox. Something that his solid alien logic cannot settle.

His report to the mother ship will include that: "Billions of valuables which they call dollars are spent to improve and advance earth dwellers' lives. This includes those who walk on two legs, the ones that walk on four legs or those who move inside a liquid they call water. At the same time, hundreds of billions of these dollars are spent to destroy what they themselves are trying so desperately to preserve."

The rest of Alien Bob's report would not be too flattering to us either. "Earthlings live in groups called nations. In many parts of their small planet they are not able to live next to each other without evoking hostile behavior which humans call war."

ET Bob's analysis would be that perhaps this bizarre behavior has to do with certain abnormalities or an evolutionary blunder. "Something in their brain chemistry compels them to erupt every so often for the purpose of hurting or even annihilating each other. The tools they use for this purpose are now capable of destroying their entire planet many times over."

I was surprised to receive an invitation from Alien Bob to discuss his findings with me over breakfast. I accepted. We met at Einstein's Bagels a few Sundays ago. He seemed to be a nice alien, well spoken and polite.

He opened the conversation: "I have been watching humans for quite some time. I even abducted a few of them for closer examination but the mystery remains. While your level of brain and emotional complexity is reasonable for this galaxy, your inner need to destroy each other is perplexing. That's why I asked you to meet me , Rabbi David. My mother space ship asked for additional data clarifying this point. You, being a Rabbi and all, most likely will have all the answers."

Little did he know....

"You see Alien Bob," I said, "Earth Dwellers' major problem is lack of parallel moral evolution. Human evolution of decency and morality varies in different parts of our small world. We have certain inner forces that seem to dictate our attitude towards each other, despite our growing scientific understanding of our world and ourselves. We call these controlling forces nationalism and religion. These human controlling forces vary in intensity and goals in different parts of the world. These forces can be can be stirred up relatively easily and with great intensity. Like igniting a fire, some humans in fact stoke these differences in order to evoke strong emotional behavior. This, ET Bob, is what you have observed as hostility and hatred."

"But why such a strange behavior from fairly sophisticated Earth dwellers"? Alien Bob insisted.

I thought for a while and then said: "There is really nothing wrong with the forces of nationalism and religion as long as they are not getting out of hand and become exclusive, because then they become extremely destructive. This usually happens when a nation or a religious group falls victim to brain altering, known here on earth as brainwashing by their leaders.

"I don't understand any of this" Alien Bob answered.

I continued: "Many of us around our world understand that we will have to find a way to live together or risk destroying our earth. We call this realization, "Peace". Unfortunately, many others have not arrived at this evolutionary stage yet. With more and more of us coming to this realization we are waiting for the rest of them to catch up with us."

While Alien Bob nodded his strange looking blue head, I knew that indeed, there was no way he understood any of it. I smiled: "Don't worry if you don't understand what I said, none of us, on the side of peace really understands any of it either. We too are trying to figure out this strange behavior."

Alien Bob was in a rush to get back to space to continue his journey of exploration. "You know", I said before we he left, "maybe next time you are in our neighborhood in a few hundred years things will be different and our strange behavior will be corrected.".

"Maybe", he said. "For your Earth's sake I hope you are right"

After Alien Bob left I could not help but feel that he was not just a space traveler but perhaps a celestial angel who came to plant hope for peace in our hearts.

I hope he will come back very soon.

Rabbi David

A Gift for his Grandfather by Cantor Lee Degani

(Past member) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 17:28:37 GMT

From Cantor Lee

Today one of our seventh graders became a Bar Mitzvah, a Son of the Commandments. In his speech this boy explained that he had been asked a very important question by his parents a few years ago when he was ten. He didn't have to make a decision then but with no hesitation he did. Yes, he wanted to follow the faith of his father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather.

The boy grew up with many stories about his great-grandfather, of how as a teenager he saved his six siblings and parents during the Holocaust. Each night he would take one of his family members on his bicycle and ride miles and miles through much danger to bring them to safety. He managed to get to America and there like so many others worked and saved money in order to bring over his family, again, one by one.

The great-grandfather and grandfather and rest of the family were overjoyed that the boy had made this decision! As it got closer to his Bar Mitzvah year, there was much excitement and planning that the great-grandfather would come from New York for the ceremony. But he passed away just a few months ago.

The boy knew that his great-grandfather put on Tefillin each day and wanted to make sure he knew how to do this as well. He came to Hebrew School with his own pair and asked Rabbi David to teach him. He understood that Tefillin is not worn on Shabbat but since today was a weekday he would wear the Tefillin throughout the service. Rabbi David was especially proud that the boy knew exactly what to do as he expertly put on the Tefillin, recited the blessings and unwrapped it at the end of the service. Information about Tefillin

The boy did a beautiful job chanting from the Torah although it was actually the first time he even actually read from the Torah! Yes he knew how to chant it from the paper but the handwritten letters without vowels in the Torah looks quite different. Although planned, he didn't have a chance to attend his rehearsals. But that didn't phase him.

It didn't even phase the boy that he didn't even know what to expect. None of that mattered. He would not only be honoring his greatgrandfather but today he would be giving a gift to his grandfather. You see, this grandfather who had been battling cancer, was determined to stay alive in order to see his grandson become a Bar Mitzvah. But in the last week it was clear that this was not to be.

So with the family, Rabbi David and I planned a last minute service to be held in the hospice facility. After the grandfather was brought into the chapel, the family members and dear friends gathered around his bed. The boy stood right by his grandfather's side and led the prayers. When it came time for the reading of the Torah, the table was brought right in front of the bed.

As did everyone else, I cried many tears during the service. And more came when the boy told his grandfather, "Papa, it is not whether you lose or win the fight against cancer. What counts is the fight you give and you have fought courageously. You are My Hero!"

Afterwards I said to the boy, "I know Justin, that your Bar Mitzvah service is still a few weeks away, but today is the day that you truly became a Bar Mitzvah." We hugged for a long time and I continued to cry.

After the grandfather was wheeled back to his room, Justin's father came over to Rabbi David and me to thank us. "My father said this was the happiest day of his life. What more could I ask for?"

What more could Rabbi David and I ask for....We are truly blessed.

Here is Justin learning to put on Tefillin at Hebrew School. He is now ready for the last step - wrapping his finger with three loops.

Sukkot by Cantor Lee and Rabbi David - Sept. 2015

(Past member) — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 20:00:00 GMT

From Cantor Lee: After the inner cleansing of the High Holy Days, we receive balancing and Joy as we connect to Mother Earth and Nature by spending time in a sukkah, a hut or temporary dwelling, during the week long holiday of Sukkkot which this year begins sundown, Sunday, September 27th. And when we see the stars and moon at night through the roof... what can be more beautiful!!

This year the sky will be even more spectacular as there will be a supermoon, which only comes around once a year that will be 14% larger than usual and 30% brighter. It will then be engulfed by an eclipse for more than an hour. Spiritually this is seen as a time for spiritual growth and new beginnings. Happy Sukkot!!

From Rabbi David: In this world of high tech, it can sometimes seem as though we are merging into one entity with our I phones and computers. With their dependence on gadgets, many of our "digital native" children prefer to communicate with their peers through texting. Free time means TV, the computer or video games. The time spent outside is extremely limited.

Nature? What’s that?

Enter the holiday of Sukkot!

A time to celebrate our wonderful origin as people of Mother Earth.

Like all of our Jewish customs, we blend our “earthly” Succot celebration with the celebration of the spirit. We remember that Mother Earth provides all of our needs.

Indeed, Sukkot is the Jewish holiday of Thanksgiving in which the rest of the summer harvest is gathered. Our ancestors used to build a sukkah, a small hut, this time of the year to be able to spend as much time in the field (including spending the night) to insure the completion of the harvest before the strong fall rains (the “yoreh” – literally shooting rain) would arrive and spoil the crops.

The actual act of building and spending time in a sukkah in our modern day helps return us back to nature even if it is only for a short time. It reminds us that we are more than “electronic creatures.” The rhythms and sounds of nature are meant to balance us, to bring us back into harmony.

The biblical commandment to sit in a sukkah is based on the explanation that our ancestors sat in huts while wandering around the harsh desert, drifting from one place to another. It is therefore our obligation to remember that the road to freedom can be grueling, long and exhausting. Sukkot, therefore, also celebrates what we Jewish people have always loved and appreciated and what we thank the Almighty for, our freedom.

Building a hut with a fragile roof of branches is spiritually very significant as well. It is about the belief in a Higher Power who watches and protects us just like a desert hut which is such a welcome relief to a desert dweller. In a way, the tumultuous world we are facing is like a desert, a harsh environment of economical, political and spiritual turmoil.

As we partake in the mitzvah of sitting in a sukkah and making a special blessing to honor this custom, we are affirming yet again that we trust in G-d to help us go through challenging times just as our ancestors have done in every generation.

Chag Sameach- A Happy Sukkot to all of us!

A Jewish Soul by Rabbi David Degani - YK sermon 2015

(Past member) — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMT

From Cantor Lee: Rabbi David gave the following sermon on Yom Kippur morning. He is amazed by the outpouring of appreciation and support that is still coming!

From Rabbi David:

A Jewish Soul

We often use the term "A Jewish Soul"or a "Jewish Neshama" .

No one can tell exactly what this means. It has to do with the uniqueness of the Jewish entity, the virtues which we attribute to G-D such as compassion and sense of justice.

There is an interesting story about Abraham making a deal, a covenant with G-D.

The deal was simple: If Abraham would follow G-D's laws, G-D in turn would give the land of Canaan (which later on became the land of Israel) to his descendents, for eternity.

According to Jewish mystical teachings, we, Abraham descendants, were given a special soul, a Jewish soul so that we will be worthy to dwell in this secret land given to Abraham.

According to this spiritual belief a Jewish soul can dwell in any person of any nation. However, it will always yearn to unite with the Jewish people.

Most of the time this yearning is a secret held by the soul so that even the person is not aware of the yearning of their own soul.

A convert to the Jewish faith is given a Jewish soul at birth and through some kind of revelation during their time on earth the person becomes aware of their Jewish soul.

And it goes beyond that. Even if a non Jew comes to Judaism purely for the sake of marriage and not at all for theological reasons, somewhere along the line his or her soul still has a Jewish light in it. It wants to unite with the Jewish people, even if it is in a very limited way.

There is a famous book in the Bible called the Book of Ruth which we read during the holiday of Shavuot. Ruth, a Moabite, becomes a young widow of a Jewish husband who lived in Moab along with his brother and parents. As the story goes, all the men of the family died.

When Ruth becomes a widow, she declares her love for her mother in law, Naomi, and that she will follow her back to Judea to become a part of the Jewish people.

While not born Jewish, Ruth's soul yearns to become part of the Jewish people.

On the surface this is a classical story of a Gentile who according to Jewish tradition has a "Jewish Soul" and therefore converts to Judaism. This is generally the way many Jewish scholars understand the story.

However, there is an interesting twist to the story. It is important because it gives a whole new dimension to the idea of becoming a part of the Jewish people.

The story is very specific with what Ruth says to her mother in law, Naomi. Ruth loves her mother in law so much that she does not want to leave her. She wants to be with her as Naomi returns to her homeland.

Ruth says, "Your G-d Is my G-D, your people are my people."

Notice that Naomi does not say "My G-D is the G-D of Israel" Rather, she is saying,

"Whoever is your G-D let Him be my G-D." . This small difference sheds an interesting light of a non Jew becoming a part of the Jewish people. Notice that I said "becoming a part of, not "converted".

While the Great Rabbis throughout the centuries assumed that Ruth went through some kind of conversion process when she converted to Judaism she may not have. We really don't know that for sure. And what was the conversion procedure in biblical times anyways?

We do know according to a story in the Book of Genesis which involved Jacob and his daughter Dina, that in order to convert, male Gentiles had to go through circumcision only. Nothing else was needed.

In the case of Ruth there is no mention of any particular act in order to convert. The story of Ruth doesn't seem to care at all about official conversion. Her declaration of her love to her mother in law and Judaism is enough.

Ruth's Jewish soul, planted in a gentile, is yearning to come home. The means to this coming home is primarily because of a love for a Jewish person, Ruth's love for Naomi.

This point is important for us to realize in our modern day life here in America.

I personally believe that no wedding match between two loving souls, no matter the religion of the two people, happens by accident.

Any person, who joins the Jewish people, even simply through marriage, and even if the person practices very few or no Jewish traditions or customs, is destined to do the will of G-D.

In a modern interfaith marriage, even if Judaism is practiced to a very limited extent, the Jewish light is still burning and Jewish identity has a good chance to grow and flourish.

Whether Ruth, the mother of all converts, ever officially converted or simply joined the Jewish people out of love for her mother in law, she is credited with being the great grandmother of King David himself. Her "Conversion" was certainly accepted by G-D.

There is no wrong reason to become a part of the Jewish people. Ruth may have been born a Moabite but her soul was Jewish. Admittedly, tradition and customs are the life line of Judaism, and although I will never diminish their importance, sensible flexibility and thoughtful adaptation to the needs of our generation and beyond is paramount as well, especially in our modern times.

The claim that interfaith marriage is a threat to Jewish survival may be very misleading.

The lack of sufficient Jewish identity among many Jewish youngsters in an interfaith family or otherwise has little to do with the fact that one of the parents may not be Jewish.

From what I have observed for the vast majority of the cases, the non Jewish spouse is happy to help instill Jewish awareness in the children if the Jewish spouse really wants it.

In that respect, the children's Jewish awareness and pride has little to do with the interfaith marriage of the parents and everything to do with the Jewish awareness of the Jewish spouse.

I have seen that children of interfaith families, even if raised with more than one religion are more likely to show pride, care and concern about Judaism and Jewish causes then many children who are raised in a total Jewish household where very little or no Judaism is practiced.

Of course, this may not be true in every case. There are also many children who come from mixed marriages and are raised with neither religion. The parents feel that abstaining from religious education all together is a viable compromise - a very bad mistake.

And then there are the children who have two Jewish parents and are not raised with Judaism at all as the parents simply don't care.

In my opinion, more often than not, even if both religions are discussed and practiced in a mixed marriage home, the children still have a solid Jewish identity or at least they know that they are a part of the Jewish people.

I do not know of any interfaith marriage which has ever been broken because the Jewish spouse insisted on Jewish exposure for the children with or without Christian exposure as well.

It is therefore the Attitude of the Jewish spouse which ingrains Judaism in the kids even if exposure to Jewish practices in the interfaith household is limited. Children are very good in sensing sincerity in attitude.

Before we become concerned about the Jewish identity of children in interfaith marriages, perhaps we need to be concerned with the many Jewish kids from strictly

Jewish families who grow up with no Judaism in the house which leads to no Jewish identity.

In an interfaith family, children stray from Judaism because the Jewish spouse simply does not care or is willing to completely yield his children's Judaism to another religion.

Michael Douglas the famous actor, comes from an interfaith family and strongly identifies with Judaism. He is intermarried to Catherine Zeta-Jones. He was just honored with the second annual Genesis Prize.

This is how he was introduced to the guests in the auditorium:

"In the strictest sense, our laureate this year is not a “perfect” Jew. His mother is not Jewish.

I even suspect that he does not spend every Friday evening in a synagogue and does not follow Kashrut. Yet, he is someone who put his energy and determination into being Jewish, who exercised his free will and showed commitment to follow the path of his ancestors in search for a foundation. Should we deny his Jewishness on the basis of his mother’s birth or should we celebrate it on the basis of his commitment to embrace Judaismand pass his Jewish heritage to his children? Are not free will and determination the essential qualities of the Jews? We can respond to freedom by building barriers and closing up, or we can respond to it by being inclusive and supportive of those who choose a path of Judaism. "

We should support and encourage those who have made a decision to embrace their Jewish identity and pass their Jewish heritage to their children, like Michael Douglas is doing. We should welcome them with open arms – not turn away from them.

In a spiritual sense many non Jewish spouses may have a Jewish soul secretly yearning to return to the Jewish people whether it is "Converted" according to Rabbinical laws or not.

Over the years I have seen the yearning power of many Jewish souls to return home. I have conducted wedding ceremonies for many who came to Judaism even without official conversion as a part of marrying a Jewish spouse.

Are these situations different from the story of Ruth who came to Judaism because of her love for Naomi, her mother in law?

A close colleague of mine Rabbi Barbara Aiello in Italy tells many stories about many Christian in Italy as well as South America who yearn to become a part of the Jewish people without necessarily officially converting to Judaism.

When Rabbi Barbara asks them why they are in a synagogue they have difficulties explaining the reason. They say that they feel a strange but intense concern for Judaism and care about Jewish survival.

As we all know, many of them are descendants of the Spanish "Conversos" during the Inquisition. And now, after 500 years of Christian life their soul wants to come back to its origin to where it belongs, to Judaism.

Is it really important that they convert exactly according to tradition?

Should we not accept with open arms anyone who wants to be a part of the Jewish people for whatever reason whether it is love of a Jewish spouse, or because of theology?

It is time to fight for our survival the right way, by responding appropriately to what our modern Jewish life puts in front of us.

We need to consider interfaith marriage as an opportunity to educate the next generation towards a stronger Jewish identity which strengthens Judaism.

Indeed, the theology of Judaism and Jewish tradition is very important. However, when it comes to our children, the young men and women of the 21st century, love and pride in Judaism must come before strict practice of tradition. Learning more details about their Jewishness will easily and naturally follow later on in college or through the internet.

When it comes to a Jewish family, whether regular or interfaith, children will learn what Mom or Dad teach them and model for them about being Jewish even if in the process they also learn about Christianity as well.

It is about Judaism of the Heart. It is the flame of Love and Pride in Judaism in our children which needs to burn. Jewish scholarship and expertise are important but can always follow.

In this new year, may we see the strengthening of Judaism in all of our children. And may we all remember why we Jews are here on earth.

To be G-D's Light of Love, Compassion and Tolerance.

Amen

Saving the World by Cantor Lee and Rabbi David

(Past member) — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT

First From Cantor Lee:

During a seminar I recently attended I learned about the work of a classmate who volunteers for an organization that helps families from being deported. In her most recent case, a mother and two young children were saved from returning to their homeland where they would have had to live in fear for their safety. I told the woman that Judaism teaches that saving one life is seen as saving the entire world! My classmate answered "I haven't saved the world! This is just one. There are so many!!"

She further explained that she was familiar with the teaching but felt it could only be true from the mystic's view point. She couldn't understand this teaching from her viewpoint. I replied that I understood the teaching in the same way she did. It depends on the "world" we are currently living in to determine how we understand this teaching.

I asked Rabbi David to give his understanding from his world...

From Rabbi David aka The Reb

There is a saying in Hebrew which roughly translates as "For he who saves one soul, it is as if he saves an entire world". No other expression has more profound meaning in our tumultuous times than this one. It is the essence of the Jewish people who brought to a barbaric world the idea of sanctity of life and with it the ideals of compassion, kindness and decency. We the Jewish people, miniscule in number compared to the world population, are leading the ideological fight against an ever growing monstrous number of fanatics who worship death and are inflicting suffering and destruction all over the world.

In our modern times this saying has transformed itself from theoretical moral guidance of the Jewish people to a ray of hope for all people in a world which appears to be growing darker. This light is a strong one. It gives us the strength to repair the world, making it a better place for our children despite our modern horrifying adversaries. By now, the sanctity of life is well implanted in our hearts and in the hearts of light workers around the world.

The idea of saving a life of even one person is an important part of the war against modern dark forces coming from the Middle East and beyond. It has become our main weapon in the challenge of the Sons of Light to overcome the Sons of Darkness as was accurately predicted by our ancestors. In fact, there is a book "War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness" written around 2,000 years ago by the Essenes, a Jewish sect of highly spiritual desert dwellers, which accurately predicts our modern time struggles.

As with many Hebrew sayings, the specific content reflects a much broader line of thoughts. While the phrase "an entire world" in the Hebrew is understood as Earth, our physical world, it also reflects the saving of the physical and spiritual world of the individual. That means that physically saving an individual has far reaching results. It also means helping the individual's private world of family and friends as well as the individual's inner spiritual world.

But how can saving an individual help to ease the suffering of millions around the world? Any act of kindness such saving a person's life or even a loving thought has an accumulative effect. It contributes in a not so small way to our light of hope for a better world by injecting a small dosage of kindness into the fabric of the our world . As we all know, many points of light eventually illuminates as a powerful ray.

Saving even one person's life is indeed a powerful answer to a world growing brutal. It is a true celebration of the appreciation of life and that indeed will be the light that will overcome any dark clouds threatening humanity's survival.

Lessons from a Master Teacher by Cantor Lee Degani

Shirat Shalom — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 17:17:33 GMT

Our beloved Oreo Cookie let us know that after 17 years he was ready to go across the rainbow bridge and so we helped him with his decision. We used "Lap of Love," a veterinary hospice practice that provides in home euthanasia. It was such a beautiful, peaceful, loving experience! Our other two dogs, Cinnamon and Candy were also present and had the chance to say goodbye as well. What a gift for all of us!

For the rest of the day, I took some quiet time to honor Oreo and reflect on how he has enriched all of our lives. He has certainly been an integral part of Shirat Shalom since the very beginning! As a six month old puppy he participated in our very first Friday evening service which met in our home. I don't remember how he behaved that night but I do remember that he was always the star attraction when anyone came to the house!

He especially loved "assisting" during lessons for the B'nai Mitzvah students. He would sit right next to each student on the couch and would guard their notebooks! And yes, if some papers were left out they might get eaten! Oreo was teaching the students to be organized and put things away!

B'nai Mitzvah rehearsals meant legs would be licked! I would of course stop him but most families would tell me, "He is fine!" I guess Oreo was preparing the students for all the "people" kisses they would receive at their ceremonies!

Oreo had many ways of teaching our students! When he was almost two years old we figured in dog years he was close to 13 and had a "Bark Mitzvah" for him on the last day of Hebrew School. All of the students brought gifts and his best dog friends were invited as well! We put him on a pillow, lifted him in the air and sang "Siman Tov and Mazel Tov!" Some of those students still remember Oreo's Bark Mitzvah! Recognize anyone?

Oreo Cookie also taught many students the aleph bet! In the beginning years when the K-2nd graders would meet at Miss Susan's house, Oreo would point to the letters with his paw during the aleph-bet song. After class his favorite trick was to run out the door when parents would come to pick up the children. I guess he thought this all added to the fun of Hebrew School!

After the younger grades were also moved to Loggers' Run Middle School, Oreo missed his students but he never forgot them! He would always be overjoyed when he would have the opportunity to meet a former student!

Five years ago when Oreo had emergency surgery and ended up having a kidney taken out it seemed his teaching career was over. We had taken him home hoping he would improve but after a week he still wasn't responding to us or eating. We began preparing ourselves to say goodbye. But it seems that Oreo still had more to teach and that included me as well!

Each week during Hebrew school when we practice the prayers for lighting the candles we have a ritual of "sending Light" for people, animals and places in the world in need of healing. This particular night I asked the students to focus on Oreo who was home with Susan. We sent out our group prayer of Light at 7:10 p.m. At 7:20 p.m. he all of a sudden perked up, lifted his head and went over to his food dish to eat! A few weeks later he went to school to personally thank the children!

I truly learned about the power of prayer that night and the power of our amazing Hebrew School children! Each year I re-tell this story to our students. And the ones that heard it before... well, they never get tired of hearing it.

Thank you Oreo Cookie for teaching us so many lessons, for being a master teacher! Know that your legacy lives on for your students are busy changing our world!

And the Love you have given to each one of us, the Love we have for you...that Love is forever....

Oreo with one of his students October 2012

Oreo Cookie 5/17/98 - 7/19/15