NPR Strikes Again!
PC doesn’t blog. But if he did blog, he would probably write something like this…
So my beautiful bride of 12 years enters our bedroom, turns off the light, quietly (as quiet as FrumeSarah can be) slides beneath the sheets, and murmers “Have you checked the tire pressure on the cars?”
HUH?!? Since when did this qualify as pillow talk?
“Seriously. Did you know that keeping the tires filled to the manufacturer’s recommended level will help the car use its fuel more efficiently, which ultimately contributes to the environment?”
Ah…now I get it. Frume Sarah has been listening to NPR again…
* This post neither approved nor endorsed by PC.
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Still need a Mother’s Day Gift??
Contributing to the Mother’s Day Flower Project is a wonderful mitzvah that combines social justice and education with celebrating Mother’s Day. For each $25 donation you make to the Mother’s Day Flower Project, JWI sends out a beautiful Mother’s Day tribute card to a designated honoree thanking her for inspiring you to give as well as delivers bouquets of flowers to 150 battered women’s shelters throughout the United States in time for Mother’s Day. Your contribution to the project also funds critical JWI programs that work every day to help battered women navigate the legal system; train women and girls to value and protect themselves; establish children’s libraries in shelters across the country, and much more.
,,,bring May Flowers.
Where will you be this Mother’s Day?
At home? The dayspa? Brunch at a favourite restaurant? Or in a shelter for abused women?
According to 2007 National Census of Domestic Violence Services, conducted by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), more than 25,000 Women Will Spend Mother’s Day in a Battered Women’s Shelter.
Those are the lucky ones. The women with the strength to flee the perceived safety of their homes and leave behind their abusers.
How many more women will spend Mother’s Day trapped in a violent relationship?
For the 10th consecutive year, Jewish Women International is encouraging people to honour the mothers in their lives by purchasing a special bouquet for mothers staying in domestic abuse shelters on Mother’s Day. Thanks to the generosity of so many, JWI has sent more than 2,000 beautiful Mother’s Day bouquets to hundreds of domestic violence shelters around the country, brightening this special day for thousands of women and their children.
Contributing to the Mother’s Day Flower Project is a wonderful mitzvah that combines social justice and education with celebrating Mother’s Day. For each $25 donation you make to the Mother’s Day Flower Project, JWI sends out a beautiful Mother’s Day tribute card to a designated honoree thanking her for inspiring you to give as well as delivers bouquets of flowers to 150 battered women’s shelters throughout the United States in time for Mother’s Day. Your contribution to the project also funds critical JWI programs that work every day to help battered women navigate the legal system; train women and girls to value and protect themselves; establish children’s libraries in shelters across the country, and much more.
Bedtime Story?
Unsure how to explain death or illness in an age-appropriate fashion, parents often turn to books to help their kids understand such difficulties. Death of a loved one or pet, moving, job loss, divorce — there is a book for everything. Almost everything, that is.
Finally, a book that explains to a young child how to handle his or her mother’s plastic surgery
Nope, not making this up.
In a recent article, Newsweek shared the background behind My Beautiful Mommy. Just in time for Mother’s Day. In age-appropriate language, the mother in the story explains to her daughter why she’s having cosmetic surgery.
You see, as I got older, my body stretched and I couldn’t fit into my clothes anymore. Dr. Michael is going to help fix that and make me feel better.
And like all good children’s stories, there is a happy ending with mommy who is now “even more” beautiful than before her procedure.
Anyone else just the slightest bit bothered by this???
Self-Portrait
Poppyseed
Age “4 and a half!”
No Words…
If you are in Israel, the victims of the Shoah will be remembered beginning this evening. For the rest of the world, we will honour them beginning Thursday night.
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Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freight Car (Dan Pagis)
Here, in this carload,
I, Eve,
with Abel, my son.
If you see my older boy,
Cain, the son of Adam,
tell him that I …
[For a critical understanding of this poem, look here.]
At Your Service
Recently, I have had three wonderful interactions that reinforced the basic rule that good customer service makes for a loyal customer base.
1. Have you seen this clip?
I fell in the love with the lyrics and with just a little help from GoodSearch (which donates money to my shul — or another non-profit of your choice) discovered that it was written by Marcy Heisler with music by Zina Goldrich. Through a series of strange events, I ended up ordering their CDs through a site that they are no longer running. I, of course, did not know that at the time and after waiting…and waiting…and waiting for the discs to appear, sent an email to them. Well! Within a few hours, they had not only refunded my money but put the CDs AND the songbook into the mail. At no charge. Marcy happened to mention that they would be in SoCal the following month and of course I immediately bought tickets.
Which we never attended due to Peach’s ear surgery.
But we will definitely go the next time!!!
2. Some of you may recall that XM Radio has run a special Chanukah station the past two years. I listened loyally and heard the funniest guy this past year. His name is Sean Altman and he might be better known to parents at the brains behind the group that sang the theme song to “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?”
So I headed over to his website and sent him an email to let him know that I really enjoyed his music. He asked me to say something nice about his music…and sent me his CD so that I could listen to it before writing a testimonial.
How nice!!!
3. Not long ago, I ordered a book from Amazon and eagerly awaited its promised two-day arrival. Which slowly but surely turned into not one or two but three weeks. I’m not sure what I was waiting for…but I kept hoping it would be sitting on my doorstep when I got home from work. So I sent off a query to customer service. Hours later, Amazon responded with a heartfelt apology backed up by action; another copy sent overnight at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE!!! Reinforcing my loyalty as an Amazon customer.
So here’s the thing; it doesn’t cost extra to treat customers well. In fact, treating customers poorly can have a negative effect on the bottom line.
Where’s the Torah? Hillel said it best. “Do not do unto others what you would not want done to you.”
What if the employees at a local and unspecified bureaucratic office took this to heart? I am thinking that when I asked them whether my kid’s interdistrict paperwork was to be sent to the elementary department or the special ed department that I miraculously would have received the same answer from all FOUR people with whom I spoke. Saving me two trips and a heap of aggrevation.
And that’s MY Torah.
It’s Over…or Is It???
The Frummies survived another Pesach and are as pleased as corn-syrup-based punch!
“But wait!” you shout, “Today is the 8th day!”
Or is it??
If you observe 8 days of Pesach, then indeed today is the 8th day. But for those who observe 7 days, today is the day after the 7th day.
And no, that is not the same thing.
Why all the confusion? A simple question (“How long is Passover?”) should have a simple answer. But few things are that simple.
Let’s return to where it all started. As it says in the Good Book:
These are the set times of the Eternal, the sacred occasions, which you shall celebrate each at its appointed time: In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, there shall be a passover offereing to the Eternal, and on the fifteenth day of that month the Eternal’s Fest of Unleavened Bread. You shall eat unleavened break for seven days. The first day shall be for you a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations. Seven days you shall make offerings by fire to the Eternal. The seventh day shall be a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations. (Lev. 23:4 -8 )
Nowhere in the Torah does God mention 8 days. As far as Jewish law is concerned, Jews who are permanent residents of Israel, regardless of their affiliation, observe Pesach for seven days. This is true of even the most stringent.
So, if seven days was good enough for God, where does the idea of eight days arise?
In ancient times, our people were not working from a firmly fixed caledar. The beginning of each month was determined by witnesses actually sighting the first sliver of the new moon. Once the new month was declared, word had to get out to the entire country. As Israel is not a large place, communication could be handled simply by bonfires. After some tricksters built some ersatz bonfires, authorized runners were used to take news of the new month from town to town.
Once we were exiled from our Homeland, calendar issues got a little trickier given that we did not have access to today’s means of instantaneous communication. Getting the message to Jews living outside of Israel was difficult. The lunar cycle takes either 29 or 30 days to complete its cycle. In order to make certain that Diaspora Jews would be no more than one day off, the Rabbis decided to add an additional day to the holidays. This is a good example of how the Rabbis made Jewish life livable in the Diaspora so that we could remain true to our customs and beliefs.
With our modern technology and tremendous astronomical knowledge, we are now able to predict the moon’s cycles in advance. However, the custom of adding the extra day to the festivals (known as Yom Tov Sheni shel Galuyot) has become a powerful tradition.
The Reform Movement, during the nineteenth century, sought to emphasize the basics and eliminate redundancies in Jewish practice. This extra day of the holidays was a good example of such a redundancy. Since the Torah commands a seven day observance of Pesach, and we know which day is which, it made good sense to drop the added (and not Biblically-ordained) eighth day.
What about contemporary Reform practice? The official position of Reform is to observe Pesach for seven days, as the Torah dictates. Individual Reform Jews, if they are accustomed to observing eight days for this festival, are–of course–free to do so. This practice binds us closer to both the original Biblical practice as well as to ALL Jews living in Israel. (The one exception being Jews come from a 8-day tradition and then make aliyah.)
So fro Reform Jews around the world and the Jewish community in Israel, this past Friday evening was the Eve of the Seventh Day of Pesach. Just prior to Shabbos, yahrzeit candles were lit to remember loved ones no longer with us. The special service included not just the Shabbat liturgy but the sections for the concluding Festive Day of Pesach. We joyously sang Hallel–the psalms of praise and said Yizkor, remembering our dear ones. In our shul, all memorial lights are light when Yizkor is said and so the sanctuary was especially bright.
And one hour after sundown last night, Pesach 5768 came to an end. Even with the national matzah shortage, we ended up with some unopened boxes of matzah. Beernut had matzah for breakfast “’cause I really like it.”
But for the rest of you, take a look for some interesting ideas:
So for those of you still observing Pesach, “Moadim L’simcha!” And for the rest of us…the Countdown to Sinai has begun!!!
*thanks to DadGiraffe for providing the basis for this post.
Deja’ Vu??
I’m so so sorry. I know how stressful this is going to be for you.
[He’s right. This is going to be totally stressful.]
Hey, FrumeSarah, this is like deja’ vu.
[Um…no PC, it’s not deja’ vu. Deja’ vu is when you have the sensation regarding a new experience that you have experienced it before. It’s not deja’ vu when it actually DID happen!]
Is there ever a good break-up? A nanny break-up, that is. That’s right. The Frummies are nanny-less…again. I really didn’t think that anything could top the way our last nanny left.
Until now…
Three nights ago, just past 11pm, PC came home from a visit with the sibs (still out here for Pesach) to find two car seats and a house key on our front porch. No note. No nothing.
Despite the late hour, I called Nanny D. Would it surprise you that the call went to voice mail?
Um…hi Nanny. This is Frume Sarah. We found the car seats that you left on the porch and just wanted to make certain that everything is OK. Please call me and let me know.
Five minutes pass and a text arrives.
Dear FrumeSarah…I have deicded that I am not going to work anymore. I am too stressed out and really feel that I am on the verge of a breakdown because of the stress of school and bills and all that. I know that I have done is unforgivable and I am so sorry. You and your family have been so good to me. Again, I am really sorry.
What can you say to that? If balancing work and school was creating such stress, then by all means focus on school. But there is a better way to handle it.
And while we are on the subject of stress, shall we talk about the working mother of three who now has no childcare???
The Matzah Craze
Mine’s Longer
I’ve never actually heard anyone say this…but you know it’s what they’re thinking when they ask:
So, what time did you guys finish up?
As if the length of a seder in any way indicates how meaningful the seder experience was to those in attendance.
On the other hand, I’ve gotta think that a seder completed in under a couple of hours… Well, it just doen’t quite cut it. There is actually a 30 minute seder that is on the market. I have it. It is like a very nice model seder that one might use for a religious school learning experience. Or perhaps as a way to teach adults about some of the key elements that go into a seder. But there are a few things missing…like the MEAL! In this version, the entire seder occurs prior to the meal. Now, I have heard that there are families that never quite make it make to the liturgy after dinner. But that really is a departure from what the evening is meant to be.
And yes, sometimes there really is a right way to do something. We Jewish Professionals are terribly afraid to ever point this out to people for fear that we come across as judgemental. How can we transmit our heritage, rituals, history, behaviours, etc. if we are unable to state that “this is the way we ought to do this”?
What is a seder anyway? Modeled on the Hellenistic dinner with discourse, the seder follows a prescribed order of readings and actions meant to recall the watershed moment of our collective history. The main course is surrounded by ritual foods eaten both before and after it, reminding us that it is meant to be the highpoint of the evening. To reposition the main course until after the prayers and readings, shifts the entire focus of the evening and elevates the chicken/brisket/whatever to a greater place of importance.
The evening is meant to be long. Discussions, debates, and learning are necessary in order to keep the service “relevant.”
My kids cannot handle the late hour. And instead of growing weary as the hour gets late, they get wired and wild. It is NOT pretty. Peach made it to the first cup of wine on the first night…and didn’t even go to the second seder. Beernut and Poppyseed made it through the first half of both nights. And then, it was as if they were possessed.
Time for a quick escape.
Ultimately, I want that my kids should have fond memories of the seders. We don’t do puppets. No one dresses up like Bibical characters. Nor are there any art projects. It’s not our style.
What they do have is a seder where people approach it with seriousness. Not to be confused with somberness. There is much discussion and heartfelt participation. Contemporary stories of bondage are shared along with prayers for the redemption of the captives. And Elijah. And singing. And lots and lots of food. And rainbow cookies!
So they can’t stay for the whole thing. There’s always next year!
Frume Sarah is Shabbos-observant -- in a Reform way, that is. Please note that from Friday afternoons until one hour after sundown on Saturday evenings, Frume Sarah will be unavailable, in observance of the Jewish Sabbath.
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Thank you for your understanding...and gut Shabbos!!! 
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