Yom haShoah

This was my quote of the day that is randomly chosen by my Palm Pilot from a list of quotes each day: God is hiding in this world. Our task is to let the Divine emerge from our deeds — Abraham Joseph Heschel remember remember remember strength remember remember remember hope remember remember love remember remember remember dreams remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember hope remember remember remember heal remember remember remember courage remember remember remember humanity remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember love remember remember sacrifice remember family remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember life remember remember remember Darfur remember remember friends remember remember remember humanity remember remember remember remember remember remember remember resistance remember remember remember remember remember remember promise remember remember rightous remember remember hope remember remember heros remember remember remember remember remember names remember remember remember dreams remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember peace remember resitance remember remember peace remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember strength remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember hope remember remember names remember resistance remember remember remember remember remember peace remember remember remember remember remember remember love remember remember courage remember remember remember sacrifice remember remember remember resistance Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame. Blessed is the flame that burns in the secret fastness of the heart. Blessed is the heart with strength to stop its beating for honor’s sake. Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame. — Hannah Szenes remember remember remember children remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember laughter remember remember Auschwitz remember dreams remember remember remember family remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember prayers remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember names remember Cambodia remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember redemption remember remember remember remember remember heros remember hope...

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Remember, always.

Never Again Cambodia Never Again Bosnia Never Again Rwanda Never Again Darfur May never forget mean more than never again. Thank you to those who keep the memory from dying, so that others may...

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Yom Hashoah Ritual

I’ve been working on a ritual for Yom HaShoah. I was originally going to begin research and work on the Mourner’s Kaddish, but this lead me to looking at Yom HaShoah. I’m finding it remarkably difficult to actually write the ritual. I keep bursting into tears, which completely surprised me. I’ve worked through most of the ritual in my head, but now I just need to move it onto paper. I suppose with the emotional subject matter I shouldn’t be surprised that I’m responding to it. Part of what I was exploring was how do we experience this holiday. Do we remember with joy the lives lived or do we mourn the lives lost. The path the ritual has taken is a deep mourning followed by slowly moving to joy. The beginning of the ritual is almost silent, which causes most people discomfort. The end slowly moves to song, which are eventually joyful and even silly. My hope is that people will mourn the tragic loss of life and the horror of genocide — but then be grateful to be alive and able to prevent that kind of horror. The ritual although focused on the Holocaust will also allow acknowledgment of other genocides that have occurred throughout history. I think it will be a different kind of ritual than I usually write. I’m relying less on the Pagan model I usually use and following a narrative idea this time. I do think more research into Jewish views and practices for mourning will enhance it in the...

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