#BlogElul 17 Awaken

I awake this morning the mother of a 25 year old and the other two are 22 and 17. How did I get to this place?  It does seem that just yesterday I had 3 little kids, going to school, carpooling to here and there.  The last child has just started his last year of High school.  Really when did this happen? With the explosion of blogs, twitter and all things social media everyone at this time of year is talking about taking kids to the first day of school from Kindergarten to University.  I feel it really I do. The first day of school, the pictures, the letting go of your children.  It 's that time of year.

I suppose you could say I always feel it as I have opened my own school for the past 29 years and yes 25 at Lakeside Congregation.  This time of year  is always frenitic with opening school, the High Holy days and at least one birthday to plan.  I planned some good parties in my day; maybe because I would rather focus on a great birthday party and not ordering enough Hebrew school books and pencils.

I will awake tomorrow and it will be Shabbat and another day closer to the opening of  school and the High Holy days.  To be awake and aware of everything is certainly a blessing one which I will think about tomorrow.

My 25 year old baby

This post is part of #BlogElul, a series of social media posts created during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. During Elul, it is customary for Jews to prepare spiritually for the upcoming new year. An annual project, #Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer.

#BlogElul 16 Change: No One likes it, Change that is

I have two great stories about change which I tell all the time and in Jewish tradition you should always credit who told you a story when you pass it on.  Here are my stories with pictures of the person who taught me.

Prof. Sara Lee

The first lesson I have on change I learned at CAJE 12 in Georgia in 1987 (yes and I looked that up). I had a class with Prof. Sara Lee, Director of the Rhea Hirsch School of Education for Hebrew Union College.  She offered a class for new Religious School Principals and I was pretty new Educational Director.  She told us if we didn't remember anything about her session we should remember 2 things, 1)  get to know the Rabbi's secretary (which if the Rabbi has a secretary still holds today and 2) Only change one form per year.  Now we don't really have  so many hard copy forms but we certainly have on line forms and procedures and not changing things up drastically every year also still holds.   Now I want you to know that I studied with Prof Lee many times after that class and she teaches on many wonderful topics and you can click on her name to get an idea; but this blog deals with change.  

My second story is one my Cantor, Michael Davis tell us when we contemplate changing

Cantor Michael Davis

music in our t'filot at Lakeside.  One service Cantor Davis began with a tune which was new to the congregation.  At the end of the service he repeated this same song.  An older man came up to Cantor Davis at the end of the service to comment on the service.  He had liked Cantor's voice but made the following comment, "I didn't like the song you sang at the beginning of the service but I loved the one you ended with."  Yes, it was the same song and first time we hear something we may not like it but hearing it a few times it can grow on you.  Just something to think about when you think about change.  

This post is part of #BlogElul, a series of social media posts created during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. During Elul, it is customary for Jews to prepare spiritually for the upcoming new year. An annual project, #Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer.

#BlogElul 15 Learn and if asked if "Do I HAVE to go to Sunday School?" The answer is YES!

I am passionate about learning; all types of learning including school and text book learning and learning from experience.  I hope that as we approach the beginning of our Religious School and Hebrew school year I can encourage everyone no matter what your age to try out some "new" learning.  

My post B'nai MItzvah students please come and see what we are teaching in our pre-confirmation classes as an old commercial advertised: try it ... you'll like it.  Parents, come out to adult enrichment on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am  and you might like that as well. These are just a few of the offerings we have for this year.  

 I also advise that if your child asks "do I have to go to Religious school?"  The answer is YES you have to go.  This is a decision you won't regret.  I can tell you and give you witness after witness of teens now older adolescents who are glad, beyond glad they continued with their Jewish education. They enjoy their time with Rabbi Serotta, our 10th grade trip to New York city and their time with one another.  Come in and talk to Rabbi and me and we can tell you more.  

Many times I am asked what my job encompasses at Lakeside Congregation.  I reply that I am responsible for Education from birth to death.  We believe that education never stops and I try to continue my own learning through my professional organizations, Book clubs, and attending Adult Education at Lakeside.  

So for today and for the High Holy days and for this year I say:

This post is part of #BlogElul, a series of social media posts created during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. During Elul, it is customary for Jews to prepare spiritually for the upcoming new year. An annual project, #Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer.

#BlogElul 14 Remember

I am trying to catch up on all of my blogging and I am almost there.  Yesterday's word was Remember and it hit me today as Ethan went to his first day of his last year of High School, I remember taking him to Kindergarten.  I remember taking Lital to kindergarten and now she teaches 2nd grade.  Those things I can remember.  

I don't always remember everything from conversation to conversation and sometimes I can't remember the conversation.  I have calendars with appointments and reminders for the appointments on my phone, my computer almost everywhere.  

I like to remember and enjoy looking at pictures and as I write things down it makes me remember even more.  

So here is a picture when all my personal children as I call them were in school, OK, Ethan in pre-school but still in school somewhere.

This post is part of #BlogElul, a series of social media posts created during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. During Elul, it is customary for Jews to prepare spiritually for the upcoming new year. An annual project, #Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer. 

#Blogelul 13 Forgive

http://www.escgoat.com/#home


I think that this website from g-dcast is great.  The escape goat allows you to write anonymously what you need to ask forgiveness for this year.  You can then see a list of what other people have written and if you follow Escapegoat on twitter you will get updated tweets of what other people have submitted. 

Some of the submissions are very very funny:  I told my rabbi I went to the pez museum on Sunday, but it was really Shabbat or  I fart on airplanes. It's gross.

Some were sad and more serious:  I am having a passionate, thrilling extra-marital affair, entirely via email.  If you are so inclined to do your forgiving this way check it out. 


This post is part of #BlogElul, a series of social media posts created during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. During Elul, it is customary for Jews to prepare spiritually for the upcoming new year. An annual project, #Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer.

#BlogElul 11 and 12 Count and Trust

I think what counts is how you treat someone and how they treat you and those around them.  The measure of a person or how you can "count" on someone is something I have witnessed  many times at school, synagogue and camp.  When a camper is nice to the odd person out, when a student stays behind to help the last child who can never seem to get their books packed up no matter how much time they may have to accomplish this task.  I have seen acts of kindness and sometimes the person I am observing has no idea how much their kind words mean.

 The real way you can "count" on someone is how they treat a someone who is challenged by life.  When every day brings new situations which can throw you off and people stop and are kind to you it makes all the difference.  Be the person who counts. 

 I hope that this is something I have taught my kids.  It is not always easy to be nice to your siblings but I think my kids have done a pretty good job. I have to trust them at this point to do the right thing and be good to one another and to those around them.    I am proud of all three of them and their accomplishments, all in different areas. I trust they have made it count. 


  I could write more and more but am falling TOO far behind in BLOGELUL. 

This post is part of #BlogElul, a series of social media posts created during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. During Elul, it is customary for Jews to prepare spiritually for the upcoming new year. An annual project, #Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer.

#BlogElul 10 See (to believe)

Here are a few things which you must see to believe:

Instead of Men and Women on the bathroom at the local Deli this is what they have:

Have you ever seen a Tisha B'Av Tree, here you go:

Oh, and I found my Save Soviet Jewry Bracelet; that's not too old. 

This post is part of #BlogElul, a series of social media posts created during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. During Elul, it is customary for Jews to prepare spiritually for the upcoming new year. An annual project, #Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer.