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Post by peachymom1 on Nov 16, 2024 23:33:13 GMT -5
What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.
Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy
And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!
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Post by peachymom1 on Nov 16, 2024 23:34:20 GMT -5
Good morning and shavua tov! The world has been so crazy and disappointing lately that I would like to start this week off with some happy stories, maybe something going on right now, maybe a memory of something that brought you joy. Here I go.
When I was 21 years old and infused with the zeal of the neophyte, I joined the adult b’nei mitzvah class at my shul. I’d been Jewish for a year, I wanted to learn to read Torah and haftarah, and I already knew the entire Shabbat service, so I was comfortable at the synagogue and rarin’ to go.
What I did not realize was that the class was expected to sponsor the special kiddush lunch (prepared and served by the Sisterhood) after services on our big day, and that my classmates (all much older than me) would want special decorations, and that everyone else had much more of a social and ethnic connection to our upcoming b’nei mitzvah than I did. The eight of us in the class learned a lot about ourselves and each other during the nearly eight months of our preparation, and we all liked each other immensely, which was wonderful. But my perspective was quite different from theirs, of course, since I did not grow up in a Jewish family or anywhere near a Jewish community. For me, the focus was the religious experience, and I was pretty clueless about everything else.
At that time, our shul’s Sisterhood prepared and served a special kiddush lunch for the adult b’nei mitzvah class each year, and each of us was to contribute $210. I don’t remember how far in advance we were told the amount, but I was putting myself through college at the time and couldn’t possibly afford that much money. I was scrambling to work extra hours and didn’t know how I was going to manage it, when the president of the Sisterhood approached me and asked if it would be easier if I paid $120. I gaped at her and said yes, absolutely, but how could that even be possible? She ignored my question and then asked if it would be easier if I paid $90. I sighed with relief and said yes, and she smiled at me and said not to worry, she’d be in touch with me about working this out. A week later, she told me my portion of the lunch had been completely paid for by someone else, so I didn’t have to pay anything at all. Wait, what?! I was so touched and grateful that I hardly even know how I thanked her, but I do remember telling her to give the biggest hug ever to whoever was doing such an amazing thing for me.
This act of kindness had a profound effect on me. It wasn’t just about the money. It was much more about the compassion and thoughtfulness that somebody (or somebodies) felt toward me, and their willingness to do something that really mattered to me. This was a great lesson to me about thinking of other people’s situations and caring about helping them. I’ve never had the resources to be a great financial donor, but I just gave my 129th blood donation on Friday. Everybody can do something for others, even if it’s just kind words.
Who’s got some happy memories to share?
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Post by gazelle18 on Nov 17, 2024 9:53:34 GMT -5
One of my best friends’ mom died a few years back. She had lived a long life and her death was peaceful, but of course it was a sad occasion. She lived in a small city in North Louisiana, in a heavily Bible Belt area, and she was part of that community. DH and I drove 5 hours to be with the family, and we attended the service at the funeral home. We joined the procession of the hearse and mourners to the cemetery in our own car. It was perhaps a 5 mile drive, from the funeral home to the cemetery. The deceased had been a nice lady, but NOT famous, rich, or powerful. She was special to her family and friends, but not a leader of the community. Anyway, as the procession made its way through downtown, the entire populace stopped. Traffic stopped, pedestrians stopped, men took their caps off. State troopers, who were in charge of getting the procession to the cemetery , stood on the side of the road , or straddling their motorcycles, with their hats over their hearts. It was quite moving.
At the cemetery I asked someone about this. The reply is, “well this is just what we do for funeral processions. It’s a time to show respect, so everyone just stops for this.”
My friend (who was mourning her mom of course) was nevertheless heartened by this show of humanity.
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Post by hollygail on Nov 17, 2024 10:06:41 GMT -5
The lesson plan for the Tuesday afternoon class I've been planning for a few days from now is about acts of lovingkindness (g'milut chasadim). I don't believe in coincidences; so I have to ask whether Peachy and I are on the same wavelength...
I gotta shower, dress, make and eat breakfast. I've been up too long not to put some food into my body (you all know I have an imbalance in my blood chemistry, right? and that it means I have to eat every so many hours, right? and I've been at the computer since I woke up this morning, around two hours ago...)
I'll try my best to return later today.
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lee058
This space for rent
Posts: 23,209 
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Post by lee058 on Nov 17, 2024 12:51:08 GMT -5
Good afternoon everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! Please pray for Israel and the USA.
Re today's topic: Our zoom call is in ten minutes so I don't really have time to write, but will try and return later.
Sending lots of affection to all here! And have a peaceful rest of the day, Lee
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Post by louise on Nov 17, 2024 15:58:55 GMT -5
I'm always heartened by the many meal-trains my synagogue has put together. A family is in trouble and plans are made to bring them meals. I have dropped off dinners any number of These are usually when a family member is in the hospital or in a difficult recovery that saps the family so you may be bringing dinner for the care takers/vistors rather than the person who is ill. On a related note When I was sitting shiva for my mother people brought me home madechicken, blntzes, soup - it was lovely.
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