A Sweet Opening

Dear friends,

It was wonderful to spend these last ten days with you all. Thank you for the beautiful energy, the uplifting singing, the quiet listening and the intentional speaking, both in person and on Zoom. Thank you to all who participated in so many different ways. Susan and I come out of these High Holidays with a sense of renewed energy in the Shul. I would love to hear from you reflections and ideas about the way these holidays went down, and what we might think of toward both the coming year in the Shul, and next year's High Holidays. Personally, I hope we can see each other this year in all kinds of contexts: hang outs, study sessions, plays and museums, protests, meals, meditations and prayer. Sukkot, which starts Sunday evening will provide our first such gathering to eat, drink, chat and shake a lulav in an East Village garden.

I leave you with the full translation of Psalm 27, that some of you requested, and which we sang at Kol Nidrei. This is a translation I worked on with my rabbi, Jim Ponet.

Psalm 27

And so he sings...

You are my light
my ground.
Why do I fear?
You are my homestead
Why do I flee?

When my torturer drew near
to batter and bloody me
I knew he’d stumble.
When an army bombarded me
with canons and rockets
I rested assured.

Only one thing matters
it alone do I seek:
to live with you always
at your place
To gaze upon your gentle face
To awaken at dawn and find you with me.

To know you’ll hide me in your sukkah on a bad day
wrap me in the folds of your tent
lift me like a stone in your palm hold me
high above my enemies where I’ll sing you songs of love.

So listen, my beloved, hear my voice and answer.
Look me in the eye; your gaze is all I lack.
Don’t veil your face in anger, turn your willing slave away
Be my friend; don’t leave me here alone, orphaned.

Show me a way to live open-hearted
In the sight of my enemies
Who scorn and mock me

Let me not be undone!

If I didn’t believe
Beyond all hope
I’d see you again
among the living…
Oh, but I do hope, yes, yes,
I hope.

Much gratitude, happy Sukkot and Shabbat shalom,

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Misha