More Than Four Sides

Category: Hebrew

  • Biting off more than I can chew

    Well, this past Shabbat I really did it to myself! I volunteer for my synagogue in a number of capacities, and the main role I have is as one of four volunteers, fondly nicknamed the Yad Squad.  Yad mean hand in Hebrew, and it can refer to a pointing tool used by those who chant…

  • A month of Sabbaths

    Every Saturday of the last four weeks has been unique and given me ideas I have wanted to write about, but time slips by… So, before I forget… Four weeks ago – Dad was feeling under the weather, so I headed out with the boys. The weather prediction was for rain, but as we left…

  • Tot Shabbat

    Our Friday nights and Saturdays follow a rhythm that varies rarely. Most Friday nights we try to be home before sunset (an almost impossible challenge for us in winter, but achievable in the summer months). We have a nice meal together, in our dining room rather than our kitchen table. The meal is structured with…

  • Offending those we love…

    I am cautious about what I post here.  For one, I am aware that it’s available to a wide variety of folks who are connected to me either directly or indirectly.  And, it’s mostly a personal blog, but could be read by my patients, my students, and my colleagues.  So, I am always thinking about…

  • Wow! Quiet day…

    The dear husband was up last night when S woke up with a fever of 102.7 F. Ibuprofen was administered, and S slept. We knew that we weren’t going to synagogue today as a family. This morning, the program at our synagogue/shul included “Boker Ohr” – Morning Light – a special, alternative service led by…

  • Mishpacha & Me

    I spent an hour today at J’s preschool, attending their annual program, “Mishpacha & Me”. Mishpacha means family in Hebrew, and my first connection to the word was from a Harry Belafonte album, “Belafonte at Carnegie Hall”, when he includes the word in the song “Mama Looka Boo Boo Day” (and he does a lovely…

  • Singing in many languages

    I sing in a choir; I’ve sung in choirs since I was 11years old, almost continuously, with only a break for medical school and residency training. The choir I sing in now, Zemer Chai, just performed our spring concert, and it was amazing! Titled “I Am Determined To Walk In Freedom”, our concert included a…

  • Song is Universal

    So, my hope to start posting on a more regular basis is slightly thwarted at this point by the upcoming concert of Zemer Chai (“living song”), the choral group that I am honored to be part of for the past 2 years.But, in thinking about singing, I realize that song is a connection to language…