All together

I am still working on getting us all together to pose for a new family picture, but meanwhile we managed to snap this the other night.

Love,

Rebecca

If only she could have done as well against cancer

A few days ago, about 3 games into her winning streak, Barry stumbled on an article about this Jeopardy champion. Last night her final episode was aired. It is quite a story. Even with the adversity of her illness she still managed to win six games, and pledged her winnings to support cancer research.

‘Jeopardy!’ Run Ends for Cindy Stowell, Cancer-Stricken Champion BY DANIEL VICTOR Her six-game streak placed her among the year’s top performers, with more than $123,000 in winnings that she had pledged to donate to cancer research.
Or, copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://nyti.ms/2ichVVE

Here is a short video in which she tells her story.

Love,

Rebecca

La La Land

Our goal this past weekend was to see something to offset the rather morose “Manchester by the Sea,” and we certainly did choose something quite different: “La La Land.”  The opening scene of the movie finds hundreds of cars in a traffic jam in Los Angeles, which becomes an excuse for hundreds of drivers to leave their cars and break into a huge dance routine.

We quickly meet the two main characters, Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling). She is an aspiring actress while he dreams of being a jazz pianist, both of them imagining fame and fortune in their trades, as are nearly every one of the people surrounding them. But meanwhile, she barely makes ends meet as a barista, and he struggles to hold down gigs playing old and tired holiday tunes in a bar. Their relationship starts slowly until they gradually realize that they are, in many ways, kindred spirits. But as their careers begin to take off, they are forced to travel in different directions to pursue their dreams. We eventually catch up with them some five years later, when they accidentally run into each other. This is followed by a wonderful fantasy scene in which they imagine what things might have been had they stayed together.

All in all, this was a fun and colorful movie. With all the horrible things going on in the world right now, and our concerns as we embark upon a very new and different administration in this country, this movie may well be just the break the doctor ordered. So let go, let yourself enjoy for a couple of hours!

Love,

Rebecca

Same Old Lang Syne

Just had to share this wonderful piece from tomorrow’s New York Times Sunday magazine section. This has long been one of my very favorite Dan Fogelberg songs.

I had forgotten that yesterday was the 9^th anniversary of Dan’s untimely death at age 56 from metastatic prostate cancer. But his music remains a beautiful legacy.

Dan talked about this song a few times that we saw him perform over the years.  The legend goes that he had once told a friend that he could write song lyrics to pretty much any tune, and the friend said “well, how about Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture?” and the result was this song, based on a true incident in Dan’s life.

Enjoy!

Love,

Rebecca

Here is the NYT article

 http://nyti.ms/2hEGY3B

White House Chanukah Reception

Our very own Rav Steven Exler at The White House for an early celebration of Chanukah!

So many good wishes

My sincerest thanks to all of you who have reached out to me over the last few days with offers of food, prayers for good health, and lots of love. I am feeling a bit stronger today than yesterday, and hope to stay on that same path during the days ahead.

We took a first step back to normal life yesterday and went to see a movie,

“Manchester by the Sea.” This film received a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and quite a glowing review from A.O. Scott in the New York Times, with whom I usually agree. But I should have been wary by the large amount of advertising for this movie over the past couple of weeks. Maybe I am just still in a bit of a foul mood from the recent events in my life, but I really did not enjoy this movie. First and foremost, it was just too long and too slow. Barry and I have some great suggestions for reworking some of the plot that could significantly shorten and focus the movie, but I am not expecting any phone calls from the filmmaker.

Lee (Casey Affleck) is called back to his hometown northeast of Boston following the death of his brother, long afflicted with congestive heart failure. The movie is about how Lee and his nephew, 16-year-old Patrick (Lucas Hodges), work to carve out a troubled relationship and make plans for Patrick’s continued upbringing. This is a family that has had what in Yiddish we would call far too much tsores. In my mind, it was so far over the top as to seem ridiculous, and was simply a distraction from what could have been a simpler and more believable film about the relationship between this young man and his uncle as they struggle to build a future.

Oh, well, maybe our next pick will go a bit better. Meanwhile, it was good to get out of the house for something other than a medical appointment!

Stay warm!

Love,

Rebecca

A difficult two weeks

The last time I posted on this blog, we had just returned from a wonderful five days at Disney World with our beautiful Ella. I was feeling rather exhausted but just kept telling myself it was a result of the trip, and with a little rest I would feel better.

But things do not always go the way we want them to, and day after day I seemed only to lose rather than gain energy. In hindsight, it is embarrassing to admit the stupidity of those days, and it took waking up early last Tuesday morning with chest pain on breathing that I finally had to admit that I was really sick, and we went to the emergency room at Mount Sinai.

I really should have known better, and really should behaved more appropriately. Once a few days had passed I should have known it was time to get in to see my pulmonologist rather than waiting until I had to be admitted to the hospital with full blown pneumonia, and we certainly have discussed this with her over the past week. But this particular experience was an especially difficult lesson, because I ended up spending far too much time in the emergency room waiting for a bed to be available so that I could be admitted to a regular medical floor, from which I was moved yet again to a pulmonary floor.

Here is the good news. The heavy dose of IV antibiotics worked fairly quickly, and by Thursday evening my chest x-ray looked so good that they said I could go home. I am still exhausted but my voice is finally coming back and I am feeling a little bit stronger every day. Barry is making me all of my favorite foods to try to encourage me to eat, and I am finally now able to sit here and type this post.

My main goal for the future is to stay as far away from the in-patient unit of the hospital as I can. You would think I had learned that five years ago. I guess I needed a reminder.

Love,

Rebecca

Magic

We returned from the magic of Disney World to these magical little faces right here at home!

Love,

Rebecca

A fabulous five days

Pictures really do speak thousands of words. Here are the highlights of our trip to Disney World with our wonderful granddaughter, Ella.

Our flight was first thing Sunday morning, but by the time we landed, picked up our rental car, checked in at the hotel, went to the grocery store to pick up some food, and waited for the oxygen delivery, we had only a short while to get to the parks, and chose to visit EPCOT first. Soarin has been updated and it is more amazing than ever!

Soarin’

Spaceship Earth

We spent Monday at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where Ella got a beautiful henna tattoo.

Gorillas

Kilimanjaro Safari

Flights of Wonder

Festival of the Lion King

Finding Nemo

Kali River Rapids

On Tuesday we went to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We arrived early and were able to ride on Toy Story Mania! three times without waiting, so we did!  

The Great Movie Ride

Toy Story Mania!

Toy Story Mania!

The Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Toy Story Mania!

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!

For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

Fantasmic!

We stayed at the park for the evening show, Fantasmic! – it was!

We spent Wednesday at EPCOT.

Test Track

The Seas with Nemo and Friends

Ellen’s Energy Adventure

Living with the Land

Soarin’

Spaceship Earth

Frozen Ever After

Imagination with Figment

We returned to the hotel with a little time to spare for a dip in the pool.

Thursday was our last day. We had to leave by about 1 pm to catch our flight, but we managed to get on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin 3 times! 

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

It’s a Small World

Pirates of the Caribbean

Carousel of Progress

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

  

(The ears I am wearing in this picture were bought for Julia)

With her henna tattoo, her Minnie watch, her mouse ears, and her infectious smile, Ella tells you all you need to know about her five days at Disney World! For her grandparents, exhausted has never felt so good.

Love,

Rebecca

The happiest place on earth

More details in a few days, but it surely lived up to its reputation for Ella and her maternal grandparents!

Love,

Rebecca

Words of wisdom from Rabbi Avi Weiss

We're not just a nation; we're a nation family

The election is over. Half of America is upbeat; the other half is deflated. The country is more polarized than ever. As a rabbi, I can only offer some words of spiritual reflection.

Our point of departure is the recognition that for many supporters of Hillary Clinton, this is a time of mourning -- mourning that the glass ceiling of a female United States President was not shattered; mourning that their "champion" was defeated; mourning that their dream for America has gone awry. For some, the disappointment is so great that it is similar to a grieving experience. At such times, the rabbis say, the pain is so deep, the loss so profound that no words of comfort will work.

Still, as the Talmud records, "it is sufficient for a mourner to keep his or her period of mourning." In other words, there are times in life when one cannot avoid bereavement; it's built in and cannot be cast aside. In the same breath, the Talmud uses the phrase "it is sufficient" -- teaching that one should not elongate the mourning, one should do all he or she can to move forward.

Certainly different people will mourn at different paces, but as many begin to move forward, I present a kind of post-election soulful prayer.

I offer the prayer that we remain hopeful, hopeful that once assuming office, President Trump will be different than candidate Trump. We have seen this occur in the past; candidates, once assuming the presidency, transform.

Many people were wary when Richard Nixon became president. Worried, amongst other concerns, that he was a war monger who would exacerbate the Cold War. His presidency, however, marked serious deflections from this presumption. Nixon was the first president to visit China since its establishment in 1949. He also traveled to Russia, initiating a policy of détente, or period of improved relations between the United States and then-Soviet Union.

And many people were fearful when Ronald Reagan -- considered by many to be a loose cannon and known by all to have little experience in foreign relations -- assumed the presidency. He turned it around, becoming known as "the Great Communicator," skillfully, forcefully but eloquently demanding that the Soviets be true to human rights. The Cold War was grinding to a halt.

My prayer of hope is that Trump experiences a similar transformation. Certainly he deserves -- as Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama gracefully said -- every chance to succeed.

And then there is the prayer of faith, faith in the goodness of people. Clearly there are extremists on the right that are ecstatic that Trump won. But as there are extremists on the right, there are extremists on the left who supported Clinton.

Here, it is crucial that we not paint over the millions of people who voted for Trump with the narrow brush of the fringe right. Similarly, it is critical we not paint all of the people who voted for Clinton with the narrow brush of the extreme left.

Finally, I offer the prayer of trust, trust that the American system of government will work. This system declares that if a president steps over the line, overreaches, he or she will be held accountable. Not only will government and the judiciary hold the president accountable, but the people will do the same.

This is what occurred when Presidents Nixon and Bill Clinton, each in their own way, abused the power of the presidency. In the end, democracy teaches that America is bigger, much bigger, than any president.

Most important, we can all play a role in bringing our nation together, in healing the wounds of a divisive election. We can do this by listening to those whose pain we feel, and those whose pain we have yet to feel. Listen to the angst of the unemployed auto worker who fears that he will no longer be able to afford his home, and listen to the fear of the American Muslim afraid of being villainized and attacked in the streets of her own city.

Yes, America today is a polarized country. It needs healing. To heal, America must view itself not only as a nation, but as a nation-family. And the test of family is not how we listen and care for each other when we agree, but how we do so when we disagree. In this way, it may be possible to learn from each other, to give to each other, forging us into a greater, more United States.

Rabbi Avi Weiss is the founding rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, Bronx, NY. He is also the founder of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and Yeshivat Maharat rabbinical schools. The views expressed in this commentary are his alone.

Touch the Sky

p.s. I was reminded after posting earlier today of a wonderful Carole King song from her 1979 album, “Touch the Sky” 

Music has charms to soothe a savage breast

Long before planning the wedding for the first of our daughters to be engaged, I had already selected a band for the wedding. I was not particular about the venue or the clothing but I was passionate about the music. By the time of that first wedding in 2000, a New York City-based band known as Inasense was playing clubs and simchas (joyous occasions) in and around the City. We first saw them at a Bar Mitzvah celebration and I was hooked. I still remember going up to the lead guitarist during a break and telling him that I had two daughters and hoped he would not be too famous to play for us by the time we were planning weddings! In the clubs they played a combination of old songs (including some great covers of Dylan tunes) and their own compositions. Their music is a mix of mainstream rock, Jewish/Middle Eastern, bluegrass, and Celtic influences.

Inasense (as they were then known) played at Dina and Aaron’s wedding in 2000, and we were thrilled that Simmie and Ronen also agreed to have them two years later. Their name had changed to Soulfarm and while some band members had come and gone, the core of C Lanzbom (guitar) and Noah Solomon (led vocals, guitar, and various percussion instruments) remained. They recorded more than ten albums from 1996-2015, and I am often touched when we arrive at Simmie’s house to find her listening to their music.

I saw a post on Facebook this morning that they will release a new album next month, Every Note the Heart Can Play. This early release of “Colorado” is perfect for these unsettling times. As William Congreve wrote in The Mourning Bride in 1697, “music has charms to soothe a savage breast.”

Enjoy!

Love,

Rebecca

Aliens

I am not a big science fiction fan, but I love Amy Adams and her new movie, “Arrival” had gotten fairly good reviews. To be honest it was a beautifully done and thoughtful film. I hope I will not tell you too much to spoil it.

In “Arrival,” Amy Adams plays a linguist working for the United States government who is summoned by NASA to try to communicate with aliens who have landed 12 spacecraft on Earth, one in Montana.

Before the landing, we see flashbacks from Louise's life including the birth of her daughter, Hannah, and Hannah's death following a diagnosis of terminal cancer.

Louise's language expertise allows her to have a communication breakthrough with the aliens on the spacecraft, discovering that the "heptapods," as they come to be known, emit a smoke that makes symbols, effectively giving them written communication. While Louise works frantically to decipher the symbols, the impatient world is ready to just destroy the ships out of fear, but she and fellow scientist Ian (played by Jeremy Renner) are encouraged by their progress and set out to prevent the destruction.

After seeing the movie we headed over to the 92^nd Street Y to hear Bob Woodward in Conversation with Bernie Swain. I am not sure just how this would have been if the results of last Tuesday had been different, but it was certainly an animated and insightful conversation.

Love,

Rebecca

A new week

One benefit of last week’s presidential election is that it must have eased the task of sermon writing for spiritual leaders around the country. Rabbi Noah Cheses, who was hired as spiritual leader of Young Israel of Sharon just a few months ago, spoke movingly, and I provide some excerpts here.

Even if we are repulsed from politics at the moment, we can’t totally disengage because there will be harmful consequences for us and for G-d’s name if we do so. Now more than ever, the political arena needs our voices. In a measured and thoughtful way, we need to use the Torah to help raise moral consciousness in American society. I believe that this is the role and responsibility of Torah Jews and perhaps all ethical monotheists at this juncture in American history. 

Getting more concrete, I believe that we cannot surrender the paramount value that the Torah places on being a good person, on having good character and being a mentch. On Wednesday morning, our daughter Adina asked us about the new president elect and wanted to know some of the good things about him and some of the bad things. We said that that he loves America but that he is not honest. Adina responded, how could someone who lies become the president? Isn’t the president of the America supposed to be a good person?

My heart sunk as I heard this question. There was a two second pause in which I felt like my world as an American and as a parent was crashing down into a million pieces. 

I told Adina that we are hopeful that the president elect will do a better job at telling the truth now that he is in a new position with new responsibilities. I really do believe that people are capable of change, especially when they are brought into a new circumstance. Leaving behind the sometimes ruthless and bottom line nature of the business world and taking up the ultimate mantel of civic duty and responsibility can change a person. My hope is that once assuming office President Trump will be different than candidate Trump. We have seen this happen with candidates in the past—from Nixon to Regan--that they change upon taking a seat in the oval office. 

What I didn’t tell my daughter that I will share with you is that although I am hopeful I am also not naive. If the president elect cannot rise to the occasion then we as Americans, as Jews and as parents need to react and hold him accountable.

Being engaged in the political arena in the years ahead will mean that we need to have the courage to hold the president accountable for the character values that our Torah holds so dear. This will not be easy but we will do it thoughtfully and we will do it together. 

I want to be clear, as I conclude and summarize my message this morning, that this drasha (sermon) could have been delivered even if the election results were different. I don’t see my role as a Rabbi as taking sides or pushing my political opinions. My role, as I see it, is to help us experience the world through a moral lens, through the prism of Torah.  We must leave behind the bad behaviors that characterized the election process, and recommit to the public good in a measured way by raising consciousness of the Torah value that being a mentch (a good person) really matters.  

This is how I think we can heal from the long, exhausting and bruising election season and how we can move forward, with our moral compass intact.

May it be Your will Hashem (Gd) that you give us the courage to heal and to move forward with strength and hope, with faith in the goodness of our country and the goodness of humanity. 

Though we still miss the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” of Saturday Night Live, we have made it a point to watch the opening of the show over these past months. Alec Baldwin was frequently on hand to do his uncanny Donald Trump, and cast regular Kate McKinnon has done a terrific job as Hillary Clinton. We were anxious to see what would happen with last night’s show. The death of Leonard Cohen was combined with the defeat of Hillary Clinton by having Ms. McKinnon sitting at the piano in a white pant suit playing and singing a very moving rendition of three verses of “Hellelujah” that really spoke to the feelings so many are having this week. 

Let us all take a good, deep breath (symbolically, at least for me) and do all we can to support the forces of good around us.

Love,

Rebecca

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day. Despite, or maybe because of, the events of this week, it would be a shame to overlook the importance of this recognition of those who have given so much to defend our country.

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. In 1954, President Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans–living or dead–but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.

Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day–a common misunderstanding, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May) honors American service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle.

Just one question: why are we still adding to the ranks of war veterans?

We awoke this morning to the sad news of the death of Leonard Cohen. It sure has been a difficult week.

Have a peaceful weekend.

Love,

Rebecca