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

Time to try to laugh again

Little to say

I ended my post yesterday saying, “Whoever wins, may we Americans come together and continue to work for peace and prosperity for all.”

Today, that is all I have.

Love,

Rebecca

Lost in the shuffle

Lost in the shuffle of this presidential campaign has been something that, under different circumstances, would have been an incredibly big deal, namely, that we may well be breaking an enormous glass ceiling in electing a woman to the highest office in our land. Many other countries have long since passed this milestone, but here in the United States of America it remains but a dream.

When it comes to human characteristics, most thinking and sensitive people strive for color blindness. Gender blindness, however, is not so simple. There is, at the end of the day, that bottom line difference between men and women in continuing the species. But the question remains whether that difference must or should influence anything other than the act of reproducing ourselves. The election of a woman president is a clear statement that it does not have to.

So I cast my vote this morning mindful that future generations may be looking back on this day and admiring that the American people had the strength and courage to step outside of their long-nurtured comfort zone and elect the first female president of the United States. Whoever wins, may we Americans come together and continue to work for peace and prosperity for all.

Love,

Rebecca

VOTE!

I sat down this afternoon and started to draft a post for tomorrow. Of course, not knowing the outcome of the presidential election, there is only so much I can say short of writing two versions. The only common ground is that I will be able to start with the same sentence: at least it’s finally over!

But just to lighten things up a bit, here are a few things that came to mind.

The name Donald, which is of Celtic origins, means “proud chief, world ruler.” I am only surprised he has not made more of a point of this.

I am not sure if anyone has pointed this out, but in medical jargon, DT (Donald’s initials) is used as a shorthand for Delirium tremens, which are severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms such as shaking, confusion, and hallucinations. Without the alcohol, Mr. Trump has certainly engendered plenty of agitation in the American people.

The name Hillary comes from the Latin for “cheerful girl,” perhaps not quite as good a fit as Mr. Trump’s name.

In the Twitter world, @HRC is the name for the Human Rights Campaign, an organization which represents a force of more than 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

Whatever else you do tomorrow, VOTE!

Love,

Rebecca

Long story short

Everyone who knows me knows that I have a difficult time telling a short story. I appreciate that all of you who read my musings are busy people, and in the interest of trying to respect your time I try to keep the stories short. But I may have done a bit of injustice to the tale of the baby shoe charm.

I still feel no need to walk you through every step of that day, but what I failed to say was that the entire process took the better part of the day. The first half hour was the trip to Mount Sinai for my appointment early that morning. Then, more than 5 hours passed between the time we left Mount Sinai for 47^th Street and the time we arrived home. So, in total, we spent 5½ hours securing that little shoe.

As we recounted the detailed story to Dina, she made an interesting observation: it took us more time to obtain that little charm than it took Dina to complete labor and give birth to an entire new human being!

Love,

Rebecca

Back in order

Early this morning, I headed into The City with Barry. While he taught his class and got some work done, I waited for my appointment for my Sandostatin injection at a nearby Starbucks. I had started with a partially filled oxygen cylinder, so had brought along an extra one in a second canvas bag that fits the size tanks I use.

You do not see too many folks out and about with supplemental oxygen. And I sometimes wonder whether people might feel nervous watching me take an oxygen cylinder out of a bag, screw the regulator on top of it, and open the lever to allow the oxygen to flow. I am happy to say that I have never had such reactions, but in these somewhat dark days I found myself pondering whether my behavior might look suspicious, and how I would react if it did.

In general, the only people who routinely stare at me with my oxygen are children, and I often find myself explaining to them before they even ask, because I think it is less frightening to look at this as a more routine part of some people’s lives.

After my Sandostatin injection, we headed down to West 47^th Street, the “jewelry district.”  This is always quite an experience. The long block of 47^th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues is full of jewelry stores, some stand-alone but many places where multiple small jewelers peddle their wares from individual stalls. We had bought the baby shoe charms and necklace after our first two, Joshua and Eliana, were born from one of these vendors our friend Judy had told us about, and we have gone back to the same vendor each time. When Maya was born, we saw that four charms just were not hanging in a very attractive way, and the jeweler suggested we separate the individual shoes with gold balls. When Julia was born, we were fortunate that Judy still had the contact information for the jeweler, so we were able to return to the same place. And they are still right there last saw them 2½ years ago.

As I mentioned before, in the interest of symmetry I had reordered the little shoes to put the boy in the middle flanked by two girls on each side. But now that we have both an oldest and a youngest boy with four girls in between, it was only natural to put the children back together in birth order. The jeweler was busy so he said that if we wanted to get this done today, perhaps we could string the balls and the charms ourselves. He removed the slasp so the balls and charms would easily slip off the chain. Getting the chain through the tiny holes in the balls turned out to be a bit challenging but helped ensure a true 47^th Street experience. So here are our six charms, in birth order, on the necklace.

I can hear you all saying “may you wear them for many years in good health!”

Love,

Rebecca