Spirituality

PLANNING A

!Wing God On
The MO Holidays

ADVENTURE

thi
summa

here once was a couple
who had two little chil-
dren who were excessively
mischievous. They were
always getting into trouble; their
parents could be assured that if any
mischief occurred in their town,
their youngsters were in some way
involved.
The parents sent their boys to see
the rabbi.
The younger boy went to meet
with him first. The rabbi sat the boy
down and asked him sternly,
"Where is God?"
The boy made no response, so the
rabbi repeated the question in an
even sterner tone, "Where is God?"
Again, the boy made no attempt

Hashanah and Yom Kippur is that
each year, these days of intense holi-
ness provide us with another chance
to find ways in which God and
Jewish observance can enhance each
and-every moment that we are alive.
Sitting in synagogue, davening
from a prayer book that is used only
three times a year, can often be over
whelming and discouraging. But this
time, let us commit ourselves to
selecting just one prayer, one song
or one message to meditate on in a
way that can speak to us in a spiri-
tually profound way.
And then, perhaps we will be
inspired to take a class, study a Torah
portion or take a trip to
Israel that can help keep
our newfound connection
solid throughout the corn-
ing New Year 5763.

to answer. So the rabbi raised his
voice even more and shook his fin-
ger at the boy's face, "WHERE IS
GOD?"
At that point, the boy bolted
from the office and ran
home, crying to his broth-
er: "We are in BIG trouble
this time. God is missing
and they think we did it!"
For many of us, these
High Holidays are a
reminder of how God is
still missing from our lives.
Maybe it is because we are
too busy or perhaps we do
not know. how to access
RABBI JOSEPH
God.
KRAKOFF
The beauty of Rosh
Congregation

Shanah Tovah
Vmetukah.
Susan, Atara, Micah
and Elan join me in wish-
ing you and your family a
sweet and fulfilling season
of repentance, change and
growth! ❑

Shaarey Zedek

yet, I will never forget him.
Ten years later, I reflect on this
encounter. I ask myself how we
might all behave more like this sky-
cap. How might this year be a year
of increased kindness?
Can each of us step out of ourselves
— our own agendas, fears, anxieties
and pain — and notice each other?
Can we slow down and reach out to
whomever we find surrounding us on
any given day? Can we be kinder to
the people we work with or pass on
the street or sit with in the living
and disappeared.
rooms of our own homes?
I have never forgotten that brief
Above all, can we be kinder to the
encounter. Here was a man working
children who are in our
at 3 a.m., probably trying
world, our own and those
to put together enough
of each other? For chil-
money to feed his family, a
dren, kindness is oxygen.
man with problems of his
Kindness is a skill. It
own. He never asked me
requires
practice. It
for anything and was gone
requires
us to discipline
before I could even give
our own needs long
him a tip.
enough to meet the needs
He took time to be pres-
of someone else. It is also
ent to my fear and, in
the truest path to happi-
doing so, gave me a
RABBI
ness.
It is art of the soul.
tremendous gift of kindness
TAMARA
This
year's New Year's
during one of the most vul-
KO LTON
message is simple and clear:
nerable times in my life. I
Take time; be kind. ❑
Birmingham
will never know his name;

Kindness:
A True Art Form

9/6
2002

112

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I

will never forget it. In 1992, I
flew home from Israel during
the Gulf War.
I was 21 and a student at
Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I
arrived in New York City in the
middle of the night and was quickly
whisked out of the airport terminal.
Someone had called in a bomb
threat.
A skycap saw me struggling with
my duffel bag, tearful, panicked and
exhausted. He came over to me, gen-
tly took my bag and said to me,
"There is fear in your eyes. But you
don't need to be afraid. You are
going to be just fine." He pointed
the way to my Detroit flight home

Temple