By Ileana A.

During this week’s Jewish service, Rabbi Michele told a story about a motorcyclist. This motorcyclist was conversing with a rabbi and declared that he didn’t need to pray because his life was already full of miracles. The rabbi asked him to give an example. So the biker tells about how he was riding past a cliff and a truck comes zooming toward him and his two options were to ride off the cliff or crash into the truck. Of course, he rode off the cliff. The miracle was that the bike was caught between two rocks, which acted as shock absorbers. The rabbi then asked him, “Who pushed you off the cliff?”

This story was a good reminder for me that God is always there for me. Lately, I have felt as if there have been obstacles in my life that I could never overcome. I was reminded, however, that God would not put things in my life that I would not be able to handle. God knows what is best for me and I need to have faith that everything happens with His good reasoning.

By Ileana A.
This past weekend, The Family Foundation School celebrated Sukkot. Sukkot is a Jewish holiday that comes from both history and agriculture. Historically, when the Israelites spent forty days and nights wandering in the desert, they had to build booths in which to sleep. This is where the name for the holiday Sukkot comes from, sukkot meaning booths.

Sukkot is also a celebration of thanksgiving for the year’s harvest. Traditionally, the Seven Species, wheat and barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates decorate the booths. Part of the celebration requires living in the booths just as the Israelites did so long ago. This can be eating the daily meals inside of the booths or even sleeping in them at night. Of course, we just had lunch in our booths.

The students spent Sunday preparing for the meal, making posters of psalms, stringing popcorn, and making paper chains with descriptions of what we were all grateful for. Before eating, we recognized that there is a time for everything, even a time for thanksgiving.

By Ileana A.

Tashlik is a Jewish ceremony done during the High Holy Days. During the ceremony, people talk about the sins they have committed during the year and promise not to repeat them.

This week Rabbi Michele held a Tashlik ceremony for the Jewish students at The Family Foundation School by the pond. Students collected leaves to represent their sins of the past year and tossed them into the water so that the sins could be carried away for a clean start to the new year. As each student did this, they pledged to do their best not to repeat those sins again and to make amends for having committed them.

By Ileana A.

This morning, Rabbi Michele led us in a S’lichot Service for the High Holy Days. S’lichot means forgiveness in Hebrew. The reason we had a S’lichot Service is that the ten High Holy Days focus on repentance for our sins. Thus, we took the time to come before God and confess our transgressions. We prayed that although we confess every year, this time we would change with God’s help.

It is interesting how the service had many parallels to the 12 Steps.  In the Steps, we admit our powerlessness, believe in a Higher Power, admit our wrongs, and work on changing them all with God’s guidance. These were all stated in the service. We also recited our human sins alphabetically starting with arrogance and ending with zeal to do the wrong things. We asked for God’s forgiveness and his light to show us the way. We also must always keep in mind that we must pray as if everything depended on God, and act as if it all depended on us.

By Ileana A.

We did not have power the last four days; however, that did not stop the clergy at The Family Foundation School from supporting our spiritual journeys, which the students greatly appreciated. On Tuesday, Rabbi Michele came in and led the community in meditation. She usually has a PowerPoint Presentation set up for us, but this time she led us from her self-powered iPad. It was peaceful and very quiet in the chapel that morning. The only light came from the sunrise and the candle that Rabbi had lit.

Even without electrical power, our Higher Power was still running.

Rabbi shared with us that there used to be “Families” instead of “Houses,” but that it was still the same idea. Houses hold families, and families are a lot more than just a group of people who live together. They are loving brothers and sisters who will do anything to help each other out. They are respectful and considerate of each others’ spaces and emotions. Rabbi shared with us that when a family includes God in their house, everything goes smoother. At the end of the service, we listened to a song that emphasized this point and really made me want to do the best I can for my house and family. After each verse, the chorus reminded me that “our house is a house of God.”

By Ileana A.

On Monday evenings, Rabbi Michele has been hosting a Jewish mysticism class. Jewish students were welcome to attend and learn about Kabbalah. This form of mysticism focuses on God being everything. God is even in the tragedies that happen in our lives. God is from this perspective one connected soul.

The students really enjoy the class because it has made it easier for them to connect with God. A main teaching students learned was that everything God does has a purpose. Rabbi Michele invites questions that the students bring to her and is very willing to share her ideas. The great thing about mysticism is that it is very open to different ways of living. Students felt it to be much more of a spiritual rather than religious approach to connecting with God.

By Ileana A.

Tuesday mornings, The Family Foundation School students usually head up to the chapel for Jewish service. This Tuesday, however, Rabbi Michele told us to meet her outside by the house. Excitedly, we all went down not quite knowing what to expect.

Upon arriving, we all received a Shabbat in the Park service book. Sleepily, we started reading along with Rabbi and got introduced to a different idea of worship. The message was simple and not hard to grasp: Nature is a miracle, why should we not believe in a higher power?

One never really notices the beauty of nature when inside a building with luxuries such as A.C. and microphones, but that morning it was all quite clear. We thanked Adonai for the trees and the flowers. We thanked Adonai for the birds and the squirrels. A friend of mine especially expressed her gratitude for the service because the miracles of nature are the reasons why she is able to believe in a higher power and now she did not have to feel like the odd one out.

Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu, Melech ha’olam.

Blessed are you, Eternal God, creator of the universe.

New study group at The Family Foundation School

Using the book, “Ehyeh: A Kabbalah For Tomorrow” by Rabbi Arthur Green, we will draw on the ancient Jewish mystical teachings of the Zohar, and examine the basic ideas and spiritual teachings of Kabbalah.  According to Kabbalistic teachings, each human being has a divine soul, a part of God, a spark of light, a deep longing for Oneness buried within us.  Rabbi Green’s book helps modern seekers of God to seek out that hidden internal spark finding new ways to connect to God. Kabbalah teaches that there really are not distinct boundaries between human beings and God.  Our goal should be to try to dissolve those artificial boundaries so we can more directly understand what God wants and expects of us.

Rabbi Michele