Description
Judy and I met during the COVID lockdown. We were all sheltering at home and I was offering Friday evening Shabbat services through my synagogue via Zoom. Judy began attending services and soon became one of our members, beloved by all.
Judy, although, in the advanced years of her life and living in an assisted living facility might have been bound to a wheelchair, however her mind remained as sharp as a tac.
It is a downfall of our American culture to look at an older person in a wheelchair and assume that their mental abilities must match their physical limitations. We presuppose that their quietness must be equal to inability. How wrong that is. During our Shabbat services Judy very quickly dispelled our foolishness by chanting the Hebrew prayers with accuracy and the proper kavanah (intention).
In very short order, members of the congregation realized that there was a lot more to Judy than met the eye.
Through the small square Zoom picture, we became inspired by Judy’s comments and insights during our after service ‘soSHULizing’.
Judy, shared with us that she had written poetry corresponding to passages in our Torah (The 5 Books of Moses) and would regale us with recitations, leaving us struck by the depth of her spirituality and understanding of the human psyche and condition.
Having BA from Wellesley College, 1953 and a MSW from University of Pennsylvania, 1978, Judy is well schooled in knowledge but in addition to that she possesses an innate humility that enables her to capture her own weaknesses and that of our modern-day culture. After all, it is through our weaknesses that we connect.
Connection and relationship to God, to ourselves and to one another is what Judy has artistically penned in these pages. Her lifelong study of Jewish text has enabled her to read the white spaces between the written letters and glean wisdom to deepen our understanding and appreciation of our ancient text.
The Torah quotes for each poem are sighted so that you, the reader, might further contemplate the spiritual meaning and teaching of the passage.
Be not in a rush to ‘finish’ the book but rather linger over each poem and harvest all that you can from the profound spirituality.
It is said of our Torah, “Turn it, turn it, for everything is in it.” Turn these pages and may Judy’s interpretations lead you on a journey of discovery and inspiration.
With Blessings,
Rabbi Stephanie Shore
Alice Goodmann –
I was given this book by a friend, and what a treasure it is! Inspiring and thought-provoking, a great compliment to the books of the Torah ( the 5 books of Moses) as the author has profound insight and knowledge that stir your mind to think with a depth beyond the passages in an application to daily life. Being of advanced age, she has beautifully mastered the art of poetry that is above and beyond most authors by capturing her own weaknesses and that of modern society. Rabbi Stephanie Shore feels that “after all, it is through our weaknesses that we relate to each other”. My utmost respect for the intelligent, scholared, lady “of advanced age”. I respect that highly, and do treasure the knowledge of our elders, as it should be! I think you will enjoy this little gem of poetry.