T’was
the night before Purim
T’was the night before Purim
And all through the house,
Not a grogger was stirring,
As we made Queen Esther’s
blouse,
And the night before Chanukah,
Before candles were ablaze,
We wrapped eight days
of presents,
Each hopefully, to amaze
And the night before Pessach,
We hunted down the leaven
And changed every dish,
For our seder guests,
all twenty-seven!
And the night before Yom
Kippur
We ate heartily a kipper,
And nearly everything else
in the house
And we left for the schul,
quite chipper.
And the night before every
next night,
We thank God for that day,
And for love and peace and
nachas,
We fervently pray.
©2006, Eric Frankfort
Sacred Wanderings
May the world be with us
while we seek within
what may be found
through the midst of creation’s
traffic.
Climb the ladder to the heavens
ascending but descending
where
the world again awaits with
the
full glory of its tales.
And Avraham, Isaac
& Jacob
prodding through terrain
with Josephs bow and Judah’s staff and signet reaches from strength to
strength.
Moshe leads us to freedom
with new questions awaiting Sinai’s approach.
Zepporah takes a bridegroom
in blood
and Zelophehad’s daughters
establish a rule of justice and earn God’s praise.
Jethro brings guidance and
Balaam a tragic falling from heights.
And at the end of each day’s
wandering
hopefully we view the Creator
like Moshe- from the rearguard, looking towards and actively embracing
creation sublime.
©Howard Zik
Ode to Isaac
(Isaac speaker)
Isaac thought and thought,
"What joy to my mother I
brought.
My father was happy too
But a man is a man...nu.
So when God requested me
as a sacrifice,
To obey my old man thought
it nice.
With sweat upon his brow,
He vowed, "I'll do it now,
Before the old lady doth
suspect,
Because I'm sure she'll
object."
Of course Sarah would never
agree;
She'd rather die than it
be me!
So off to the mountain we
went.
When I realized the intent,
I was "spent."
Daddy, old dear, will you
really do what I fear?
Save me please! I want to
mature
So that Rebecca and I can
live
To be my lawful wedded wife,
Hopefully live a happy life.
Oh good, the Lord a ram did
send;
I will avoid an early end!
©2006, Anne Rosenblatt
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TO BE
A JEW
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
And I “kvell”
To be a Jew.
Our heritage spans
A great many years,
Some very joyous,
But many with tears.
Our sages and rabbis
Try to clarify Jewish law,
Perhaps to decide if
iPods are kosher,
Or if meat can be
eaten raw.
Our rabbis try to inspire
And keep us on track,
And even get some congregants
To give Torah reading a
crack.
Our 613 mitzvahs
Remind us how we should
be,
If only following them all
Could be done easily.
So let us try harder,
And be inspired to pass
on,
Jewish values and traditions
To every daughter and son.
©2006, Eric Frankfort
The Gift
(based on Deuteronomy
32:11)
The eagle spreads its wings
-
beneath its nestlings
granting flight’s
way
with the break of day
There if needed
when danger calls
or the young
yields to untimely falls.
The gift of flight is taught
to sustain
And all else if given will
hopefully remain.
But greatest of all is play
between the two as Creator and children soar into the blue.
Giving the children a love
of flight
and ways to ascend before
the approach of night.
©Howard Zik
The First Jewish Family
Sarah to Abraham was married;
At first his child she never
carried.
But Abe needed a son.
What’s to be done?
An idea came to her head.
Hagar, Abe would bed.
Ishmael was born.
Sarah’s heart was torn.
But wait!
Miracle of miracles …
Never too late
Sarah was with child!
The household went wild!
Sarah laughed with joy.
And produced a boy.
But wait! This is not the
end,
Hagar was no longer her
friend:
Banish her! Send her away!
Let her go astray…
Who wants her and the brat?
For I myself have now begat
Isaac – true heir to the
master.
Get rid of her, faster!
Faster!
Poor old Abe, good old Abe
So confused was he;
But God spoke and said to
him
“Indulge Sarah’s whim.”
And don’t worry;
Don’t be sorry.
Safe will Hagar be,
A new nation she will see.
And THUS it shall be.
©2006, Anne Rosenblatt
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Limericks
There once was a young lady
cantor,
Who strove to sing, and
not banter,
But she sang like King Kong,
All dressed in a pink thong,
And drank from a silver
decanter.
©2006, Eric Frankfort
Upon My Succah Walls
Here with colors abounding
resonating within
the dwelling
where family, culture, and
belief merge
and dependence borne
of trust
whispers in the wind
Upon my succah walls.
Past voices call out in the
desert
reaching through the ages
echoing words of hope
and celebration
Upon my succah walls.
And consuming food and study
within
while gazing at images dancing
with sacred vibrations
Upon my succah walls.
And the created world
with all its
twistings and turnings
delivers from the Creator
a message of Shalom
-moving-
Upon my succah walls
©Howard Zik
The Brothers
Jacob slept upon a stone;
He dreamt about a ladder.
Angels climbing up and down.
He thought about his mother.
Rebecca seemed to say to
him
"I'm sorry that upon a whim
I urged you to fool your
father.
So please now do behave,
No longer be the knave.
With your brother do make
peace
So I can rest in bliss."
When Esau came in sight,
With his army in all its
might,
Jacob shuddered and was
dismayed
With all his soul he prayed.
... And lo and behold! They
met in joy
Did not each other annoy
or destroy,
But kissed, as brothers
should.
Learn a lesson from this,
if you only would
That siblings should get
along.
©2006, Anne Rosenblatt
Morashah Kehillat Yaakov?
An inheritance of the
Congregation of Jacob?
Once we held fast to this
our birthright
Though foe assailed us,
we would stand our ground.
Today we surrender with
hardly a fight;
Upon our own body, we inflict
this wound.
Who will claim you, once
we depart?
Who passes this wisdom onto
our youth,
Reaching the head, and also
the heart
With your great teaching,
our eternal truth?
Our enemy now, we face in
the mirror.
With many divisions and
factions galore,
No wonder so many blend
into the crowd.
Tradition not learned, they
now just ignore
And leave us by inches,
don’t know they belong.
A remnant withdraws to protect
their path.
They wish to preserve what
can never be.
If ignoring their brethren,
they bring on God’s wrath.
One people united, must
be our plea.
Hear O Israel, be one, united.
Remove our hatred as Passover
leaven.
Then the path to glory can
yet still be righted.
Conquering difference for
the sake of Heaven.
Preserve but adapt it, and
make it our treasure.
With joy and gladness, and
with music and song,
For all of our people, whatever
their measure,
Whatever their pace, let’s
bring them along.
Morashah Kehillat Yaakov!
An inheritance of the Congregation
of Jacob!
©2006, Robert
Altabet
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