In Hebron, the army has evacuated the disputed home. In Afula, a town in the North, both the families of Gavriel and Rivka Hertzberg are sitting shiva, seven days of sitting on small chairs and receiving those who comfort them. But even mourning takes a break on Shabbat, from Friday night to Saturday night. As the week comes to an end, our pace changes. Tomorrow night I will wear white clothes and go to my synagogue, join with hundreds of others in the harmonious singing that welcomes the Sabbath, like a bride, into our hearts.

From Jerusalem,
Barbara Sofer

This morning began with a brit milah, called a bris in the US, the 8th day circumcision ceremony for a baby boy. This baby is the grandson of close friends and I know his parents very well, too. Brit means covenant and Dad Yossi talked about the different covenants in the Bible, promises beginning with Noah and then strengthened with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob of G-d’s continued involvement with the human race in general and the Jewish people in particular—for better or worse. And do we have to constantly confirm our part of the covenant by acting in a way demanded by G-d? Yes, answered Yossi. Acting in a godly way is a constant challenge. There’s the letter of the law, but we are commanded to go beyond the letter of the law in our personal interactions. In Israel, attending a brit is important enough to come late to work, as I did. The baby was named for his great-grandfather Rabbi Yitzhak who left Hungary in 1928 when ruffians surrounded him and cut off his side locks. It turned out well. His presence in the US allowed him to save most of his family from the Nazis. The family moved to Israel after Independence. I remember Rabbi Yitzhak well—particularly for his amazing sense of humor which survived the many traumas of his life. It’s a lesson to us all.

And speaking of Thanksgiving and life lessons, did you know that it was established as a national holiday by Abraham Lincoln who saw all we needed to be thankful for despite the Civil War?