December 9, 2016 – Sarasota, FL

Jews are definitely divided regarding Israel and the recent American election. It seems that most of the congregants at our Temple did not vote for DT, but those who did stand out in the crowd and press those of us who did not. Point in case…Steve, my husband, engaged in what at first seemed like small talk at the Oneg Shabbat, but the conversation shifted and like minds became unlike. Not that there is anything wrong that, but there was. Another friend casually joined in the conversation and palpable tension grew with the mere mention of the president-elect’s name as it was vociferously defended. That congregant disappeared so fast from the engagement that Steve described him as the Roadrunner when Wiley E. Coyote would show up at the scene. We laughed and cried simultaneously.

Luckily, the mood changed as friends of ours introduced the possibility of biking across Israel next October. I am contemplating, but Steve is a definite no as we are not bikers. We are hikers though and there is a Walk in Israel trip that has potential. I attended High School in Israel between my junior and senior year of high school. My life changed forevermore that is until it changed again and then again!

I am grateful for these Shabbat encounters because interactions are important. I am not a DT supporter, but I am listening and watching for signs of hope and a united America. It is a slow process.

On this Shabbat our table was shared by just us two. I am pretty sure we did not light the candles, but we did drink wine and eat challah. Our meal was minuscule in comparison to most, but the company was just right. The important moment is that we paused from the weekly grind and celebrated together.

Shabbat Shalom.