Sarasota, FL – March 17, 2017

While Shabbat always remains about the pause and the reflection of the week, sometimes I get overjoyed just about searching out a new wine with a unique name. Publix’s wine aisle did not disappoint. I resurrected Ménage à Trois wine from a previous Shabbat; felt inspired by the wine The Beach House, and giggled at The Middle Sister wine label. Our table was set for five: Steve and me, Jake Weinbeger (our son), Merik Schechter (who wants to be our son!), and Mitch Weinberger (brother-in-law). We had all the Shabbat accessories: Publix Challah, a variety of the fruits of the vine, the candles, and us. Dinner was scrumptious as the vegetables came from the garden that Steve has nurtured. Having the guys at the table is always a joy. Jake and Merik, who have been besties since they were twelve always offer raise the bar as dinner guests. It’s more like a dinner and a show. They are highly entertaining.  Dinner was a bit earlier than usual this evening as Steve and I had to be prompt for our bimah sitting honors at Temple Emanu-El.   Rabbi Michael Shefrin led a sweet service and a bar-mitzvah boy, Nathaniel Cohen, was celebrating. During the service, sometimes I feel compelled to write a prayer down in my journal: “When we keep Shabbat, G-d keeps us. It is a sign between G-d and Israel forever…” I also captured the following journal entries from Rabbi Shefrin’s sermon that focused on what our tradition comments on about anger. There are plenty of stories in the Torah that express G-d and the Israelite’s rages: The Flood, the Golden Cafe, the breaking of the tablets which always reminds me of “Mel Brooks’ funniest bits [from the] scene from his 1981 film A History of the World: Part 1, in which Brooks, in the role of Moses, comes down from Mount Sinai carrying three tablets containing 15 commandments, only to drop one of the tablets, losing the last five commandments as the tablet shatters into bits.” Shefrin’s reflection reminded us to “[become] aware of our emotional self and let someone in.” Then, it was Steve and my time to recite the kiddush and motzi. While this seems simple and automatic, it wasn’t. The whole congregation stares at you to lead them in song. I do not sing. We recited the kiddush and I do what I always do after it – drink. Well, I forgot that the choir joins in for the full rendition and you are suppose to take the sip of wine after that. That’s not how it happened though. I stood there in a bit of a quandry: do I swallow or do I hold it. Of course, I swallowed it, but it was definitely a goof. The congregation seemed humored by it. The motzi went a little better!

We escaped the Oneg Shabbat as Tali and Sam Schneider had invited over after services. We consumed nuts, Israeli candy, Schneider coffee and much laughter. Tali shared beautiful pictures of her nieces and family in Tel Aviv. We reminisced about our Club Med trip together, our dating years and how our men won our hearts, the progress of all of our kids, the story of our moms suffering from Parkinson’s and dementias, and just enjoyed making more Schneider/Weinberger memories of which there are many.

#Shabbat Shalom