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The Jewish Holidays in September

Sat, September 4, 2021 Published by

September 2021 is an interesting month regarding the Jewish Calendar. The Jewish calendar year is 5782 and theoretically dates from Adam and Eve, if you go through the bible with all the years listed for the generations. There are four major Jewish holidays that occur this month. Three of them are described in Leviticus chapter 23. The first is Rosh Hashanah, literally the Head of the Year, as the Hebrew word Rosh is “head” and Hashanah is “the year.” Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown September 6th and is celebrated on the seventh and eight for Orthodox Jews and the seventh for Jews who live in Israel and Reform Jews. It is interesting that Rosh Hashanah begins on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew Calendar and is the beginning of the ten Days of Awe which end with Yom Kippur.

The Beatitudes High Holiday Jewish service, celebrating Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, will be conducted in the Life Center Boardroom on Friday, September 10th at 1 pm. The service will be led by Phil and Hannah Adelman.

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins at sundown on the 15th of September. Leviticus does not use the name Rosh Hashanah and only indicates that is a day of the blowing of the horn. The name for this day was first used in the Mishnah which is a Jewish text written in the first 200 years of the common era. The Mishnah describes the use of the ram’s horn as it was a ram who was sacrificed in place of Isaac by Abraham. Hence, the Shofar or rams’ horn is blown in services on Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur is the end of the days of awe and is normally spent in the synagogue praying and fasting. The Yom Kippur fast begins prior to sundown on the fifteenth and ends, traditionally, after sundown on the sixteenth. During this 24-hour day the Jewish fast consists of complete abstinence of food and drink.

Sukkot, the feast of tabernacles, begins on the evening of the 20th of September (14th of Tishrei) and is a seven or eight-day holiday. It commemorates the harvest and traditionally we build a wooden structure, which is covered in palm fronds or other branches from trees. Many Jews eat their holiday meals in the sukkah. Simchat Torah, rejoicing with the Torah, begins at sundown September 28th. It is celebrating with the Torah and ends the annual cycle of reading the Torah in the Synagogue. On this holiday the final chapter of Deuteronomy is read, and the beginning of Genesis is read. The Torah, which is a scroll containing the 5 books of Moses is rewound from the end to the beginning and every synagogue and temple in the world begins the annual reading the Torah on Simchat Torah.

Article written by Phil Adelman, Beatitudes resident and posted on his behalf by Beatitudes Campus

Every Last Drop

Tue, July 20, 2021 Published by

The movement towards a better way of dying focuses on not only our physical selves (“how can we help you be more comfortable?”) but also our social selves (“what is important to you in the days, weeks, months ahead?”) our emotional selves (“who do you need to talk to? What remains unsaid?”) and our spiritual selves (“what supports you spiritually at this time?”)

Slow to Speak

Fri, October 23, 2020 Published by

As I have been doing some preliminary reading and preparation for our upcoming Bible Study on the Book of Proverbs (which you can watch on Channel 1-2, 3:00pm, beginning on Wednesday, October 28th), one verse stood out to me, particularly when rendered in contemporary language: “You will say the wrong thing if you talk too much – so be sensible and watch what you say” (Prov. 10:19).

On the Other Side of Easter

Sun, April 28, 2019 Published by

Now we are on the other side of Easter. Remember, Easter was not the glorious event for the disciples that it was for us. The trumpets did not sound. Easter lilies and spring flowers did not announce new life in their midst. Unexpectedly, momentarily, they saw Jesus alive and then very quickly he was gone. It had to have been a very uncertain place to be. What happens now? I imagine the disciples were tempted to go back to where they were. They were tempted to go back to who they were. They were tempted to go back to what they were.

I read a meditation during Holy Week that has stuck with me. It keeps challenging my heart and mind. Mary Luti, a longtime seminary educator and pastor writes: “A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you…” (John 13:34) It was on the night he was betrayed that Jesus gave us the love commandment. In fact, it was right after his betrayer, flush with silver, left the table and slipped away into the night. Scripture says that Jesus knew where Judas was going. It’s a safe bet the others did, too. Frederick Niedner once wondered whether, after hearing that commandment about the way they should love each other, any of the disciples got up and went after Judas. ‘Did anyone fear for him, miss him, or try, even after he brought soldiers to Gethsemene, to bring him back and talk him out of his shame, his anger, his rapidly deepening hell?’

Did anyone try to love him as Jesus did? Tradition has consigned Judas to a gruesome death and the deepest circle of hell, so my guess would be no. Which means that the church—that’s you and me—hasn’t yet learned the first thing about the love commandment. Or about our own pain. For we all have at least one Judas missing from our tables, out there in the night, unforgiven and alone. And each of us may be a Judas for someone else, absent from someone else’s feast. Maybe when we sit together at the church’s Table to share bread and cup, we should add a chair. And leave it empty, an aching absence. Maybe the sight of that absence would shame us into the world to look high and low for Judas, and to keep looking until all our Judases come home.”

The commandment to love is demanding. How often do we try to make it easy by loving the lovable rather than seeking out those who really push us and make our blood boil? How often have we chosen to continue sitting at the table while a family member leaves in anger out the door instead of getting up and going after them? Who is missing from your table and how do you deal with the aching absence? Who are you wishing would come home? Have you ever been the outcast of the family, the one absent from the feast? Have you ever felt beyond the reach of forgiveness? As a society, who do we leave behind and never go back for? How will you take seriously the love commandment this side of Easter?

 

Happy Kwanzaa

Sun, December 30, 2018 Published by

As we live into our commitment to be diverse and inclusive here at the campus, we aim to be intentional in the ways that we grow in our understanding and celebration of who WE are. There are friends and family who celebrate Kwanzaa and there is much to learn about this celebration which honors African heritage in African-American culture and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving. Kwanzaa has seven core principles (Nguzo Saba). It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966–67. Maulana Karenga, a black nationalist who later became a college professor, created Kwanzaa as a way of uniting and empowering the African-African community in the aftermath of the deadly Watts riots. Having modeled his holiday on traditional African harvest festivals, he took the name “Kwanzaa” from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.”

Many people celebrate both Kwanzaa and Christmas. Though often thought of as an alternative to Christmas, many people actually celebrate both. “Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, but a cultural one with an inherent spiritual quality,” Karenga writes. “Thus, Africans of all faiths can and do celebrate Kwanzaa, i.e. Muslims, Christians, Black Hebrews, Jews, Buddhists, Baha’i and Hindus, as well as those who follow the ancient traditions of Maat, Yoruba, Ashanti, Dogon, etc.” According to Karenga, non-blacks can also enjoy Kwanzaa, just as non-Mexicans commemorate Cinco de Mayo and non-Native Americans participate in powwows. Kwanzaa centers around seven principles which are umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity) and imani (faith). Kwanzaa also has seven symbols–mazao (crops), mkeka (mat), kinara (candleholder), muhindi (corn), kikombe cha umoja (unity cup), zawadi (gifts) and mishumaa saba (seven candles)–that are traditionally arranged on a table. Three of the seven candles are red, representing the struggle; three of the candles are green, representing the land and hope for the future; and one of the candles is black, representing people of African descent. Some families who celebrate Kwanzaa dress up or decorate their homes in those colors. Homemade and educational gifts are encouraged. U.S. presidents habitually wish the nation a happy Kwanzaa.The holiday also has made inroads with the U.S. Postal Service, which has issued four separate Kwanzaa stamps since 1997. The latest, from 2011, features a family dressed in traditional African garb lighting the kinara.

When he envisioned the celebration of Kwanzaa, Karenga recognized that on the whole, African Americans do not live in an agricultural setting. Nonetheless, he sought to emphasize that the basic principles found in producing the harvest are vital to building and maintaining strong and wholesome communities. Kwanzaa is that time when we reflect on our use of the basic principles, share and enjoy the fruits of our labor, and recommit ourselves to the collective achievement of a better life for our family, our community, and our people. We celebrate family, community, and culture, and wish our friends, Happy Kwanzaa! *

Looking Forward to 2019

Sun, December 30, 2018 Published by

Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were filled with love and joy. I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all of you for making Beatitudes Campus the wonderful, spirit-filled community it is. Your warmth and compassion for each other is inspiring. Your wisdom has taught me so much about living life to its fullest. You have blessed me with the lifelong gift of your friendship. Thank you!

Now that 2019 is upon us, many of us have resolved to change some of our “bad” habits and replace them with “good” habits. How did the tradition of New Year’s resolution even start? Some 4,000 years ago, the Babylonians rang in their new year by making promises to the gods in hopes they would earn good favor in the coming year. They often resolved to return borrowed items and get out of debt. The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus. During the Middle Ages, knights would renew their vows to chivalry and uphold the values of knighthood by placing their hand on a live or roasted peacock.

Things have come a long way since then! Modern new year’s resolutions became “a thing” in the 19th century. The first recorded use of the phrase “new year resolution” appeared in a Boston newspaper in 1813.

The tradition of making resolutions at the beginning of the year certainly can put a lot of stress on us – especially if we don’t keep them. Every year, in some way or another, I resolve to be a better person, get healthier, work less, save the world, become smarter, be more philanthropic, become more spiritual, engage more in the world around me – whew – what a tall order! And what a lot of pressure! By the end of the year, I usually haven’t fulfilled all of my resolutions in the way I imagined I would in January. Sometimes life doesn’t quite go the way I planned it to go. But by bending with the winds of change, I adapt to changing circumstances. But even then, that sometimes means I don’t accomplish my New Year’s resolutions. What if I could just lighten up a bit and allow myself to live each moment of every day fully – rather than pressuring myself and forcing change and feeling bad when the change doesn’t happen?

So, this year, my “un-resolution” is to resolve to get out of my own way and trust that the better version of me will come through when it’s ready to do so. I am hoping that taking time off from forcing change through new year’s resolutions will open new doors of discovery for me. And I’m excited! 2019 is going to be the best year yet – a year of incredible growth and evolution!

May the new year add a new beauty and freshness in your hearts.*

Independence Day

Thu, July 5, 2018 Published by

An amazing event took place 242 years ago, when thirteen colonies asserted their independence from England which ultimately led the way to the creation of the United States of America. This special day continues to be celebrated every July 4th and is known as Independence Day. Many of us learned about our independence day in history classes, but there are some little known facts you might not have learned previously. Constance Gibbs, wrote the fun article “5 things you didn’t know about the Fourth of July” which ran July 4, 2017 in the New York Daily News to share some of those facts.

“Fun fact: Many Americans don’t know some basic facts about their country. Polls have revealed that only 45% of Americans knew what the initials in GOP stood for, 25% of Americans couldn’t identify the country from which we gained independence from, and a majority of Americans couldn’t name more than one protection guaranteed in the first Amendment of the Constitution.

With the explosive success of the ‘Hamilton’ musical, those who have seen it have internalized info about the American Revolution. But if it’s been a while since AP U.S. History, here are five fun facts about Independence Day worth brushing up on.

  1. INDEPENDENCE DAY IS REALLY LONGER THAN A DAY

July 4 is the day we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but not all 56 eventual signers signed that day. There is actually quite the dispute about who signed the document and when. Some say it was the 4th of July, 1776—when John Hancock affixed his big, loopy signature. This copy was then sent to the printers, where 200 copies were made. A few others signed the original a few days later, perhaps on July 8th, the day it was read aloud in public for the first time. But most members of the Second Continental Congress did not sign until August 2 — so maybe we should just celebrate Independence Month.

  1. A FREAKY COINCIDENCE MARKED THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who drafted the Declaration of Independence, died exactly 50 years after it was signed — on July 4th, 1826. As legend has it, Adams’ last words were, ‘Jefferson still survives.’ But he’d already died five hours earlier.

  1. WHY RED, WHITE AND BLUE?

Most people are aware what the stars and stripes represent on the American flag (the 50 states and original 13 colonies, respectively), but why red, white and blue? The common story is that the colors represent purity and innocence (white), hardiness and valor (red), and vigilance, perseverance and justice (blue). But that was actually the reasoning the creator of the Great Seal of the United States gave for including the flag in the stamp that wasn’t used until 1782. The colors of the flag, however, may simply have been chosen because it was designed after the British Union Jack. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

  1. WHAT DO FIREWORKS HAVE TO DO WITH INDEPENDENCE?

Fireworks on the Fourth of July is a tradition dating back to 1777, the first anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife, Abigail, that he wanted Independence Day to be ‘celebrated with pomp, parade, shows, and Illuminations’, hence the splashy show we put on. The day in the letter to which Adams is referring, however, was not July 4, but rather July 2 — the day the Declaration was voted upon by delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies.

  1. TWO OTHER COUNTRIES CELEBRATE FREEDOM ON JULY 4

Fireworks have been a tradition in America on July 4th since the first anniversary of the signing of the Declaration thanks to former President John Adams.

There are two other countries that celebrate July 4th as a day of independence or freedom. In the Philippines, this day is Republic Day—not the Southeast Asian country’s independence from Spain — but their independence from the U.S.! The Philippines were a U.S. territory until 1946.

And over in Rwanda, July 4 is Liberation Day, when the country ended the awful Rwandan Genocide in 1994 after 100 days of conflict.”

As we celebrate our independence again this year, I will be reflecting on how lucky we are that our forefathers fought for  our freedom to make our great nation. Enjoy!*

Off To Chicago!

Mon, June 5, 2017 Published by

As you read this article, Chaplain Andrew and I will be in Chicago at the 7th International Conference on Aging and Spirituality which began in Canberra, Australia in 2000 and until the 2015 Conference, all were held in countries of the British Commonwealth: Australia, New Zealand, England and Scotland.  This is the second time it will be held in the United States and Andrew and I are excited to attend. These conferences include voices from many parts of the world, voices from the domains of the academic and the aging services, voices from various faith traditions and voices representing the “spiritual, but not religious,” and they include a mixture of keynote speakers, workshops and papers of interest to those coming from a faith based approach and to those approaching spirituality from a secular viewpoint.

We will be meeting at the historic campus of Concordia University, Chicago which has a Center for Gerontology (the study of aging and older adults). The conference theme is “Transition and Transcendence: Transforming Aging through Spirituality.” Together we will explore navigating the transitions of aging, how transcendence is experienced in times of change, and how the experience of aging and our understanding of it can be transformed. “How do we, as persons who are growing older ourselves and who serve older adults, encourage ourselves and encourage them to find the spiritual paths and practices that will sustain them – and us – through hard change and loss?  And how does our spirituality help us to move from focusing on our own needs and pains to seeing ourselves as part of a wider world, where, in spite of limitations, there is still much we can offer and needs we can meet? How do we engage the wider cultures in which we live in conversation about the possibilities and promises of aging in the midst of all these transitions? In short, how can we harness the power of the spirit available to all of us to transform aging wherever we live?”

It is exciting that Andrew is one of the presenters speaking on: “The Road Goes Ever On – Viewing Aging As A Step On Our Spiritual Pilgrimage.” In his presentation, Andrew will be using the experiences of many people here at the Campus to demonstrate how beneficial it is to see aging not as a dilemma, but rather as an essential and beneficial part of our life-long quest for self-understanding and spiritual growth.

Having never been to Chicago, I am looking forward to seeing new sights and learning new insights.  Plus, I’ve heard they have some pretty good pizza!  Look for a future article in which we will share about our experience.

*By the way, the word “ageing” in the title is not a typo.  The Conference comes from other parts of the world, where they spell it as “ageing” rather than how we spell it here in the United States – “aging.”

Hands and Hearts of Many

Wed, February 1, 2017 Published by

It takes many hands of the staff to bring the campus’ mission alive each day. Some of those hands make beds, some cook meals, some ensure all of our technology systems are up and running. Some lead recreation and fitness classes, some send e-mails, some arrange housekeeping schedules. Some fold laundry, some run meetings, some pass medications. Some answer phones, some pay bills, some serve food. Some bathe residents who need assistance and some are completing work orders to turn an apartment into a home. Some gather us in worship. All contribute to the experience and caring that are hallmarks of Beatitudes Campus.

At the end of our January All-Staff meeting, I was privileged to assist our Spiritual Life team, Rev. Roberts and Chaplain Moore, with a beautiful Campus tradition – Blessing of the Hands. Using water for cleansing and oils for the blessing, we honored the hands – and hearts – of the many who carry out the sacred work of our ministry. For 16 years we have held this service during the week of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. This year was particularly special. As campus leaders washed, dried, and anointed hands, we had residents bless each team member’s hands. With each blessing, a sense of quiet fell over the recipients and an acknowledgment of grace and commitment was evident.

And just last week our senior leadership team held a reflection led by Rev. Roberts on the power of prayer. As Peggy read quotes on prayer, it was deeply moving to hear that they resonated with each of us and we found ourselves sharing ways in which we uplift each of you and our service to the campus in prayer. We also discussed the importance of community and prayer as we reflected on this year’s Blessing of the Hands.  As such, we were reminded of the prayer cycle created by Chaplain Moore where each day of the month corresponds to an area of campus life or particular department for prayer intention.

How grateful I am to be a part of a community who work and pray together. On behalf of the entire campus team, thank you for the privilege.

Christmas Traditions

Mon, December 19, 2016 Published by

The holidays; it’s that time of the year that some love and others really struggle with. For me it is a combination of the two. It is a reflective time of year for me as my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer on December 15th of 1993 when I was 20 years old. Christmas was my mother’s favorite holiday and she always made it wonderful for us kids. That year leading up to Christmas, as you can imagine, was tough. Many of our traditions went by the wayside that year as she was so ill.

One tradition that stopped that year for my brother and I, because that was our last Christmas with her as she died in early January of 1994, was the tradition of picking out a “special” ornament each year that had our name and the year on it.  The ornament often reflected something we liked or were interested in that year.  For instance in 1986, my brother Michael got a red truck ornament, as that was the year he received his driver’s license and a red Ford truck.  My mom started this tradition because she always said that when we moved out she wanted us to have ornaments for our own tree.  Michael and I enjoyed each year when we would decorate the Christmas tree with our parents. It was always fun to unwrap each ornament and then discuss why we had chosen that ornament as our “special” ornament that year.  There usually were lots of laughs because, in retrospect, some of the reasons were very silly.  After my mother’s death, every year when I would put a tree up, I would have moments of tears and smiles as I placed my ornaments on the tree.  I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait to start a family and begin that tradition with them.

The Christmas of 2002, my husband Jeff and I were able to begin the tradition of the “special” ornament for our daughter, Lauren. Her first ornament, just like my very first ornament, was a brass angel with her name engraved on it. Lauren is now 14 years old and our son Luke is 10 years old and they both enjoy picking out their “special” ornaments, unwrapping them and placing them on the tree each year. This year we had custom ornaments made for each of them.  The front of Lauren’s has a picture of her kicking a soccer ball, along with her name, the year and the name of the 2 soccer teams she is on. The back of the ornament has a picture of her and her team celebrating after a win.  Luke’s ornament has a picture of him with his race truck on the front along with his name, 2016 and that he was the AZ and CA Champ. He also chose a picture of his race truck for the back of the ornament. I love helping the kids pick out their ornaments each year as it is a really neat way to remember what was important to them that year.

About 5 years ago, I began buying a personalized family ornament so that our tree won’t be completely bare when the kids’ ornaments are no longer hanging on to our tree because they have moved out and are hanging on their very own. They both have told me that they love that I have begun doing that and they will carry on the new tradition of a family ornament with their families in the future. It is interesting how something can turn into a tradition.  I hope you still celebrate the holidays with some traditions you grew up with or can think fondly of some traditions that you started. Happy Holidays!