Praise Yah - July 2000
My dear singing-dancing-chanting, praying together-silent sitting, joy-us family
Blessings of the summertime! …”This little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine!”
Come. Let’s sparkle together and shine our lights with each other, and celebrate life.
YES..L’Chaim! HALLELU JAH…!!
Seventeen years ago I sent out this drawing of my vision for the SHUL- a center for the Humanities, in California, Hawaii, and Israel.
I spoke of my desire for living in a spiritual neighborhood, sharing food, fun, prayer and sun…toward the One…the only One.
And many people then resonated with the vision: collective gathering/meeting places,
Private living and sanctuary spaces, floral and herbal gardens, fruit trees, and animals,
Vegetables, and minerals, mining our minds in Divinity, Prayer, and Praise. Hallelu Yah!
So, many years have passed, and the vision continues to grow: Conscious intentional spiritual sensual Community…living, learning, and growing together. YAH is ONE!
From the age of 5 to 12, my mother’s father, Reb Isaac Amkin (May the memory of the righteous be a blessing) lived with us. He was a gentle, pious, powerful, loving soul.
In the seven years he lived with us, I never heard him raise his voice or speak an unkind word. When my parents would argue, he would not take sides.’ Shalom Bayit’- Peace in the home, was his guiding principle.
He taught me Torah and Prayer in kindness, gentleness, and holiness. And rewarded me with tootsie rolls, encouragement and praise.
During the last few years of his life, he was weak and needed help with some of the ‘simple’ tasks of daily living. I, as a 9-12 year old, found strength and joy in assisting him. I even came up with some ‘occupational therapy’ ideas to help make life for him easier. I loved him dearly, and ‘caring’ for him, gave me strength and purpose.
He died a bit before my Bar Mitzvah. The day after he died a little patch of hair on my head turned white- over night! (Believe me, there are greater miracles!).
The living, Caring, and mourning, attuned my young spirit to attention to human suffering. And as I gave assistance, I was rewarded with sweets, compassion, and self-esteem, for I was contributing to the life and well being of another.
I have been consistently given opportunities for compassion and caring:
-Working in hospitals and nursing homes as a physiotherapist
-Psychiatric hospitals as a music therapist
-Parenting two wonder-filled children. (My son Aniam aka. Danny turns 21 this Rosh Hashana, and my daughter Zoe 18, in March 2001)
-Almost 25 years as a Rabbi, I have held many dying children and their families, in my work with the Center For Attitudinal Healing. Massaged the feet of my elders in hospitals and nursing homes. Visiting the sick, listening to the misunderstood…and bearing witness to the joys and struggles of a diverse community of souls via The Shul that brother Joseph and I started 23 years ago in Marin County, California
-And then there is Josephs’ Automobile ‘accident’ (he calls it ‘incident’), February 1988, Jamaica West Indies, a head on collision that left him in a coma for six and a half months with severe brain trauma. So for most of the past 12 years, I have been his ‘attendant-care-giver-therapist-companion-friend. And yes I have had lots of Help! Thank G-D !
I think I did very well at being my brother’s keeper. And he has also kept me. By reminding me that ‘The purpose of our lives is to love one another, to touch and to heal and to learn and to grow in peace…Hallel U Yah !.
Pain shared is pain divided,
Love shared is love united.
What an awesome gift from our Creator….We give thanks!
Joseph is an amazing source of inspiration, courage and strength. He is still in a wheel chair, and has limited use of his right side. But his limitations are no match for his Spirit and Faith.
He continues to grow stronger..
His voice clearer..
His breath..fuller..
And his passion and purpose, deeper in Prayer and Holiness…and awareness of G-D’s Presence.
For a partially-paralyzed individual sitting in a wheel-chair, struggling and exercising to re-claim a speaking singing voice and walking legs, tell you how kind G-D has been to him and how grateful he is for the gift of life…it makes you think!
When he was in a coma ‘they’ said he would be a ‘ vegetable’,Joseph says they were partly right as he is a ‘vegetarian’!
I see him as a Large Theological Zucchini who would never squash my attempt at comedy! Check out some of his writings and poetry at Net shul.net!
Our Parents are eldering. And I feel called to spend as much time with them as possible.
They live in Israel. So…that’s where I plan to be. For a while…it’s one of the places in my communal vision…and it seems to be organically happening.
The California, Bay area still holds my attention…thinking more north. The wine country,
For fine wining and dining…play-fully Divining!
It’s a sumptuous Cosmic Feast, and we have all been invited to eat! Come…Let us give Thanks. Ahhhhmmmmmm
And Hawaii—Yes Hawaii. You are still part of this vision- many beloved friends and extended family…so many beautiful Islands. So many possibilities…Aloha.
“How then shall we live for the rest of our lives…to give ourselves a rest from the lives we are living?
Please join us for bringing in the New Year with JOY-US sharing! Many wonderful musicians, and teachers will join us. Ram Das, will again be with us for Yom Kippur.
Please visit WWW. NATAN.NET, there is a link to NET SHUL.NET and Art and music.And.not everything you could possibly want…not even close!
There are some wonder-full events for the sharing: Vacation in Fiji! High Holidays, Shabbat Shuvah sitting meditation @ the beach, Sukkot Retreat,
Tantra/Torah and More!
All events are listed in the CALENDAR section of the web site.
It is growing…and so am I!
I Love you and Bless you…
SHALOM…
Natan
I know nothing-Yet I am willing to teach
I have nothing-Yet I am willing to share
All that I am- Is given unto me
I have Creator- Praise and Bless and Be
Grateful and Thankful
Hallel U Yah
What Really matters?….Breath.. water…Love…food and shelter..
Happy New Year!!!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE fill out the return card so I can up-date the mailing list..and bring the Shul into the 21st century of communications…and e-mail future communications…thank you from me and the trees! Love and blessings.. : ) N.
Or send an e-mail to: natan@natan.net
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Please note The Shul’s mailing list is not rented or sold to any other groups..thank-you…N.