We begin a series of three interviews with authors in the field of prayer. The first is with Alden Solovy, who writes at tobendlight.com, and who has recently published “This Precious Life: Encountering the Divine with Poetry and Prayer”. His project is to offer us all entry into expressing our own prayers, and finding our way into the prayerbook as our own.
Contemplative practice — for instance, meditation — can settle the body and mind and help us to sense the deep Oneness of all beings. But, it can also be lonely. We human beings also need connection and relationship. Rabbi Lavey Dereby shares his personal practice of passionate, heart-felt prayer, of reaching out to the One, as Beloved. [Note: the prayer practice itself is all in Hebrew — so please see the transcript for the words and translation]
We often think of prayer as a practice of reaching out, of shifting our attention toward God “out there”. But, it can also be a matter of turning inward, connecting to the divine — and divine qualities — in our own souls. Rabbi Rachel Gartner introduces us to her practice with the obstacles to shining the light of her soul more brightly into the world, as prayer.
Rabbi Jacob Staub recalls a teaching of his “rebbe” Sylvia Boorstein: whatever is happening, however you feel, whatever you know to be true, no matter how frightening, no matter how painful, no matter how difficut — “Don’t Duck!” But, how? Jacob leans into the arms of God, who lifts all who fall — even him, even you. He invites you to join in this warm-hearted, loving prayer.
When COVID-19 hit, rather than limiting religious life, Hazzan Harold Messinger (and his colleague Rabbi David Ackerman) of Beth Am Israel, created a new Zoom-minyan. Rather than bemoan not singing together, he used music on his end to engage people in their bodies and souls on their end. We invite you to have a taste of his Zoom minyan.
P.S. check out the transcript for links to many of these tunes!
There are many ways to pray, but fundamental to them all is opening awareness to that which is Beyond, to the All, to God. Cantor Josh Breitzer, in this time of pandemic, has turned his walking-commute into a walking-practice, bringing attention to the mundane aspects of the world around him, to wake up in payer.
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