Originally posted on "Multi-Focal" СТраницы Лины Городецкой:
Одна из книг, написанных Эльдаром Александровичем Рязановым, называется “НЕподведенные итоги.” А одно из его стихотворений начинается фразой: “Жизнь прожить – нехитрая наука…” Такая ли нехитрая наука – жизнь? … Нужно просто уметь ее прожить мудро и в гармонии с собственным “Я”. И главное, любить ее и все, что она…
Category: Jewish Stories
Verses Before Shabbat
It is almost Shabbat here, in New York. This means that Shabbat has long descended on Jerusalem, the city of my dreams. Today, Israel is suffering again. No time, or strength to talk about the reasons of these deadly fires. Just these words, written long time ago bringing me back to it, again and again. When…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses –Chayei Sarah
There are not too many women whose stories are told in detail in the Torah. Sarah is one of these unique women that merits this validation from the Rabbis:”Avraham was secondary to Sarah in prophecy” (Shemot Raba 1:1). This woman was outstandingly beautiful, wise, modest and strong-willed at the same time. Yet, her death was…
Praising Gd Through Tears
I spent my morning at the cemetery. It’s been half a year. What is time, anyway? Here, on this side of the door we all dread, and are all fascinated with, time is precious. It’s tangible. We all run to finish things we need to do, making plans for the day – don’t forget this, remember…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Vayera
This week is all about families and Gd. Avraham talks to Gd one way or the other many times. However, Sarah is the personality I am interested in. ו וַיְמַהֵר אַבְרָהָם הָאֹהֱלָה, אֶל-שָׂרָה; וַיֹּאמֶר, מַהֲרִי שְׁלֹשׁ סְאִים קֶמַח סֹלֶת–לוּשִׁי, וַעֲשִׂי עֻגוֹת. 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said: ‘Make ready quickly three…
The Great Brooklyn Challah Bake!
I just wanted to say a few words about the event that happened yesterday at the Brooklyn’s Manhattan Beach Jewish Center. It seemed that everyone was there. About a thousand women were making challah together. It was not the bread that mattered. It was the energy. I am at a loss for words to describe my…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Lech Lecha
There are two very significant points for me in this week’s Parshah לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha. First comes from an amazing shiur of Rabbi Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi of Great Britain. He argues that if we look closer at the text of the previous Parshah: וַיִּקַּח תֶּרַח אֶת-אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ, וְאֶת-לוֹט בֶּן-הָרָן בֶּן-בְּנוֹ, וְאֵת שָׂרַי כַּלָּתוֹ, אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ;…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Noach
וְנֹחַ, מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD (Genesis 6:8) אֵלֶּה, תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ–נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה, בְּדֹרֹתָיו: אֶת-הָאֱלֹהִים, הִתְהַלֶּךְ-נֹחַ These are the generations of Noah. Noah was in his generations a man righteous and whole-hearted; Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9) Did you ever notice that…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Beresheet
I have decided to try writing a few lines about each parsha – פָּרָשָׁה. I guess, we shall see where it takes me. Of course, I am not making any promises – so bli neder. Again, this is not poetry, just words coming out to offer my view on things. Here we are in the week of…
Cold. In and Out.
Today is one of those beautiful windy and cold days when my heart does not know whether to be joyful before the upcoming Simchat Torah or to be crying over people lost recently and long time ago. This kind of weather usually makes me sink down into my dark thoughts. Last night I was dreaming about my loved…
Sweet Smells of Autumn
What is happening now in New York is called Indian Summer in the US and Бабье лето in Russia It is really the perfect weather for Sukkot. This year it came so late that I was worried about sitting in a cold and wet sukkah. However, Gd gave us a miracle of this warmth that somehow allows…
Baking for Sukkot
The sounds of hammers working around my neighborhood are getting more urgent as the last sukkot are being erected. The smells of etrogim permeate the air. The work in the kitchen is no less hectic for many women who are fortunate to have their own homes, but on Sukkot get to work five times as hard providing…
Noshing Across the Nation 