sarah in nyc

 My dear friend Racheley lives in Israel. She often includes beautiful images of nature in her Facebook posts. I love how she finds spots of beauty in her semi urban environment. Racheley's eye has been a real inspiration for me. We had met in elementary school when Racheley spent a few years living in Boston. Those years made Racheley hungry for the sight of bright foliage in the fall. As I go about my days in the fall I always look for images to send my friend. All of the photos in this post were taken on the two blocks between my house and my synagogue. Truly red leaves are a bit of a rarity The sun was shining through the leaves for a bit of extra glow   Trees on the median strip I don't have the power to bring back the hostages or stop the war. I can take some photos and send them to my friend.

  Yesterday, I saw the best thing outside of Costco. Immediately I was flooded with memories of the bookmobile stopping near our house when I was little. (We were only a fifteen minute walk from the library and often made that walk even just without any adults. Yet there was something so great about that bookmobile). As the leaves turn I realize ,as I do every year,  that I have a physical need to see leaves changing color. I am grateful that even my urban landscape  can feed this elemental need. Shabbat starts in half an hour so I had better start typing quickly. We are eating Shabbat dinner. I  made chicken spiced with amba powder and sumac. It was also a challah baking week. I didn't take a photo of our pan of roasted string beans. Shabbat Shalom to all of us.

  Although I had finished Alan's tallit in time to ship it to him before Rosh Ha Shanah I didn't have the time to make the bag that I had promised to go with it. Alan was willing to wait for the bag. We had decided that this text  אִֽם־אֶשְׁכָּחֵ֥ךְ יְֽרוּשָׁלָ֗͏ִם תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח יְמִינִֽי׃  If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither;  תִּדְבַּֽק־לְשׁוֹנִ֨י ׀ לְחִכִּי֮ אִם־לֹ֢א אֶ֫זְכְּרֵ֥כִי אִם־לֹ֣א אַ֭עֲלֶה אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֑͏ִם עַ֝֗ל רֹ֣אשׁ שִׂמְחָתִֽי׃  let my tongue stick to my palate if I cease to think of you, if I do not keep Jerusalem in memory even at my happiest hour. would be featured in the interior of the bag.  Aside from that, Alan had given me carte blanche to do whatever I wanted.  I wanted the bag to go with the tallit-- that is spare and men's wear related. The bag had to be sturdy because tallit bags get hard use. The bag also had to reflect who Alan is. Alan is a T-shirt and jeans kind of a guy. He is a mathematician. He is ...