This is a poem to be said by Jews who, for any reason, are not able to enter into or belong to a Jewish community
I am a Jew who can’t.
Who can’t cater the shivaSeven-day mourning period following the funeral of a first-degree relative, during which time family members remain at home and receive visits of comfort. Other customs include abstinence from bathing and sex, covering mirrors, sitting lower than other visitors, and the lighting of a special memorial candle which burns for seven days..
Come to the sederLit. Order. The festive meal conducted on Passover night, in a specific order with specific rituals to symbolize aspects of the Exodus from Egypt. It is conducted following the haggadah, a book for this purpose. The mystics of Sefat also created a seder for Tu B'shvat, the new year of the trees..
Cross the bimahThe stage or platform on which the person leading prayers stands..
Or utter a word of Hebrew.
I’m not the one you pray for.
Because I’m not the one you see.
King David prayed for eyes open to TorahThe Five Books of Moses, and the foundation of all of Jewish life and lore. The Torah is considered the heart and soul of the Jewish people, and study of the Torah is a high mitzvah. The Torah itself a scroll that is hand lettered on parchment, elaborately dressed and decorated, and stored in a decorative ark. It is chanted aloud on Mondays, Thursdays, and Shabbat, according to a yearly cycle. Sometimes "Torah" is used as a colloquial term for Jewish learning and narrative in general..
And yet I yearn for a community that is open to me.
A sanctuary for the invisible.
Not some refuge for arrogance, shame, and kings.
I want be part of, but for now, I remain unseen.
G-d, with Law and Love, help your teachings and Your People to please find me.
