Sermon delivered on the eve of No Kings Day - America's Yom Kippur - and upon my return to TBE Stamford, one year since my final sermon as Senior Rabbi there.
I read your sermon and it lighten my very heavy heart. It’s Saturday morning and I won’t be attending the Dothan rally. Too old, too scared. If you do attend a rally, take a bike helmet and be vigilant and peaceful. Your sermon was in a very Jewish way, totally delightful. Full of hope and good news smattered with warning and apprehension. Be of good health, be safe, we all need you too much to lose you, you and Casey. Thanks. Claudia
Thanks for sharing, especially your dog stories. It was the same for my father-in-law's prostate cancer. He enjoyed all the borrowed time he had, even though he knew his prostate cancer diagnosis was incurable and fatal.
Thanks so much! Thinking of it as “borrowed time” gets us beyond the idea of “outcomes.” As Senator Ernst reminds us, the ultimate outcome for all of us is the same.
What a beautiful sermon. I’m sorry we missed you and Mara in person at services. We were celebrating James’s uncle’s Bar Mitzvah in the UK. At 80 years old, he’s a Bar Mitzvah boy for the first time. A truly special event.
I was so moved by your sermon. It provided me with inspiration and guidance in these very trying times. You are doing your part by putting up the good fight in words and in deeds in both your personal life and for the country. Please keep it up. We need you more than ever to keep us motivated.
James and I wish you and Casey, good health. We miss you and Mara very much! We’ll visit again soon.
PS—My cat had exactly the same diagnosis and was also treated with chemo at Cornell. She only survived 6 months, so Casey is truly a special dog!
Hi Elissa. Thanks so much for your words - as well as your subscription. It was nice to be back last Friday - with A/C this time - and a nice turnout to welcome us. We’ll be back again in mid July (18-19), if you are around. Mazal tov to James’ uncle! Quite an accomplishment! Regards to all.
I interviewed you two decades ago for Jewish Family & Life! And you wrote a couple of great pieces for me. Your writing is moving, astonishing, and just plain fantastic. I wish you and Casey much good health. And I look forward to reading you for many years to come. All my best, Judy Bolton-Fasman
Thanks, Judy. I remember our conversations well and enjoyed writing for you - and of course have also followed your work. I really appreciate your comments.
I call it " keeping up with the Jones". The need to have a bigger, fancier house, or car, or purse (of all things).
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and went through chemo and radiation. I had a terrible time with chemo, I was continually nauseated and weak and weak was not familiar nor liked.
After chemo was radiation. One day, waiting for my turn, a lady and I started to talk. She was so heart broken. She said this was her second diagnosis of cancer and just couldn't understand why it came back. She said she followed the doctor's orders to the letter, quit smoking, lost weight, ate right, exercised and still it came back.
I thought long and hard about that. Even though there was no evidence that the cancer had reached my lymph nodes the doctor said that cancer could show up some place else. I told the doc not to worry because it wouldn't come back for at least 15 years. Of course he looked at me like l was a little daft. LOL I told him that I had just bought 3 Italian Pine Nut trees and that they wouldn't have pine cones for at least 15 years and I full well intended to see those pine cones and eat the nuts. Well there are lots of pine cones and it is well past 15 years. So have I gotten to eat any of the pine nuts -- NO, the squirrels get all of them. :-( Has my cancer come back NO :-)
After giving a great deal of thought to the fact that cancer could return I decided that I was not going to live my life worrying about it. What will be, will be.
I used to have talks with my body on a daily basis, telling it that it knows how to heal itself and protect itself against cancer. Now, I am telling it to do something about the arthritis. I'm not having a lot of success right now.
You and rabbi Casey are an inspiration to me and probably to all who read your sermon. Being positive is so important in these scary times.
I read your sermon and it lighten my very heavy heart. It’s Saturday morning and I won’t be attending the Dothan rally. Too old, too scared. If you do attend a rally, take a bike helmet and be vigilant and peaceful. Your sermon was in a very Jewish way, totally delightful. Full of hope and good news smattered with warning and apprehension. Be of good health, be safe, we all need you too much to lose you, you and Casey. Thanks. Claudia
I appreciate that, Claudia!
Beautiful sermon Rabbi. I do enjoy listening to you and now more then ever we need your encouragement, thank you for that. Stay safe stay vigilant 💕
You too!
Thanks for sharing, especially your dog stories. It was the same for my father-in-law's prostate cancer. He enjoyed all the borrowed time he had, even though he knew his prostate cancer diagnosis was incurable and fatal.
Thanks so much! Thinking of it as “borrowed time” gets us beyond the idea of “outcomes.” As Senator Ernst reminds us, the ultimate outcome for all of us is the same.
Thank you for sharing this with all of us fans! You are so blessed, as we are to know you and to able to share your experiences.
What a beautiful sermon. I’m sorry we missed you and Mara in person at services. We were celebrating James’s uncle’s Bar Mitzvah in the UK. At 80 years old, he’s a Bar Mitzvah boy for the first time. A truly special event.
I was so moved by your sermon. It provided me with inspiration and guidance in these very trying times. You are doing your part by putting up the good fight in words and in deeds in both your personal life and for the country. Please keep it up. We need you more than ever to keep us motivated.
James and I wish you and Casey, good health. We miss you and Mara very much! We’ll visit again soon.
PS—My cat had exactly the same diagnosis and was also treated with chemo at Cornell. She only survived 6 months, so Casey is truly a special dog!
Hi Elissa. Thanks so much for your words - as well as your subscription. It was nice to be back last Friday - with A/C this time - and a nice turnout to welcome us. We’ll be back again in mid July (18-19), if you are around. Mazal tov to James’ uncle! Quite an accomplishment! Regards to all.
I interviewed you two decades ago for Jewish Family & Life! And you wrote a couple of great pieces for me. Your writing is moving, astonishing, and just plain fantastic. I wish you and Casey much good health. And I look forward to reading you for many years to come. All my best, Judy Bolton-Fasman
Thanks, Judy. I remember our conversations well and enjoyed writing for you - and of course have also followed your work. I really appreciate your comments.
I call it " keeping up with the Jones". The need to have a bigger, fancier house, or car, or purse (of all things).
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and went through chemo and radiation. I had a terrible time with chemo, I was continually nauseated and weak and weak was not familiar nor liked.
After chemo was radiation. One day, waiting for my turn, a lady and I started to talk. She was so heart broken. She said this was her second diagnosis of cancer and just couldn't understand why it came back. She said she followed the doctor's orders to the letter, quit smoking, lost weight, ate right, exercised and still it came back.
I thought long and hard about that. Even though there was no evidence that the cancer had reached my lymph nodes the doctor said that cancer could show up some place else. I told the doc not to worry because it wouldn't come back for at least 15 years. Of course he looked at me like l was a little daft. LOL I told him that I had just bought 3 Italian Pine Nut trees and that they wouldn't have pine cones for at least 15 years and I full well intended to see those pine cones and eat the nuts. Well there are lots of pine cones and it is well past 15 years. So have I gotten to eat any of the pine nuts -- NO, the squirrels get all of them. :-( Has my cancer come back NO :-)
After giving a great deal of thought to the fact that cancer could return I decided that I was not going to live my life worrying about it. What will be, will be.
I used to have talks with my body on a daily basis, telling it that it knows how to heal itself and protect itself against cancer. Now, I am telling it to do something about the arthritis. I'm not having a lot of success right now.
You and rabbi Casey are an inspiration to me and probably to all who read your sermon. Being positive is so important in these scary times.
Thank you for sharing :-)