I continued to be amazed at the wonderful and beautiful gift of falling in love. I am a lucky lucky woman.

Are similar customer-focused, co-located or shared social service/social justice models happening in your community?

Wishing you and yours an early Shanah Tovah.

It may seem odd to have a time of beginnings in general western culture be a time of endings in Jewish culture, yet we know that the endings bring us back around again in a month to a new beginning, the start of a new year, 5772.

We can also take action at home, wherever we are. We can become more aware about earthquake risks where we are (faults exist even in the the middle of the US of A), we can educate ourselves about what to do in an earthquake, we can reach out to those in need in our own community who may be dealing with quieter struggles that aren't splashed on the news. We can pray. We can study. We can engage with the teachings of our tradition. We can act on behalf of the environment.

May each of us choose to do what we can to help bring peace, hope, healing and justice to our world.

January 28, 1986, the day of the launch of the Shuttle Challenger our school was abuzz.  Teachers did all they could to contain us and keep us focused on the task at hand.   The school did not have enough tv carts for tvs in each classroom, so the sciences classrooms got them first.  I had a writing class at the time of the launch and that week we were doing research in the library.  We were asked to stick to our tasks and watch the launch in the lunchroom or later in one of the classrooms that had tvs.  Thus, I was trying (unsuccessfully) to immerse myself into research as the shuttle lifted off.  Suddenly a student walked into the library shouting "it exploded, it exploded." Everyone in the library immediately tried to get to a classroom with a tv.  The librarian took pity on us and let us watch the coverage on a small personal tv she had in her office.  We couldn't believe our eyes.  We stood there watching the constant replays, listening to the commentators and were stunned.

There has been much written about the accident, the political pressures to launch that day, the weather and the shuttle crew.  Many people shared their reflections on blogs and facebook pages.  Here are just a few sites as we remember the brave men and women who gave their lives for exploration, scientific discovery, human understand and for the future.  May their memories be a blessing and an inspiration.

NASA on the Challenger Disaster

PBS facebook posting and comments with people's remembrances of that day.

Information on astronaut Judith Resnik, first Jew and second woman in space (from JWAOnline)

(Update 1/10/11) It seems that the alleged shooter had been influenced by the vitriol spewed in the last campaign, intolerance of those supporting health care reform, and websites listing political targets of Tea Party  some leaders, including the site of former Alaskan Gov Sarah Palin.  (Please note I said seems, as we won't know what motivated him until the suspect talks.)   Although it now seems that the alleged gunman may or may not have been directly influenced by intolerant and violent speech and behavior, such speech has impacted people in the past.  For example, take a look at the Insurrection Timeline - a website which lists instances when vitriol contributed to violent actions.

It seems to me that in recent years political reporting (esp on the 24 news channels) and political discourse has focused on accusations, yelling, over simplifications and pointing fingers.  The price for this trend may have begun to reveal itself with violence like what happened today.

As the Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik (the county where the shooting occurred) said,

‎"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous," the sheriff said. "And unfortunately, Arizona I think has become the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry."

Proverbs 18:21 teaches us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. I hope that Sheriff Dupnik's words lead us to work to end the anger, hatred and bigotry so prevalent today.

Most of all I pray for a refuah sheleimah (a complete healing) of Rep. Giffords and all those injured in today's shooting.  I hope and pray that the families of those murdered find strength in one another and that their loved one's memory is a blessing.