This week's blog post is a song written and performed by current fellow Amanda, who is living in the Ramat Eliyahu neighborhood in Rishon LeZion. Our Rishon LeZion city coordinator, Yohannes, put his photography skills to good use and made this video for the song with photos of the group from the year. We're so proud of the work that our fellows are doing to support their communities under these circumstances.
This is a time in the world where everyone is stuck. Everyone is fighting against the desire to sink into loneliness as we are all quarantined in our homes, trying to find things to do to occupy our time and continue our routines as best we can. As a Yahel cohort, we are struggling just as everyone around the world. On our Thursday learning sessions (that we creatively did on a Zoom call), we spoke with Rabbi Lisa Goldstein who inspired us to think of how we practice joy. Here is a little sample of how I practice.
How do I change the world while keeping sane
Keep everyone dry in the pouring rain
How do I understand this downfall
While keeping up my head up through it all
Time to test
Out doubts and faiths
To be stuck in the same place
With everything
And Nothing
Time to try to find our joys
Try to breathe and suppress all the noise
Of fear
And We’re all together here
Its hard to speak my mind and words cannot explain
As I sit here with my coffee cup of stains
Put my feet up on the couch and hear the birds
But I still cannot think of any words
Time to test
Our doubts and faiths
To be stuck in the same place
With everything
And nothing
Time to try to find our joys
Try to breathe and suppress all the noise
Of fear
And we’re all together here
How do I save the world while keeping sane
Oh there is so much rain
I don’t know whats happening my dear
But we are all together here