Dear Families,
In Judaism, we have a blessing for everything which is great because the sages told us to say 100 blessings every day.
Isn’t it wonderful to feel gratitude 100 times a day? There is a wonderful blessing that thanks God for making people different:
Baruch atah Adonai elohaynu melech ha’olam mi-shaneh ha’briyot. Blessed are You, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who makes people different.
We are supposed to say this blessing when we see someone who looks different and when we see someone who is disabled; it gives us an opportunity not only to be thankful for what we have but thankful that we can know people who look at the world differently.
At 4 p.m. Sunday, May 24, in the Zale Auditorium for only $8 a ticket, you can see an unusual performance of The King and I. Twenty-five adults with developmental delays are the actors in this special production. In addition, we have teen volunteers who have been working since January. This will be the 16th year of performance and the numbers of actors and types of plays have grown.
So why should you come and bring your children? The excitement and joy shown by each performer makes this a very special event. As you sit and watch the struggles and accomplishments, the important Jewish concept of “b’tzelem Elohim — being created in God’s image” comes alive. We recognize that each of us brings something special to the world and we are truly fortunate that we can be in a community with so many different people.
Shalom…from the Shabbat Lady.
Laura Seymour is director of Camping Services at the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center.