Dayenu translates from Hebrew to mean “it is enough.”
The word is repeated, at least, a dozen times in the course of a specific prayer in the Hagaddah, the book of prayers and rituals for the traditional Passover dinner celebration.
This past year, I have used this blog to pour out the reflections of my mind and heart about my Jewishness. More than on any other issue.
Dayenu. It was enough.
As I traveled my path on this journey, “Dayenu,” came to signify much that my writing adventure was to uncover of the importance for me of my Jewish heritage.
The buried joy, celebration and boundless gratitude.
(Memorial Day weekend will be one year of my writing this blog.)
I spoke the word with such love and reverence that even my non-Jewish friends began to use it too, always with reverence. My favorite experience of this nature was when my friend, Jami, caught on to the word’s wonderment, describing her husband as “My Dayenu.”
I have loved how seemingly ordinary conversations became infused, at those moments, with spiritual consciousness. Out of my simply sharing a word of deep meaning for me, briefly we crossed the barriers of faith and visited awe.
Had the formatting on this blog not have gotten skewed, thus calling forth laborious attention to rectify it, I might not have taken the time to see how this pattern, “Dayenu,” it is enough regarding my Jewishness, was emerging in me through my postings.
(Somehow, as of today, the formatting is again messed up. Please bear with us as repairs are made.)
Of course, the collection should be a book. I give it a working title, "Reflections Of A Former Anti-Semitic, Recovering Jewish American Princess."
How do you like it.
Right now, however, I am too weary to pursue book publishing plans. They are not on the forefront of my daily priorities.
Nonetheless, having in the past few weeks put in a great deal of time re-formatting the postings, I can SEE with great joy what a story I have here!
It begins, of course, with my recovering from an eight year sabbatical (1998 – 2006) due to my losing my eyesight.
And, that awful, horrible, I absolutely hated it experience I had (2006 – 2008) being the local chapter president of a national Jewish women’s social action organization. A social action group that took no action at all during an ugly, local Jewish/Muslim controversy.
(As time went on, however, the group did their part to actively help build bridges between Jews and Muslims in the local community. And, today their labors are already bearing fruit.)
Now there is a book (working title), “The Middle East Crisis In My Backyard,” that I’ll be ready to complete, immediately, when the publishing offer comes to me.
It ‘s message is so imperative!
In the meantime, as I put my time and efforts into developing New Horizons’ Awe GAME and the almost ceaseless demands of networking, fundraising and trying to renovate this property into the retreat center it was intended to be, I hope you will check out what is spread throughout this entire blog as well as on the New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” blog.
Take particular note of the following posting collections:
Adventures of A Former, Anti-Semitic, Recovering Jewish American Princess
The Middle East Crisis In My Backyard.
Dayenu.
It is enough, for now.
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