Eternal Bonding, 39 Days of Omer 5783
Today is thirty-nine days, which is five weeks and four days of the Omer in the year 5783. נצח שביסוד, Netzach ShebeYesod, Eternal Bonding. To whom are we eternally bonded? How do we allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to bond deeply with other people, despite the possibility of being hurt?
Choosing a Bond
I can’t fully explain what drew me to Temple Israel.
From my first encounter with the search committee,
I felt I had come home to my people.
A sense of deep rootedness,
combined with understanding that the only constant is change.
And then, I fell in love with this small town in the middle of the East Bay.
Enduring Bonds
None of us have perfect foresight.
Nor can we truly know eternity.
Yet, having eternal bonding as our aspiration,
We remember what’s most important in life.
Taking the Leap
I always planned to end up in a low cost of living area,
like Texas.
That was before the 2016 election
and before Covid.
Now I accept the limitations
of finding a place that warmly accepts
my whole Jewish Chinese family
and makes space for all of us
to grow into whomever we end up being.
I pray we all find the people
and places that create enduring bonds
and help us grow into ourselves.
Read More About 39 Days of the Omer
Facing Heartbreaking Reality While Choosing The Light, 2022 / 5782
A bridge to the future and remembering R Yaniv Dotan, z"l, 2021 / 5781
Familial, Spiritual, and Intellectual Bonds, 2020 / 5780
Eternally Bonding to Judaism, 2019 / 5779
Flyer for my installation designed by Ellen Steuer. Retouching of JC Penney photoshoot by Rebbetzir Chung-Mau Cheng.