BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

ALONE WITH MY CHOICE During my conversion process I heard one Rabbi say that one could not convert without the support of friends. One could be a Noahide and not convert. It was a big problem to me because my ex had me agree to bringing my children up Christian. He was and continues to be very against my choice of Judaism. My family and other friends have been supportive in that they have not been judgmental. Still, Judaism is very very much about family and not being able to include my family remains a hole in my heart. Many of them thought I had ulterior motives of some sort for converting but some did recognize this was a long process for me of listening to my heart & soul. A guy once dumped me because I wasn't Jewish. "I didn't feel like dealing with it," was his excuse. He never asked me how I felt about it. Frankly, I didn't mean anything to him or even as a friend, he would have discussed it with me. He didn't. I wasn't expecting hi...

CLOSER TO HASHEM IN MY GARDEN "It is forbidden to live in a town that does not have a green garden." — Talmud, Yerushalmi, Kiddushin 4:12 "A garden is so much like a church. So much care and feeding. Such competitiveness among the plants — some of them literally choke each other to death if you don't get out there and put a stop to it. The big gorgeous ones get lots of attention, but then one comes along that looks almost dead all season and suddenly, almost overnight, blooms splendidly forth. Never write anybody off completely. You just don't know. — Barbara Cawthorne Crafton in Let Us Bless the Lord, Year One "Spend time in a flower garden. Stay there as long as you wish, but make sure your visit is long enough to take in the various charms that the world of blossoms and petals provides. You can sit in a chair or on the grass, lie down looking up at the flowers from below, or walk around. However you choose to spend your time, be aware that you are a guest...