I grew up in a house where fluent Yiddish wasn’t spoken, but Yiddish words and expressions were used to say what couldn’t be said with the same intensity or cynicism in English. An odor was nothing compared to something farshtunken; a mischievous kid was one thing, but a mazik was trouble on the way; and a pest is nothing compared to a total nudnik. You get the drift. That’s why, mitten drinnen, just when we were going to talk more about Israel, Gaza, and national politics, Michael Feinstein, the musical guest of the Carrolyn Fleishman Fund, entertained us with Broadway star quality before a full house at Congregation Beth Israel. In his own words Feinstein explained that music, especially the songbook of George and Ira Gershwin, brings people together and builds bridges of understanding.

In the middle of everything, Feinstein transported us as he sang, played the piano, and told first-hand Gershwin stories to return us to a fascinating time for music and two Jewish brothers. After two 45-minute sets, amplified by Houston symphony musicians and Feinstein’s own band, against a background of brilliant and rhythmic lights, we returned to the present. With deep gratitude for the inspirational sounds and moving narration, we enjoyed a grand reception and time to talk with friends in the congregation and the community about so much more than war and politics. Mitten Drinnen, we were distracted long enough to be inspired and refreshed with a magnificent night of music and hope.

Whether or not we knew it, the concert became an unexpected intermission from current events and the day’s news. It also served as a healthy reminder to permit ourselves a break from news, time for deep breaths, and to do something that brings us joy. If we can and we do, we’ll be more prepared to address the challenges and obstacles that still surround us. It reminds me that in Israel, where harsh realities of war and terror lurk every day, music is also an essential means of coping without despair.

Some of you have traveled with me or have been to Israel, in Caesarea, to see the remains of a Roman theater, which is still used today. Last month, 1,000 Israelis returned there with their instruments to play a riveting and hopeful song with words, which, mitten drinnen, became a needful prayer and inspiration. It deeply expresses shared hopes for the hostages and an end to this dreadful war. Here’s the link. Sit down for 5 minutes and listen to “Bring them Home!”

https://youtu.be/1aIyZnFbOu0?si=9L_ltNIMYgxyKr8u

Prepare yourself, every day, with music, prayer, and community. Then you’ll be ready to do more for our fellow Jews in Israel and close to home. And, when this war is done and Israel can thrive and prosper without fear again, it will be a machia, a relief, expressed with our hands stretched towards the heavens, because we can’t doubt that help doesn’t also come from above and beyond us.

Am Yisrael Chai, today, and always.

L’Shalom,