Happy May Day & Zoom Concert ON SUNDAY 5/3~
Tayere Ale,
Happy International Workers’ Day aka May Day, full moon of Iyar, pesakh sheni, and 29th day of the omer (khesed she’b’hod/ lovingkindness within splendor)! You’ll find more about May Day, along with some omer poems, at the bottom of this newsletter.
If you havent already registered for the zoom concert of naye tkhines lider / new tkhines songs this Sunday, זאָרג נישט * zorg nisht/ fear not! There are still spots available:
Join us on Sunday, May 3 @ 4-6pm ET on Zoom for a concert featuring Der Tkhines Proyekt's latest tkhines songwriters cohort presenting their new songs live for the very first time. These tkhines lider/songs will cover all sorts of themes, from engaging with life-cycles, to shedding intergenerational aggression and trauma, to challenging abuse of power, to envisioning the world we want to be building. Featuring original tkhines lider by Leah, Ariel Shapiro, Ilan Fichman, Olive Ivy, Joanna Letz, Khayale Shteynfeld, Eleonore Weill, Maia Brown & Noyem Berl
This is a collaboration fundraiser for Rad Yiddish & Der TKhines Proyekt- please support our work so we can continue!
Tickets are available sliding scale. Suggested contribution $36+ / PWYC (pay what you can)
We really hope to see you there - the songs are truly a mekhaye!
~
Zol lebn der ershter may! Happy May Day!
May Day is mamesh a yomtov for many people across the world. Theres an entire book on the history of May Day in Yiddish. I grew up with some epic stories about May Day that Ill share here:
May Day in ‘the old country’: my grandma’s best friend's dad was arrested every year for the entire week leading up to mayday so he wouldn’t organize anything for mayday in their small shtetl in Poland. Why, you might ask? He was a known communist. My Grandma would tell me about how she’d help her friend (who was murdered with her whole fam in WWII) bring sandwiches to him in jail. I am not sure if they brought him food that week because the food in jail wasnt kosher, or if incarcerated people relied on food being brought in. I certainly hope it’s the former. I appreciated her sharing this little window into how surveillance (and mutual aid!) functioned in pre- WWII Poland. yikes
May Day in LA: My grandfather was an organizer with the UAW, and was part of organizing the large strike (I believe?) of 1941. I grew up with an epic story that my uncle richard z’l, who was 4 years old at the time, led the song Solidarity Forever for thousands of people at this May Day strike. When they moved to the midwest, my grandfather taught Solidarity Forever and Union Maid to my father who also sang them at local May Day marches.
SO MUCH RESPECT for all the ancestors who fought, died, sweat, who yelled and sang before us, and for the folks carrying this day’s energy forward and continuing the struggle(s). May we honor them as best as we can.
Happy Mayday!
KABBALISTIC POEMS FOR THE OMER
My beloved teacher/mentor/friend Gloria Krasno z’l, who died three months ago at the beautiful age of 96, had a practice of writing new sfiras ha’omer poems every year and emailing them to her friends. I am going to include some omer poems she wrote to cover this next week :-)
Day 29 ~
Chesed in Hod
Hod invites you and welcomes your presence
to the moving week of Hod
with Chesed’s gifts here for the starer as
the seven days unfold
A week
of springtime love
a week of a new world budding
with the winds of change portending
a vision of flowers blooming
Come with me now
Run with me
galorYa
Day 30
Gevurah in Hod
A call to Glory
this week of Hod
partnered this day
with Gevurah
Both Seferot reside
on the intuitive left side
attentive to signs needed
to accomplish your goals for today
Make your every day meaningful
all your tasks do-able
your load light
on the way
Day 31
Tiferet in Hod
Hod is out jogging
with a steady pace
enjoying the days
of this week
See who now joins in on the path
swinging in beauty from side to side
Welcome Tiferet
the centering power
bringing blessings of balance
Your way
galorYa
Day 32
Netzach in Hod
Twins Netzach and Hod
from each side of the Tree meet
to enjoy this Omer day
Brothers moving boldly with the flare
of youthful energy
joining together on the path they both share
Relating strong differences
creates strong bonds of
expansion
and contraction
coming
together
revealing
G*d’s hand
Day 33
Lag-B'omer
an alpha-bet code spells out the number 33
lamed-gimmel of the Omer Count
Shalom!
Watching the full moon spreading her light
I cannot resist spreading the light of
this thirty-third day called
Lag B'Omer
You will find a time off from the count
of the 49 steps from the 'Freedom table'
to the giving of the 'Count of Ten'
a Time to Light Your Fire!
Stories re-told around the bonfire
of mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
with maidens dancing the night long
to find the love of their prayers
Take Time for Joy
Day 34
Yesod in Hod
We come
as always
to Yesod
the Foundation
*
as we circle
through the weeks
on the way to the future
this week of Glorious
Hod
Take a step back to move forward
See the role of Yesod
Connector of
both ancestors and generations to come.
.Rise up with Yesod in Hod.
Sing a new old song.
Day 35
Malchut in Hod
Let Love
Be your guide
while Malchut
joins Hod’s finale
ending week number five
with a Mother’s blessing:
Shechinah’s blessings for your evening prayers
May they be answered each day four’fold
For your dream and your hopes
For your work and your rest
For food
for your
Body and Soul
galorYa