Memory of Joe and Others

TZITZIT–a sign of life, prayer, action
Knots, fringes, unraveling white threads
I remember as a young child playing with the
fringes on
My father’s tallit.
Tzitzit—A tradition we pass on from one generation to the next
This is how we tie them
This is how we wear them….
This is how we remember with them.
The tallit wrapped around the body for burial
The tzitzit
At least one cut off an imperfect tallit buried.
What happened to these cut of tzitzit?
A question I found no answer to until
At Cousin Joe’s funeral
The Rabbi gave to Joe’s wife, son and daughter,
Each a tzitzit from his tallit,
“With this you will remember your husband and father
his commitment to learning and living a Jewish life.”
What happens to these cut off tzitzit?
We hold on to them for memories
We hold on to them to feel connected
We hold on to them to emulate
We hold on to them to continue
We hold on to them for commitment.
Tzitzit—A tradition we pass on from one generation to the next.