Pandemic Sabbath

For J, G and M

Sitting at intervals on the porch,
we’re masked,
though still a circle, a family

passing challah, pre-sliced.
No tearing the bread,
no fingering shiny crust before sharing.

The youngest invents a game,
grasps the top page from a colorful stack
at her father’s knee.

Rounding the table,
she slaps it on her mother’s lap.
Returns.

Selects a square of sky-blue,
a gift for me.
Returns.

Chooses peach for one sister,
jade green for another,
orange for her grandfather.

Is she mapping Sabbath?
Weaving us in?

Each departure/arrival,
each circuit of the table
is met with cheers.

Does she realize we’re smiling? I ask.
The muscles of our cheeks and lips
are hidden.

Yes! declares the oldest child.
She sees the lines
of kindness around our eyes.

Ritualwell content is available for free thanks to the generous support of readers like you! Please help us continue to offer meaningful content with a donation today. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Rituals

Shop Ritualwell - Discover unique Judaica products

The Reconstructionist Network

Learning to Say "We": Writing Identity

In this immersion, we will reflect and expand on our personal experiences of identity, using writing exercises and in-depth discussions to think about, challenge, discover, explore, and experiment with different ways to identify ourselves, to consider how those ways connect us to and separate us from others, and how they represent and misrepresent aspects of who we are.

Four sessions, starting June 15th

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.