Hope and Renewal in a Little Stream Rabbi Dr . Jo David
Reflection
It ‘ s harvest time . The land has given its bounty to us and we rejoice in God ’ s goodness . As the ground hardens , preparing for its winter rest , our hearts resonate to this cycle of fullness and emptiness . This year ’ s harvest of the land has been accompanied by a harvest of death , pain and the terror of October 7 . Our hearts are frozen , numb , shocked beyond enduring . Yet we live and carry on , as we have always done . How long will this winter last ?
We lift our hearts to the mountains , where is the source of our help ?
Our help may come from the words and music of our ancestors , those who lived in Eastern Europe . Like potters , they molded a common language , Yiddish , into a rich and vibrant culture . Like so much of Jewish life , Yiddish culture and language was almost wiped out during the Shoah . But today it has come roaring back , more vibrant and alive than ever .
Vaserl , ( Little Stream ) is a song written in America by Rukhl Schaechter & Paula ( Perl ) Teitelbaum in the 1970 ’ s . It is an ode to the resurgence of the Yiddish language and its rich heritage . The Vaserl presents a powerful paradigm for the terrible year through which we have lived . The little stream may seem quiet and frozen , yet , even in its lethargy , life moves on beneath the surface , ready to burst forth at the first encouragement of the spring . The Vaserl is a symbol of hope and a promise of life and renewal . It never gives up and it never surrenders .
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