Hi, Times of Israel listeners. This is Amanda Borschal Dan. I want to tell you about a new podcast that I think you'll enjoy called Thoughts and Prayers from the Shalom Hartman Institute. In the following episode, which was sponsored by the Hartman Institute for Our Times of Israel listeners,

host Rabbi Jessica Fisher launches an exploration of Jewish prayer and why it matters in modern life.

Each episode weaves together personal stories, ancient texts, and conversations with thinkers and rabbis such as my personal

guru, Yossi Klein-Halevi, the ever-inspirational Tamar El-Aid Applebaum, my old schoolmate,

Lauren Holtzblatt, and Yehuda Kertzner. They're all wrestling with what it means to pray in our

modern world.

It's beautifully produced, deeply personal, and full of the kinds of questions that just float to the surface long after you've listened.

So if you're curious about spirituality, community, or what prayer means today, check out thoughts and prayers from the Shalom Hartman Institute,

which is available wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you. I'm I'm world. I'm Jessica Fisher.

About a year and a half ago, my doctor told me it was unlikely that I could ever get pregnant.

My spouse and I had just finished a round of IVF, and after testing all of the embryos,

not one of them came back viable.

The doctor couldn't explain the results. I was surprised by the ferocity of the griefos, not one of them came back viable. The doctor couldn't explain the results.

I was surprised by the ferocity of the grief that hit me. That grief bound itself up with my

yearning for God's presence since October 7th and throughout the war in Gaza, at that point

eight months long. Every Shabbat, I got caught on one line of liturgy, ki mech waiting for you, God, to show up, to take over, to fix this mess we're all in.

In some ways, focusing on this phrase as the community murmured it around me,

accentuated my yearning.

This piece of our liturgy is old, meaning our people have been longing

for God's presence for thousands of years with no clearer signs of closeness to God, no matter when

they were asking. But in other ways, reciting this line reminded me that I was not alone, because

...