Hi everyone, welcome to thanks for being here a short weekly pod to remind us of the many essential

and beautiful ways we affect one another. Every Sunday I'll read a submission from a listener

of Kelly Corrigan wonders, could be wedding vows or about mitzvah toast, a eulogy, or retirement speech.

We believe this is probably the loveliest way to tap into our better selves and remember

our highest values. We encourage you to share this podcast each week with one person you love.

Maybe someone you miss need to bring closer. Someone you want to feel your appreciation or admiration

or both. This is thanks for being here.

This week's thanks for being here was passed along by Rabbi Michael Lisek. If you have been listening

to this pod for many years now, you know that he is a friend of mine, an advisor, and a former guest.

I wrote him shortly after Hamas attacked Israel asking if he had anything that he had written

that he wanted me to share with all of you. He wrote back, hi dear soul, thanks so much for asking,

I haven't had time to write yet, been holding and counseling so many people, not to mention

deeply for the losses. I will take some time to write in the coming week or so. That being said,

my wife Noah wrote a hugely powerful piece that I'll share here. Please let me know if you have

more questions or if there's more we can do. Sending love, Michael. Michael's wife is also a rabbi,

and this is what she wrote after a recent visit from some Israeli students.

I am sitting in my house. There are six yard site candles burning on my dining room table.

We would have lit more, but that's all we had in the drawer when the Israelis asked for them.

The candles are there because just an hour ago today, a contingent of Israeli 20-somethings

we're visiting. This is not unusual. We host groups from Israel all the time, but not at times in

the world like this, because there's never been a time like this. I was surprised this group was

in town given everything, but this war happened so fast. They had already arrived in the US last week.

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