yizkor again

several times a year jews remember our beloved family and friends who have died. we light the 24 hour yizkor candle at yom kippur, sukkot, pesach and shavu'ot.

a few weeks ago i was asked to lead the short yizkor service on the last day of pesach. i was honored, having only done this once before, last fall for yom kippur, and hadn't felt i did such a good job then (plus was overwhelmed by so many people in the congregation).

i practiced diligently but after last week's fall wasn't sure i could do it. thankfully my good friend s gave me a ride to synagogue today. i arrived 30 seconds before yizkor was supposed to start: services were moving faster than the rabbi anticipated.

i felt more confident this time. no doubt having fewer people present helped as well. i was able to slow down, concentrate on each note and really be in the moment, so much so that i was caught up in the emotion of those present and my own memories of my father, zichrono l'vracha, may his memory be a blessing.

yizkor can be very powerful. where else do you sit in a roomful of people who are crying, blowing their noses and wiping their eyes while they remember their dead?

i was moved to be able to move others so and help provide a relief for our collective grief.