Letter from the Cove: Here Came the Sun!

Photos by Kenneth Jay Cohen

This morning I was joined by a number of intrepid, chilled sun appreciators (as opposed to sun worshippers) down at Cove Island Park for that much ballyhooed once-in-28-years event, the Blessing of the Sun. We met by the totem pole to the left of the park's entrance, at 7 AM. Fittingly, the Orthodox group was congregated to the right, but our left-of-center location situated us as close as possible to the rising sun.

As if on cue, the sun made it's first appearance from behind a low bank of clouds at precisely 7. No less spectacular than the timing was the sun itself, first peeking through with a ray pointing heavenward, then with rays stretching forth in all directions, bathing each boulder and treetop with light, adding several degrees of whiteness to the surf and of heat to our frigid fingers.

We read selected Psalms and contemporary readings, pausing for eclectic musical offerings from my iPod, ranging from a soulful Israeli "Shir La-ma'alot" (Song of Ascents) to "Sunrise Sunset," to Cat Stevens' "Morning Has Broken" to "Aquarius" and "Let the Sunshine In.

Our special siddur, put together by the Conservative movement just for this occasion, included this excerpt from a letter written in captivity to her family by Colombian senator and political activist (and recently rescued hostage) Ingrid Betancourt:

...We must think of where we come from, who we are and where we want to go. I aspire to our having that thirst for greatness one day that makes people rise from nothingness to the sun. When we are unconditional vis-a-vis the defense of life and liberty of our own, that is, when we get less individualistic and more committed to the common good, less indifferent and more involved, less intolerant and more compassionate, then at that time we will be the great nation that all of us would like to be. That greatness is there asleep in our hearts.

Toward the end of the service, we were faced with a dilemma. We needed to bow for Alenu, and to face the east, but staring directly at us in that direction was Ol' Sol - and we didn't want to lend the impression that we were bowing toward the sun, thereby worshipping it. This matter is covered extensively in halachic literature. So we shifted slightly to the left and bowed toward Darien instead. Read into that what you will (a little more toward the north and would have been facing Canaan ... New Canaan that is).

The highlight was the blessing itself, "Praised are You, God, Sovereign of the Universe, Who carries on the constantly unfolding work of Creation."

We concluded with another quote from the Conservative prayer book, this from W.E.B. Du Bois:

Lord of the springtime, father of flower, field and fruit, smile on us in these earnest days when the work is heavy and the toil wearisome; lift up our hearts, O God, to the things worthwhile - sunshine and night, the dripping rain, the song of the birds, books and music, and the voices of our friends. Lift up our hearts to these...and grant us Thy peace. Amen.

And we were transported back, as if to the moment of Creation itself, to a world of utter and complete serenity and order, with a heron's squawk in the background punctuating the slap of salt water against a rock beneath us.

This evening as we chew on that green vegetable salted in water, I'll more likely think of the Cove and Creation than of the tears of slaves.

There is nothing to cry about today.

The world has been reborn.

(click on photos to enlarge)

The Blessing of the Sun From the N.Y. Times, 1897

Thanks top Jennifer Meth for forwarding the original story. Click here to see the original reprint from the New York Times: "Hebrew Festival marred: Rabbi Arrested For Observance of an Ancient Talmudic Ceremony in Tompkins Square."

Good thing they didn't see them "shlugging kapparos."

Here Comes the (Blessing of the) Sun

The Blessing of the Sun, Burkat Hachama is fast approaching - that once in 28 year opportunity to acknowledge the power and importance of the "Greater Light." Weather permitting, I'll be leading a special service - brief but powerful, on Wednesday, April 8, at the (NOTE TIME CHANGE) bright and early but not godforsaken hour of 7:00 AM, down at beautiful Cove Island Park. We'll meet at the totem pole. Just walk straight in, bearing left slightly, and head straight to the back.

This Shabbat morning, I'll be discussing some fascinating source material put together by the Conservative movement, as we prepare for the big event. You can also read this week's coverage in the Jewish Week: For Liberal Jews, Sunup On A Rare Ritual

David Solomon, a world-renowned teacher and Biblical scholar, explains the importance of Birkat Hachama (from a traditional / mystical perspective) in this video. For more information, and the rest of this series, visit Jinsider.net and http://www.inonehour.net/

A Once in 28 Year Celebration

Here, courtesy of Hazon, are some explanatory materials regarding a Jewish ceremony done only once every 28 years! Join me at Cove Island on Wed. April 8 at sunrise, 5:15 AM, to welcome the sun's return to the exact spot where it was at the time of its creation (according to tradition). We'll meet by the totem pole (why not) to share some readings and prayers about the significance of the sun. Here is Hazon's take:

We hope you’ll find meaningful ways to celebrate and to learn about the positive role the sun plays in our lives (all life depends upon it!) and about its power as a healthy, renewable energy source. For many, the notion of solving an entire global crisis can be overwhelming. That’s why the second-century sage Rabbi Tarfon teaches in Pirke Avot, “It is not your obligation to complete the task (of perfecting the world); neither are you free to desist from it.”

On their resources page Hazon offers suggested materials for education, ideas for action, tools for advocacy, competitions - as well as ways you can bring a celebration of Birkat HaChamah to your family. Here are some Study and Learn Resources and Articles and Dvar Torah Resources.

Here are some other ideas from Hazon (aside from joining me at 5:15):

1. Greet the new day with yoga Sun Salute postures.


2. Symbolically burn chametz using the concentrated light of the sun.
   Construct a solar cooker and enjoy a recipe made prior to April 8 or host a solar cooker cook-off. Click here for do-it-yourself solar cooker instructions; more about solar cooking and healthy solar recipes.


3. Bake matzoh in your solar cooker prior to April 8 to serve at your seder.


4. Send in a solar cooker recipe to The Jew & The Carrot Solar Cooker Recipe Raffle and be entered into our raffle. You could win the recently released The Jew & The Carrot - Recipes cookbook with recipes from our blog or Hazon’s Food for Thought. Send your recipe along with your name and contact information to herecomesthesun@hazon.org.
   Register for the 2009 Hazon Food Conference with the discount code “sunny” and receive $50 off.


5. Take a sunrise bike ride. Learn more about Hazon’s Jewish Environmental Bike Rides in New York and Israel to support innovative environmental projects including our work in the new Jewish Food Movement. Use the discount code “sunny” and receive $50 off our Rides. Decorate your bike with sun decorations, take a picture and we’ll post it on our site!


6. Plant sunflowers in your garden!

Here Comes the Sun!