Photoessa #2899 - My mother's yahrzeit

Thursday was my mother's yahrzeit, or the anniversary of her death. It's been three years.

 I wanted to go to Friday night services at the local temple, hear her name read or call it out, read the kaddush.

 Naomi and Dennis went with me to Temple Beth Am. It was a short early service, the tenth grade was having a fund-raising dinner after. I called the temple office in the afternoon, asked if her name could be added to the list to be read by the rabbi:

 Claire Ginsburgh, mother of Sandy Barnes

The person at the office graciously said she would add her name to the list. I felt grateful and a little teary.

 So at the end,the rabbi read the names including my mom. In this temple, the rabbi asks the mourners to rise, I stood up (along withe the others) and then a few seconds later she asked the rest of the congregation to rise and we read the Kaddush.

 It's near the beginning of Purim; I had mainly learned about it as a child, dressing up as the characters in the story, special pastries and noisemakers. But it really can be a wild time. I remember going to the conservative temple for their reading of megillah and the older men had bottles of vodka stashed at their feet with paper cups and handing out shots. The rabbi talked about going to Jerusalem at Purim, alcohol everywhere, kids smoking cigarettes and the older orthodox men dressed up in women's clothes. The rabbi suggested for the purim service that everybody could bring their cell phones, video games and ipads, text during the service. And wear really crazy clothes.

 We also participated in the "Healing Challah" project. Each month, they make a list of people who can't come because illness or recent tragedy. The temple buys a challah for them along with a card. People attending are asked to deliver the challahs. Detailed driving directions provided. So this man had these challahs, looking for volunteers. Dennis picked one up and we delivered it to a lady after the service. Kind of fun.

 The money picture of my mom. She worked as a volunteer at the municipal nursing home River Bluff for many years. My siblings and I agreed that this was the picture we would use for her memorial