Earth Etude for Elul 1 - For Lea

by Lorin Troderman

Spirals of death in a season of drought
Av reaches in and grabs a friend, 
again.

Mourners lament in whispers 
“It’s way too early” I shout

We grieve
Each in our own way
But together

On Sunday we will gather by the sea 
     Temple destruction remembrance day
          Our earth, a holy temple assaulted by our ignorance
               One less sister to help us reverse the tide

Like our ancestors and descendants 
my tears join the waves
slowly streaming down,
Water’s ways
seeking their source,
caressing skin on its descent
along familiar nodes etched like rivulets in the desert,
From the wellspring of my heart
joy and sadness lay tender trails of salt to my tongue 

this taste will initiate tunes of resiliency 
active hope will rise up
A niggun
Triggering Tishrei with its Elul z’man onramp
A season to reflect recalibrate recall return

Here Now in grief
Expressed in community
Our hearts are raw and open
We share our stories of her
Sacred and wise
Friend and midrashic mother
We are heard
We feel her absence

The Tide will shift
Our tears flow out to sea
Back from where they came

Once, long ago, we crawled out from the destruction 
In Av, We remember
In Elul, we reflect
In Tishrei, we flow
Strengthened in our capacity to accept
We spiral into life

Lorin Troderman is a fourth year Rabbinical Student and member of the Earth Based Judaism cohort at ALEPH who completed his first three years of Rabbinical School at Hebrew College. He moved to Maine in August 2020 where he has served as the Rabbinic Intern at Temple Beth El in Portland, Director for Southern Maine Hillel,  and now serves as the Jewish Chaplain at the Maine Medical Center. Lorin aims to bring his passion for Judaism, a deep pluralistic perspective and a commitment to building healthy sustainable practices into our communities. He lives in beautiful Cape Elizabeth with his partner Sussi and her 15 year old Border Collie/Lab, Jasper. Lorin has two adult sons: his eldest, Dylan, lives in Seattle and younger son Max in Boulder. He loves to walk at sunrise and bask in the miraculous beauty of the Wabanaki Dawnlands.