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ficial position on the bills yet, sition has softened, especially meantime.” State Rep. Ted James, Dsaid Shannon Dirmann, the after hearing from people who benefited from the drug. Baton Rouge, is chair of the group’s attorney. Last year, he shepherded the House Administration of Crim“Several members have recommended that we oppose bill to allow doctors to recom- inal Justice Committee, which (recreational marijuana) bills, mend the drug to any patient will hear the bill. He said he although there has not been they think it could help, in- supports Nelson’s effort, sayan official vote taken yet,” stead of only those with speci- ing Louisiana is “behind the Dirmann said. “We will be dis- fied conditions. times.” Still, legalization of maricussing this bill and other leg“When I first came in, there islation with our members at was no way that’d get through juana for recreational use will be a tough hill to climb in Louian upcoming meeting.” (the Legislature),” he said. siana’s Republican-dominated Dirmann said the group dayall willwecome’ if, will as not hasn’t yet discussed Magee’s hard times, that moved me so much. that ‘The this was really needed. A Legislature, that, althoughespecially philosophers expected, law enforcement bill, but she noted that the orgaState Sen. Ronnie Johns, RWe often forget to notice the mag- committed group, willing to stand in tell you this, the sign of truth is that turn out to it. opposed recent Lake and Charles, said he hasn’t groups nificence nization of naturehasn’t in the hyper-urban the snow sing together. upon hearing it oppose one breaks into Lampert, of the district attormedical marijuana bills. The read Magee’s bill but is in faconcrete and glass of Manhattan. The hazzan sings, “He removes tears. Sheriffs’ Association helped vor of medical marijuana. He neys group, said law enforcePrayertank is a strange thing. We try bill day also and said brings night, among God islawhis ment That night I worries was touched typically that by a medical marijuana opinions to deeplyinconnect with our pain and name” in synchrony with the darktruth. 2014 but came aboard the makers have changed as they legalizing recreational marigratitude,following speak to year, our hopes andcraft ening sky. It benefits is gettingofharder to read juana Waswill it lead the pain and traffic loss of the helping to more saw the the drug. legislation that passed and set fatalities. He also contends But Johns isn’t ready to get regrets. We say these words to our- the small print in my prayer book, pandemic? The fragility of life? in motion the state’s medical there be aof“shadow crime I’m board with recreational selves with a divine intention. but Ion know the words by heart. The could support togetherness? marijuana program. component” where states thatit was marijuana, even if its day is Prayer is something that should be The lump in my throat loosens and not sure, but it was real, and legalize marijuana but are coming. The Advocate - 04/11/2021 so personal and private, yet I find it I breathe in the cold air. worth bundling up for and seeking Changing attitudes “I’m 72 years old; I’m old surrounded by states where most meaningful when done— with a Marc Cousins, the architectural outstill on illegal a freezing, snowy Friday see heightened school, I guess,” he said. “I it’s Legal marijuana whether community. theorist, one of come his lectures evening. activity as peoguesssaid thein day will when black-market for recreational or medical use I have—come to seeamong communal is popular Louisiana polls have consispraying residents, as a bit like therapy. In tently shown. And that support therapy we learn to hear our feelappears be growing. ings, accept our to pain and cherish In 2019, the LSU Public Policy our joys.Research But it is hard, if not Lab did a statewide impossible, to do this work alone. poll that found 55% of resiComplete We need dents someone, the therapist, Interior/Exterior support legalizingto small Available help us see ourselves better. Someamounts of marijuana for recuse, with hugetogenone who reational can give us permission erational feel sadness and divides. encourage us to In polls conducted for a medState Licensed celebrate success. ical marijuana industry group Bonded Community can play a similar in 2020 and 2021, pollster John Insured role. It legitimizes and creates a for Couvillon found support place forlegalization deep emotions. Together, and Fina of medicinal Ava we dare recreational to say that life fleetingfrom potisjumped 54% to 67% in a year, with and that the universe is vast, and nearly unanimous history has awful moments support and among the 18-34 age group humanity can be inspiring. We can this year. hold theseIndisturbing conflicting August 2019, medical ideas because we are doing it to marijuana became available together, patients and together feelofsafe after we years delays; and accepted. ThisFred needMills, for comstate Sen. R-Parks, through legislation munity isushered so fundamental that our to authorize the program in 2015 numbers have grown even as the and 2016. Since then, a total of temperature dropped. 15,672 patients have gotten the Praying on a public New York drug as of March 31, according City sidewalk, I felt exposed and to records from the Louisiana vulnerable at first. Some stared, Board of Pharmacy. Call 5 others tookThe photos on of their phone prenumber patients, From our table to yours, Best Wishes to our many scriptions anddog doctors in the or lingered, while their sniffed friends and customers in the Jewish community program significantly *Est a shrub, to watch us,grew or even joined syste after lawmakers agreed last us. Can we do this? I’m sure those summer to allow doctors to
Lifestyle
This Year, I Learned the Pain and Beauty of Praying Outside Esther Sperber
Park bench locked off with barrier tape during the corona virus lock down (Getty Images)
This essay originally appeared in the New York Jewish Week. Friday night. We are standing in a paved plaza beside Riverside Drive; the air is crisp; the fresh snow is sparkling like diamond dust in the setting sun. We are 6 feet apart and masked (I can’t wait for this combined phrase to become obsolete). We join the hazzan, chanting the Friday evening prayer, welcoming the Sabbath as the sun disappears over the Hudson River. “Come my beloved towards your bride to welcome the Sabbath.” Suddenly I’m choked up, no longer able to sing. My eyes fill with tears and emotions. I have sung these words almost every week of my life — that’s about 2,500 times — but tonight these very familiar words feel new and deeply moving. Perhaps it is the beauty of praying outside. Kabbalat Shabbat, the prayer welcoming, or literally accepting, the Sabbath, is a relatively new prayer service. It was added in the 16th century by the Jewish mystical Kabbalists (note the repeating root) in the holy city of Tzfat in the Galilee. They got into the habit of leaving the city and walking out to the nearby hills and orchard. Out in nature, they sang and meditated about God’s glory as manifest in the universe and in history. This new service was an instant hit and has become part of the prayer book canon. But for most urban dwellers, it is a rare occasion, maybe on a high school weekend trip, Shabbaton or retreat, to practice it outdoors as the Kabbalists did. Early in the pandemic, our congregation shifted to outdoor services. We thought this would work during the summer. None of us envisioned the weekly service continuing outside through the bitter New York winter. But it did. Perhaps it was the link to the origin of Kabbalat Shabbat, the repetition of a practice through good times and THE
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who use this spot for yoga on Sunday morning have felt this discomfort too. The reclaiming of public space has been one of the surprising joys of the pandemic: restaurants using the parking lane for seating and closed streets becoming plazas for bikes and pedestrians. I realize how many things we could do outdoors if our city were designed to facilitate these activities. I hope we move toward making outdoor life in our city more easily accessible to all of its inhabitants. The pandemic has stripped our service to its bare basics. We worship without a space, without chairs, with dim light and no heat. I realized
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