Rainbows (Keshet)
קשת
Seeing a rainbow creates a sense of enchantment and rainbow colors in the heavens have long stirred the human imagination. A rainbow is not a physical object, but an “optical and meteorological phenomena” that shows us the spectrum of visible light, often dramatically set in the clouds or against a waterfall. The most beautiful natural settings are often the most fertile grounds for rainbows, but their magic can surprise us anywhere, causing us to pause and connect with our surroundings.
Choose your favorite Pathway, or follow them in order:
Sunrise Rainbow in Kailua
I awoke in Kailua, the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, to a chorus of tropical birds singing loudly and melodiously, and distant waves in the background. The scent of plumeria and the local varieties of jasmine and gardenia continually perfumed the air. I made my way to the...
Tikkun Olam: A Rainbow of a Community
The rainbow, with its varied and beautiful refracted hues has become the symbol of diversity, including in our Jewish communities: diversity of gender identity and sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, and physical or intellectual ability, among other factors. The...
Tikkun Olam: Rainbow Covenant
The Rainbow Covenant & the Planet Although we often first learn the story of Noah as children, as if it is just a colorful tale of a floating zoo, it is actually a terrifying story of destruction, chaos, and survival. After Noah, his family, and the animals...
Double Magic
As if rainbows weren't beautiful enough by themselves, an amazing moment of wonder... See an amazing waterfall rainbow at Yosemite, or return to the Gateway of Rainbows.
Amazing Rainbow at Yosemite
A hike paid off for Rabbi Naomi Levy, with this awesome view of a rainbow amid a waterfall at Yosemite National Park Whilte the rainbow blessing is traditionally for rainbows in the sky, sights like this may evoke a berachah (blessing) for seeing the wonders of...
Sharing Circle: Rainbows
What does the Rainbow symbol mean in your life? Is there a time that a rainbow lifted your spirits to a moment of enchantment or transcendence? Here's my latest: The day our first granddaughter came home from the hospital, a rainbow appeared in the sky over her...