Grackle amidst magnolias in my neighborhood, JHD
Today I was at a shiva (memorial) service and my friend, a rabbi, sang a simple, touching song that helps her keep her faith in the face of a difficult loss. “Be Like the Bird” inspired me and I decided to include it in the new and growing Gateway of Wings. The words of the song are from a poem by Victor Hugo.
There are a number of versions of the song on YouTube, including one with great bird graphics, but I quickly realized that someone had put that video together without getting permission to use the music and without crediting the performers. So I have embedded the original YouTube video of Be Like the Bird posted by the composer, and shared some of her story in the post.
I’m adding pathways (posts) to the new Gateway of Wings in no particular order, or should I say in the order of inspiration. When the Gateway (themed content page) is more or less complete, I plan to reorder the posts so that they create a thematic pathway through the Gateway page. But you can always explore in any order that interests you.
I’ve added a gallery of favorite bird photos that I took (mostly) at Rockefeller State Park Preserve–a birders’ paradise!
You’ll find it in the new and growing Gateway of Wings.
I’ve had a request for more poetry on Wellsprings of Wisdom. Here’s an original poem by a fellow traveler on the spiritual path, student Cantor and expert birder, Steve Margolin. His dream of finding an elusive bird far from its natural habitat parallels his spiritual search. Thank you, Steve, for sharing your poem AGAMI on the new and growing Gateway of Wings.
A new pathway (post) on the Gateway of Wings explores doves and eagles and key symbols in the Torah and later Jewish tradition. These two very different birds offer two contrasting ways to relate to the Divine.
Two of the most prominent birds in biblical tradition are very different in nature: the dove and the eagle. (more…)
I just posted a personal favorite video of Swallows as they dive and soar, below and above 5 Mile Bridge on Big Chico Creek in Bidwell Park, Chico, California (my former home). I love the way that their flight melds heaven and earth in this video. It’s the second post (and first new one) on the new and growing Gateway of Wings.
Egret at Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Frank Becker
Pssst! Just because you are exploring Wellsprings of Wisdom on your own and not waiting for an update from your guide, you’re among the first to take a sneak peak at the new Gateway under construction: the Gateway of Wings. If you love birds and other flying creatures, I think that you will enjoy watching as this Gateway unfolds into a multi-media exploration of the meaning of wings and flight in nature, ancient Jewish tradition, and our own lives.
I’m especially appreciative of friends who are sharing content for this page. Thank you to Frank Becker, a generous photographer whom I met on my walks in Rockefeller State Park Preserve. He took this amazing photo of an Egret in flight that also graces the Gateway of Wings. When you look at the Gateway, be sure to click on his photo to enlarge and open it in a lightbox.
It’s fitting to start a new enterprise today, because it’s a (lesser-known) Jewish holiday: Lag Ba-Omer. Enjoy this traditional Moroccan song for the day, recorded by my husband Avraham Danan, a tribute to the ancient mystic and sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai:
https://soundcloud.com/avrahamdanan/bar-yohai
Rock Dove by Cuatrok77 via Flickr
Things may seem very quiet at Wellsprings of Wisdom just now, but actually a lot is going on behind the scenes. I am busy talking to various individuals and organizations about providing content for Wellsprings. I am also working on the next Gateway (content page), which will soon be revealed as a “Gateway in Progress” in the Portal of Air! It will center on a nature symbol that I have been thinking of for a long time, and I don’t have a strong preconception of how it will turn out, so it will be an adventure.
Let’s just say that we will take flight! Stay tuned.
I’m excited to keep finding a growing number of new Jewish organizations dedicated to environmental, farming/gardening, and spiritual goals. I just updated Wellspring’s Web Resource Guide to include the Jewish Farmer Network (which is just what it says), Grow Torah, an organization that creates Torah learning gardens for schools and 
communal organizations, and At the Well, a women’s spirituality and wellness project. Wellsprings of Wisdom also has a separate Resource Guide to Retreat Centers and Outdoor Adventures, to help you find your next outdoor spiritual experience. I look forward to sharing the work of some of these organizations in greater depth in upcoming posts.
If there are resources you would like to recommend for inclusion, please contact Wellsprings.
On a technical note, apologies for sporadic difficulty in leaving comments on posts. It is due to a stubborn WordPress setting that automatically closes comments after a certain number of days. Hopefully things are working again now!
With permission of Nocturne, a podcast series about night, I have added a podcast with night sounds from around the world to this Pathway (post) in the Gateway of Darkness! Enjoy and try out the rest of the series. 
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