Barchu is a prayer we can say only in a minyan. There is great wisdom in starting our service by praising God together, because all Jews reflect a different face of God and so we really can’t praise God fully unless we do it together in a group.After the Barchu, we praise God for creating light and darkness. I love that image because it means that both the triumphs and the failures are a praise of God since God creates both light and darkness, life and peace come from recognizing that all experiences, negative or positive, are an opportunity to be Godly. I will try to always remember that even the darkness is a reflection of God s world so we don t have to fear it, we can embrace it as part of the journey of life in God s beautiful world.
Jacob Artson is a 13-year-old student at Orville Wright Middle School. A boy with autism, he is committed to helping typical and special needs people live lives of dignity and meaning.
