News from Kol Ami

on Thursday, 02 January 2014.

BY MARLEINE KAY

Harriet Brav-Baum

As we know, a mitzvah means commandment of the Jewish Law, and it also means a good deed. Danny Siegel (www.dannysiegel.com) bestselling author of numerous books about tzedakah and Tikkun Olam quoted from Ecclesiastes 3:5:“A time to embrace” and then he remarked: "If you see a group of Tzaddikim - Good People standing near you - stand up and hug them and kiss them and hug them again."

Well, I guess that’s why every time I see Harriet Brav-Baum in shul, I just can’t wait to hug and kiss her. However, there is usually a line-up to hug her. Just being around Harriet makes you feel good.

Harriet, a retired art teacher, makes giving and caring a true work of art. She has a natural way of listening to others and warming them with the genuine light of her neshama. Unpretentious, Harriet exudes a sincere desire to see people whole and happy. That is why Harriet has introduced a wonderful new spiritual opportunity to Kol Ami - The Spirituality and Healing Chavurah, which meets once Sunday evening a month in the sanctuary or in various homes. Dates and times are always listed in the Kol Ami calendar.

Based on a process of Jewish meditation and prayer, the chavurot sit together in a warm soothing circle to meditate and pray for each other’s physical and emotional good health and wellbeing, as well as for others not in the room. This Chavurah has already brought much comfort to those attending.

Harriet’s goodness doesn’t just stop there. She is always one of the first to quietly donate to a worthy cause or anonymously donate tickets so that someone else may be able to attend a special event. Some time ago in shul, when I mentioned that I was having difficulty finding boots large and wide enough to fit a homeless man who literally lived on the rafters under the Gardner Expressway, Harriet relayed the story to her husband George. Within minutes, exceptionally quietly so that no one would notice, Harriet handed me a cheque large enough to cover a new pair of boots. The homeless man could not believe that people from my synagogue paid for him to get a new pair of warm winter boots to replace his worn out shoes, stuffed with old newspaper. He kept repeating “G-d bless this lady and her man”.

Well, that’s just the kind of person that Harriet is. She does mitzvot quietly, unassumingly and from her beautiful heart.