Sami Awad: Palestinian Peacemaker from Bethlehem, spiritual coach, and founder of The Holy Land Trust. His uncle Mubarak Awad was the most prominent leader for the non-violent expression for the liberation of Palestine. He was expelled from the Holy Land by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir. He has three daughters and he’s my dear friend.
My dialogue with Sami is the first in the series of 30-minute conversations that I will be including in each of my monthly musings. It was recorded in September 2023 in Bethlehem.
The new moon of the month of Nisan is the time when the kings of ancient Israel were anointed. In Mystical understanding, this is the time when we become sovereign beings and monarchs of ourselves. Thus, we consider it in kabbalah as the beginning of our spiritual year. Nisan is when we decide which story to tell for our next year cycle. And in all the eleven moons that follow our work will be to embody with all our senses the content and sacredness of that story.
Story
Baba Ibrahim, or Professor Farajaje was an extraordinary Sufi man. I had heard of him from my late teacher: Rabbi Zalman Shachter Shalomi.
It was that magical weekend in the Bay Area, back in 2015 when we met in deep and soulful unmediated connection.
I had the fortune and honor to have studied and played for the wonderful Joanna Macy
when she visited Israel/Palestine years before. so when I got a gig at Urban Adamah in the Bay Area for my “PrayerFormance” I called Joanna, and through her kind assistant: Anne, we arranged a concert for her students at the wonderful community of Canticle Farm in Oakland. A truly supportive cultural hub and home for ex-convicts reintegrating into society and much more. Joanna said she was too tired to come to the concert after 3 days of teaching( she was 83 then, but insisted I play for her students and that I come to visit at her home the night after.
With wonderful teacher Joanna Macy at her home in Berkeley, Ca. 2015.
The concert was amazing, and one of my best nights in memory. Richard Whittaker (editor of Parabola magazine) was in the audience and was adamant to interview me. He took my number and we arranged to meet for an interview. The next night it was all joy, depth, and nourishment at Joanna’s - she picked me up at the Bart and walked faster than me. I just spoke with her briefly the other day she will be 94 in May. God bless her. A teacher of teachers, one of the wise women of this Planet.
The next night was my PrayerFormance at Urban Adamah. My luxury trio band included brother Aaron Shneyer from DC and Pezzam Akhavas from Iran. Pezzam is one of the best Zarb and Daf players in the world. He has collaborated among others with Zakir Hussain. The evening was going extremely well and the time came for the Sufi zikr in Hebrew and Arabic almost at the end of the program. Suddenly I see from the stage a very tall man with a long red beard walk in with a companion who I later realized was his son Isa. We kept staring at each other and grinning as the three of us sang La Ilaha ilala (There is no One but the Holy One). I felt a strong impulse and gestured to The tall man to come on stage and continue zikr with me. He put his hand on his heart and sent his companion to the stage to sing with me. After 1 minute I realized why. Isa was soloing his heart out in a Turkish-style Taksim.
The event ended with everyone extremely moved. Brian and Lisa students and friends of Baba, came to hug me and wanted to introduce me to him. As they turned around towards me they realized Baba and I were already engaged in a loving and present hug. Next, Baba Ibrahim told me he wanted to see me, and I agreed. We went out to grab a bite and after-party with Souli Khatib ( Palestinian founder of Combatants for Peace) and my “paco” friend Miguel Angel from Peru. It was an extraordinary constellation of power beings and I went to sleep very excited.
With Master Zarbist and dear Pezhham Akhavass and brother Aaron Shneyer
The next morning, my last day in the Bay, Baba calls me and asks if I am free to see him. When I say yes, he tells me not to move, he’s sending one of his students to pick me up to take me to his office at Kings College. A jovial young black man with a van and 40 djembes picks me up. On the way we finalize the meeting with Richard the journalist for after my meeting with Baba at Starr King College - it appears Richard studied in that same building, so there’s no need for explanations.
As I’m looking for the sign with Provost Dr Farajaje on it - I hear from the other side of the hallway Baba say “Come in, it is open” As I’m walking in the door Baba is reading out loud an article about my father, and praising his work on human rights against the horrific Argentinian Dictatorship. As he mentions my dad’s name I begin to cry profusely. Bab says” Time for zikr!” he calls in Isa who seems to be waiting outside with his dad( drum) and immediately we hold hands and begin to sway, breathe, and chant the Divine names of God. After we are done praying, Isa exits without leaving a trace and almost in bliss, Baba and I, begin a marvelous back and forth about how we shall collaborate integrating all the communities of the Bay Area. Unfortunately, that would be my second and last meeting with Baba. He got sick and died the following year. His memory and love is forever imprinted in my heart.
As I walked out of Baba’s office I walked in trepidation to my interview with Richard. I was beaming with inspiration. It was the deepest and juiciest interview of my life. It is still on my website’s homepage and here for you to read.
I “talked my walk”.
What to Expect
I commit to delivering my newsletter “Once a Moonth” to you. According to the Hebrew calendar, it will happen the week of the new moon - once a month.
The new moon and its waxing is a time for the renewal of the Divine’s name (whatever this means for you) within all of us. Our monthly re-birth lies in sync with the tides of the sea, feminine ovulation principles, and even the accelerated growth of beards in masculine bodies.
In kabbalistic wisdom, each moon has a verb attached to it. These verbs are also called: senses. We shall follow these verbs as guides for each of these offerings as the moons progress throughout the year. There might be a full moon short video addition each month. And from the moon of Nisan (April 2024) we will begin a series of 30-minute audio conversations with friends and luminaries.
I have opened the monetization pledges to my subscribers here at Substack so that part of my basic finances can be supported while I create and share my gifts with you.
Amongst my twelve 30-minute conversations with these amazing friends and luminaries:
1 - Iyar: “ Grounding with the Earth” with Tiokasin Ghosthorse ( Lakota radio host, musician and elder)
2 - Tamuz: “Zooming in and out of Reality” with Julia Maryanska ( Polish Californian filmmaker and photographer)
3 - Av: “Listening louder” with Morley ( New York vocalist, her Sufi sheik godfather was Lex Hixon.)
4 - Tevet: ”The Challenge of Anger” with Amir Paiss ( Israeli musician and healer, living in Australia)
Invocation
Incantation
The power of story
The shine of life
The glow of Spirit
Evrah Kedivrah - Arameic for:
I shall create as I speak
commonly known as
Abracadabra
Sacred creative magic of words
and us inhabiting them fully.
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