Eulogy for Debbie Friedman

On that first day Adam and Eve were created and then everything went wrong.
There was a lot of disappointment to go around. Adam and Eve were disappointed about being expelled from the garden. Most of all they were disappointed in each other casting blame on each other for eating the apple. And perhaps most of all God was disappointed.
Sitting (as it were) with God’s chief angel advisors, Gabriela, Uriel, and Rafaela, God sighed and said:
What are the humans doing?
The same thing they’ve done since they left the garden. They are sitting opposite each other. In silence. Casting surreptitious looks at one another.
They look so sad. Broken hearted.
God sat quietly. The advisors thought it wise to be silent.
Shadows began to fall across the land. The sun was setting. It was becoming dark.

Adam had told God that it was Eve’s fault that he had eaten the fruit of the tree. She had look so stricken when he had said that. His heart hurt and he knew he had hurt Eve.

Eve kept on thinking of things to say to Adam but she wasn’t sure what would make things better. They had gotten into this mess because she took the initiative so she hesitated about being the first one to break the silence. Then she noticed the darkening light. It was unnerving—she hoped it might pass but it kept on getting worse—darker and darker—it was getting harder to see the details of Adam’s form across the clearing in the deepening gloom.
Suddenly Adam arose and as he did Eve arose and both hurried across the clearing. They met in the middle—what’s going on? Is it supposed to get like this? Since neither knew the answer, they hugged each other and sat together in the middle of the clearing as it became dark.
It was a black night, there was no moonlight and clouds masked the stars. A blanket of quiet fell over the land as Adam and Eve held each other tightly to ward off the growing fears they tried not to show to each other.
Suddenly a cricket chirped. Adam and Eve both jumped. The cricket chirped again. And then another cricket and another. The night was now filled with the sound of crickets.
How do they do that asked Uriel?
They rub their legs together God answered absent mindedly. Hmm! Maybe I’ll turn up the volume. The sound of the crickets became louder until the universe echoed with chirping crickets.
Just as Adam and Eve began to relax to the reassuring sound in contrast to the preceding silence, a firefly blinked on its light. And then another. Suddenly the night was filled with blinking lights and chirping crickets. Eve startled by the first fireflies had put her hand to her heart. She heard a rhythm in the crickets chirping and felt a rhythm in her rapidly beating heart. She tried to imitate the sound of the crickets and it came out as a hum.
She began humming.
A few stars emerged from the clouds. Adam looked at Eve by the light of the stars. She urged him with her eyes to start humming too. The hum became a melody and then a song. As soon as they began to sing all the crickets went silent and the fireflies went dark.
Eve and Adam continued to sing. It seemed to them that as they sang the whole world was listening. Eve and Adam lay back on the ground and looked up at the sky and continued to sing.
After a long time, a light appeared in the East. Suddenly they heard the piercing sound of a rooster greeting the dawn. That sound was echoed by animals big and small who had been all around them all night. Elephants trumpeted, lions roared, birds trilled.
All through the night, the animals had listened in quiet to Adam and Eve’s song. They too were terrified by that first night. But they too now joined the chorus of all creation to welcome that new day. Adam and Eve stood up and raised their hands to greet the light of the new day. They lifted their voices in joyous song. And their hearts were healed and filled with their love for one another.
And God turned to his advisers and said I have a new job for you.
You advisors are now my angelic chorus—you will raise your voices in song and harmony.
Rafaela sang Kadosh Uriel voice rising higher sang Kadosh and Gabriela sang out Kadosh

God went down to talk with Adam and Eve. Tell us about music Adam said.

God responded: I now understand that this world has to be one of exile and brokenness
And you humans must engage in its repair. There are sparks of holiness scattered all around waiting to be redeemed and there are shards of songs waiting to be discovered and sung until the whole world joins in a universal chorus. There are those who will read music, others who will write music and a few who will be music.
Will be music?
Yes, the music will not be on a page before them in fact some of them won't be able to read music, they won't need to, the music will be inside them—in hearts overflowing with the melody of love for others.
Can you give us a glimpse of a few of them?
God said: Look there you can see them, and there was King David, sweet singer of Zion, and the Baal Shem Tov singing an ecstatic nigun, and Reb Shlomo teaching Jews to sing the song of Shabbos
.
There is Miriam leading the women in song at the sea. And then there is Debbie. Debbie Friedman who will bring communal singing to warm up cold synagogues, who will embody the power of song and healing. Just when the Jewish world needs it most.
She will not have an easy life said Eve.
No she will not, she will face it with quiet courage and fortitude, but she will her life fully.
Adam noticed that throughout the conversation God was fashioning something with God's hands so Adam interrupted—God what are you doing—putting more crowns on the letters of the Torah for Rabbi Akiva to interpret.
Being God, I have to multitask if I am going to run this world. But no I am not putting the crowns on letters, I am making the essence of the songs that Debbie will discover and bring to the world.
All these are Debbie's. Looking at the piles at God's feet, Eve said that is an amazing amount of music.
Adam and Eve picked up the song essences all in different shapes; one looked like a well, one a latke, and one clearly the Hebrew alphabet and threw them up where the wind carried them off in all directions. What's this one said Eve---that's a timbrel said God. Don't ask I have no idea what a timbrel is—you can ask Miriam one day.
They continued throwing the songs up in the air until only one was left in God's hands.
Eve said: But she will be so missed particularly at that time, with the world is so in need of healing.
God said:
When you will hear the winds are blowing you will still hear Debbie singing,
When you realize the time is now
That any place can be a makom kadosh you will hear Debbie singing
When there is renewal of spirit
When you cross the sea, and see the possibilities on the far shore, you will hear Debbie singing
When you light these lights
When you give blessings,
When you are a blessing you will hear Debbie singing
You will hear her music everywhere,
You will sing it; no not just sing it you will strive to be the music
Listen, my children God continued softly. In her time, there will be those who will say that there are angels in America. Maybe yes, maybe not but certainly there will be at least one and her name is Dinah bat frida v'gavriel
Wherever you go on your journey Debbie will be there because she is your ministering angel
Adam and Eve both knew then what was in God's hands as God threw up in the air. It was Debbie's last song--- Shalom Aleichem.
It's about the angels that will accompany you wherever you go, on a journey to places still to be revealed.
Come in peace. Bless in peace. And of course God said with a smile and a tear. Debbie changed the last stanza---not tzeitkhem depart in peace. For she will not leave. But shuvchem—return again and again in peace.

I'll ask the musicians and speakers to come forward.
Debbie did not get a chance to professionally record her last song. It is her final gift to us. Please stand and join in singing her shalom Aleichem. I ask you to learn this song and go on your journey and teach it to someone else and ask them to teach it until America and the world are full of angels of peace.
Debbie this time we sing it for you: