In my last post, I quoted Abraham Heschel, and here again, Heschel's words are the best way I can think of to describe the way I felt today.

For Heschel, the march from Selma to Montgomery with Dr. Martin Luther King had a spiritual significance. He wrote, "For many of us the march from Selma to Montgomery was about protest and prayer. Legs are not lips and walking is not kneeling. And yet our legs uttered songs. Even without words, our march was worship. I felt my legs were praying."

Today, as I was tutoring with my son's, the most adorable and teachable third graders, at an elementary school in Newark, NJ, I couldn't help but feel like my entire body was praying, and I hope my boys were able to feel that way as well. It is truly inspiring to give to the world in a way that you can feel- through your entire body -that one day, something good might come out of your efforts.

My son's and I went to Newark with my friend Amy and her son's as a part of a charitable organization called StepWise, which was founded by one of our synagogue members. It was an effective and rewarding teaching experience and I look forward to spending more afternoons with these wonderful students. If anyone would like to join us on Friday afternoons, just let me know.

Needless to say, these adorable children, with hope in their eyes and an entire future ahead of themselves, gave me a truly meaningful 50th birthday gift. It is so unbelievably true that the BEST present you can receive is the gratification of knowing that you have helped another human being.