He wrote a powerful poem about this experience:
A bright sunny day
Clean crisp air
A deep blue sky
Soft breezes swimming
through our hair
Begin to hear steps
Gentle soft paces forward
Now more of a rhythmic movement
Looking up to see angels
dancing toward me
From head to toe
almost feel the glow
Emanating around
creating a heavenly flow
All the while passing to each
other our
Life’s blueprint‘.
showing us the way
To live heavenly everyday!
—dj cohen
Now picture this: Two years later and the rest of the world is experiencing their own inability to celebrate Simcha Torah in their traditional way. We are in the midst of a pandemic and Synagogues are closed. The opportunity to dance with the Torah this year was not an option. Still, how could we not partake in one of our happiest and most joyous mitzvot!?!?
The men of West Deal shul remembered their solution two years earlier. They recalled the day they found a way to give DJ his chance to dance and celebrate Simcha Torah. They were inspired again to recreate the same experience for everyone who could not get to shul this year. Just two years later, they found themselves dancing down Dwight Drive again with the Sefer Torah in their arms. They made sure to use the Cohen’s home as a starting point for this hallmark day. The elderly who had not been out in months were brought to tears at the sight of the Torah. There were children and parents cheering as the Sefer Torah was marched passed them. For some people, there was even a familiar feeling in the air that day. It was the sweet memory of the first time they danced the Torah down Dwight Drive, for DJ a”h. What started out as one small act of kindness for one man, suddenly touched the hearts of dozens more...
In memory of DJ a”h and his love of learning through Torah, we will be dedicating a Sefer Torah to the Magen David synagogue of West Deal
If you would like to be a part of this mitzvah in memory of DJ COHEN a”h please contribute below.
Thank you and Tzku L’mizvot