SHALOM is the Hebrew term used for greeting and leave-takings and meaning “peace.” Yesterday, the letters stretched across the entrance to Temple Emanuel, greeting people who attended the Jewish festival. The strong rays of the sun made daylight savings time a little more palatable. As the sun moved through the sky, inside, the temple was filled with people enjoying good food and fellowship.

Like many of the religious and ethnic festivals in the community, the Greensboro Jewish Festival is open to the public and is a fabulous opportunity for the non-Jewish to learn more about the practices, products, and perspectives of the religion. By the looks of the cars in the parking lot and stretching down Jefferson and Hobbs Road, half of Greensboro was in attendance. The first food to run out was matzo ball soup. Perhaps people were purchasing this little bit of homemade goodness to have on hand through flu season.

What isn’t visible in the photo is the second word, “Y’all.” So today’s food for thought is “SHALOM, Y’all”- such an important message and a great blending of languages.