Aurora Levins Morales
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January 23rd, 2016

1/23/2016

3 Comments

 
My father, Richard Levins, who died on January 19, was an atheist, and I couldn't bring myself to say a traditional kaddish for him, but he did believe in forces greater than himself, and I decided to write my own kaddish celebrating his faith in their endurance and hopefulness.
Joyously celebrated be the infinite complexity and beauty of the universe, its endless dialectic, its loops of positive and negative feedback, equilibrium and change, its constant evolution; and celebrated be human creativity and solidarity and courage. May they establish liberation in our lifetimes and in our days and in the lives of all peoples everywhere, speedily and soon, and let us say, ¡Que viva!

Praise to the great dialectic of change always unfolding possibilities.

May the deep wells of humanity and hope within us gush forth into the world and may there be principled unity and immense and powerful coalitions, clearheaded analysis and breathtaking vision, and practical, hard work done together and with joy.  May the local and the global embrace, may the personal and political embrace, may intellect, emotion and flesh dance together. May our deepest desire for connection dissolve all factions and wash away all unnecessary conflict.  Blessed and praised be solidarity, extolled and honored beyond all the songs and chants, manifestos and movements that have ever been crafted, for it is our greatest hope and we must cultivate it in all we do, and let us say ¡Que viva!

May all who are bound up in the toils of greed for power and wealth, and all who are trapped in the fear of scarcity, in selfish individualism and the short term strategies of desperation, and all who are confused by privilege and wounded by the ruthless heartlessness of oppression, be released, to join in the common good of us all which is far greater than any other reward.

May liberation arise abundant and universal from our own hands and hearts and minds; may there be peace and justice and life for us, and for all beings, and let us say ¡Que viva!

May we whose love and labor bring life sustaining food forth from the soil, create a sustaining and sustainable world for ourselves and for all that lives, and let us say ¡Que viva!

3 Comments
Ania Gonzalez-Mora
1/23/2016 05:33:22 pm

Estimada Aurora, hija de Richard Levins
I´m assuming you know and understand spanish because of your parents but at the same time I wish be understood by you in my poor english. I´m a cuban scientist and I just knew about his death, I feel very sorry about that, we were in contact several times in Cuba, sometimes in Havana and in my province Camagüey. I remember once in my town, february of 2007, he and his friend Tamara Awerbush were in my home for eating, because they prefered other kind of food. Richard particularly gave me some services helping me in some non technical things and in general he was a very important helper of many cuban scientist.
Please accept my deepest condolences on your sad loss.
Ania Gonzalez Mora

Reply
Juliet Ucelli
1/24/2016 09:34:14 am

Aurora, this is so beautiful and really honors your father. I"m going to save it for use at ceremonial occasions and for intention-setting at meetings.

Reply
Luca
1/25/2016 08:47:07 am

As an atheist, communist, biology student and big fan of Richard Levins' writing I must say this "kaddish" express everything I've learned from your father. Thank you.
My deepest condolescences for a loss that I feel like mine.
Luca, from Italy

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    Aurora Levins Morales is a disabled and chronically ill, community supported  writer, historian, artist and activist. It takes a village to keep her blogs coming.  To become part of the village it takes, donate here.

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  • Home
    • What's New
  • What I Do
    • Projects >
      • Finca La Lluvia
    • Podcast
    • Writing >
      • Books >
        • Getting Home Alive
        • Kindling
        • Cosecha & Other Stories
      • Essays >
        • Nadie la tiene: Land Ecology and Nationalism
        • Muna Lee
        • Testimonio de una colaboración
      • Writing Sample >
        • Invocation
        • chicken house goat girls
        • First Snow
        • A Remedy for Heartburn
        • Transfusion
        • Maguey/Lost Bird
        • Pines
    • Portfolio >
      • Letters from Earth
      • Rimonim Liturgy Project
  • What We Can Do Together
    • Workshops
    • Public Speaking >
      • Publicity Packet
    • One on One
    • Itinerary
  • Residency in Puerto Rico
  • Connections
    • Join My Mailing List
    • Write to me
    • Permissions
    • Calendar
    • Moon Phase
  • Blog
  • Support Aurora
    • Creatng Access >
      • Hosting Aurora
    • Access Researcher Position
    • Testimonials
  • Puerto Rico Liberation
    • Declaracion
    • Boricuando