DJEMBE. The SECRET

 EXCERPT from http://joys-prose.blogspot.com/2006/09/secret-of-intention-my-drumming.html

THE SECRET
- Joy Krauthammer

I was studying outer spiritual life, and receiving inner spiritual life and Holy direction.  Away at a spiritual retreat, Renewal's P’nei Or later aka Kallah in Berkeley, I received spiritual guidance from (now Rabbi) Hanna Tiferet Siegel.  

During her workshop and at her direction after chanting "Modah Ani", on a piece of plain white 8"x10" paper, I drew, tracing next to each other, my right hand and my left hand. I filled in the palms, as directed, with my desires to manifest. This was "The Secret." Put my thought energy into what I want to manifest and ask for it.  I asked The Source of All BlesSings to Shma, hear me.

Right hand-- what I want to receive.  Left hand-- what I want to give to the universe. 

For wanting to receive, I drew an African djembe drum. For wanting to give, I wrote music signs and the words, "spiritual music". At that moment of finishing my experiential sketch, a stranger whom I had never before seen, "Miriam Minkoff from Buffalo" (and at that moment I was in Berkeley from LA), walked through the outdoor courtyard and up to me, as I, with hands art work in hand, was leaving the workshop door's threshold. Miriam handed to me her huge African djembe drum which was in her arms, and only said, "Play it, and return it when through." She walked away and disappeared into the crowd. (There are more miraculous post scripts to this story.)

This is all Hashgachah Pratit / Divine guidance. In the middle of the courtyard of the Theological Seminary was Shoshanna Shoshanna. Walking directly to her, as she sat on a circular wall, I asked her to show me what to do with this large natural skin, wooden djembe drum, which fit very well in my arms' embrace. I recognized Shoshanna from Jerusalem as being Reb Shlomo Carlebach's, zt'l, concert drummer. I had seen Shoshanna in concert different times in Jerusalem, and then met her at the Jerusalem home of the Witts, not realizing that she was the musician whom I had watched on stage. The host sat me down next to Shoshanna.  How fortuitous. How synchronistic. How perfect. 

Now Shoshannah was sitting right there in the center of the Theological Seminary courtyard in Berkeley. In Jerusalem, we had walked back to her home near the famous outdoor market, Machane Yehuda, and danced to her professionally recorded piano music. Shoshanna, the pianist and percussionist had never before danced to her own music. I watched the dance shadows on the white painted old walls. (Years later, an LA friend purchased and played for me in her car, the same music piano tape of Shoshanna's having no idea that I knew Shoshanna.)

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