BostonWalks

Integrating the urban, modern Jewish American city experience with its historical sites and themes in such locales as Boston, MA, Portland, ME, East Bay and Providence, RI, and the Upper West Side of Manhattan, NYC.



What's happened to intelligent, satirical, song lyrics?
Here are two worthy songs:




Celebrating 353 Years


of Jews in America

Celebrating 353 Years


of Jews in America



The Ten Commandments



See below, Michael Alan Ross' original lyrics,


Try to smile and love your neighbor


considering what Mr. Ross labels the 11th Commandment,
i.e. Love your neighbor as yourself.




Now available!


The Jewish Friendship Trail Guidebook

6 Self-Guided Walking/Bicycling Jewish Boston History Tours

Covers Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge

Softcover 198 pages with maps & b/w photos

Print out this
Book Order Form
to ordernow!



Now available!


The Ten Commandments Guidebook

Ways to Self-Struggle with Classic Morals

In Song, Poetry, and Prose

Covers 10 Commandments Plus One Other!

Softcover 153 pages with practical suggestions pages!

Print out this
Book Order Form
to order now!







Boston Walks Publishers presents


The original lyrics,


Try to smile and love your neighbor


From the New


The Ten Commandments Guidebook


With


Spiritual and practical ways
to self-struggle with our Ten Commandments









Copyright Michael Alan Ross, 2004-2007. All Rights Reserved.








Can a post-denominational, American Jew elucidate both spiritual and practical
ways to self-struggle with our Ten Commandments?

In this book, Mr. Ross uses his creative poetry, prose, and lyrics to construct modern midrashim and piyyutim, prosaic and poetic commentaries, to meet such a challenge. Rabbi Ellen Pildis, a post-denominational rabbi, offers praise of his text on the book's back cover.


New Guidebook Re-Visits The Ten Commandments

Can a modern, post-denominational, committed, American Jew find meaningful ways to struggle with our Ten Commandments?
Michael Alan Ross, author of the newly published, The Ten Commandments Guidebook, offers many such ways. Mr. Ross, author of BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail Guidebook - 6 Self-guided Jewish History Walk Tours of Downtown Boston, now has written The Ten Commandments Guidebook as a spiritual invitation to the Ten Commandments.

In The Ten Commandments Guidebook, Mr. Ross offers a personal and creative perspective of the Ten Commandments by means of his original poetry, prose, and song lyrics. His writings are drawn from a lifetime of Jewish American experiences. As an example, his lyrics, Try to smile and love your neighbor, considers what Mr. Ross labels the 11th Commandment, i.e. Love your fellow as yourself, in the following verses:








Try to smile and love your neighbor

© Michael Alan Ross 2004-2007. All rights reserved.


(Suggestion: Sing to the music of Ludwig Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”)



Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, What one’s age in numbers be? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Let not age determine me. [chorus] Try to smile and love your neighbor. Treat ‘em as your family. Let’s all learn to welcome others. [plus...] Let not age determine me. Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, What one’s sex or gender be? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Let not sex determine me. [chorus, plus...] Let not sex determine me. Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, What religion one may be? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Let not creed determine me. [chorus, plus...] Let not creed determine me. Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, What one’s race or color be? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Let not race determine me. [chorus, plus...] Let not race determine me. Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, What one’s politicking be? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Let not pols determine me. [chorus, plus...] Let not pols determine me. Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, What one’s native language be? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Let not speech determine me. [chorus, plus...] Let not speech determine me. Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, How some one appears to me? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Let not looks determine me. [chorus, plus...] Let not looks determine me. Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, What one’s schooling choices be? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Let not school determine me. [chorus, plus...] Let not school determine me. Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, How much money’s left to me? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Let not wealth determine me. [chorus, plus...] Let not wealth determine me. Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, What one’s marriage status be? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Single won’t determine me. [chorus, plus...] Single won’t determine me. Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, What’s one’s nationality? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Birthplace won’t determine me. [chorus, plus...] Birthplace won’t determine me. Neighbor, neighbor does it matter, What’s one’s fame or power be? Let’s all learn to welcome others. Let not fame determine me. [chorus, plus...] Let not fame determine me.







Midrashim and Piyyutim!


Mr. Ross' poetry about the Ten Commandments, his prosaic warm memories of family life, and his lyrical voicing of social concerns can be called by the Hebrew words piyyutim and midrashim, poems and commentaries, which offer uplifting, spiritual and, sometimes, challenging interpretations. In addition, Mr. Ross offers many suggestions for the reader to consider in struggling with the Ten Commandments, making this Guidebook a fine teaching tool, usable not only for its inspirational reading but also for its suggestions of good deeds.
The Ten Commandments Guidebook, ISBN 0970082525, by Michael Alan Ross is available for purchase online at http://bostonwalks.tripod.com/TCbookorderform.html and for sale in selected bookstores such as Kolbo Fine Judaica and Israel Book Shop in Boston/Brookline. It also can be purchased in multiple copies for Hebrew, day school, and adult classes directly from the publisher.
The Ten Commandments Guidebook, ISBN 0970082525, by Michael Alan Ross, BostonWalks Publishers 2004. In paperback, 153 pages, list price: $19.95 (Wholesale purchase of 12 or more copies available at 40% discount.).
Contact information: BostonWalks Publishers, 50 Grove St., Belmont MA 02478
Email: bostonwalks@hotmail.com, Telephone: 617-489-5020.








Click on these links to read more on-line selections from Michael Alan Ross' new,
The Ten Commandments Guidebook:






Click on some of these other BostonWalks sites!




For further information, email BostonWalks directly BostonWalks
or telephone us at: 617-489-5020.



Links to Boston and New England




Now available!


The Jewish Friendship Trail Guidebook

6 Self-Guided Walking/Bicycling Jewish Boston History Tours

Covers Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge

Softcover 198 pages with maps & b/w photos

Print out this
Book Order Form
to ordernow!



Now available!



The Ten Commandments Guidebook

Ways to Self-Struggle with Classic Morals

In Song, Poetry, and Prose

Covers 10 Commandments Plus One Other!

Softcover 153 pages with practical suggestions pages!

Print out this
Book Order Form
to order now!









"West End House" circa 2004
Begun by 35 Jewish boys in 1903!
Click here to connect with more of
Boston's Best!



























Chazak Ve-ematz
be strong and resolute

(Moses words to Joshua in Deut. 31:7)







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Boston Walks

The Jewish
Friendship Trail


How do you imagine the relationship between freedom and responsibility within a democracy?

Check out this poetic interpretation:


In Defense of Liberty and Democracy, Freedom and Responsibility


considering the parasha of the week, Yitro.




Isn't it time to Attract Middle Class Families Back into Our Cities?

Here's 10 Ways to bring middle-class families back into cities like NYC:


10 Ways to Bring Middle Class Families Back into New York City, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Atlanta, and other Cities


considering the best of the suburban paradigm for our large cities.




Are you curious about what are some of the ethical reasons for single-payer universal health care insurance?


10 Moral Reasons for One Payer Universal Health Care Insurance for America


in light of Hillel's If I'm only for myself, what am I?




When was the last time you really laughed?



We're featuring good Jewish jokes!
Check out this month's featured humor
by clicking here!

We know that there are other belly laughs our there.
Email us at bostonwalks@hotmail.com with your contribution!




Isn't time to make unhealthy hospitals history?

Here's 10 ways to make our hospitals healthier!