Discover a progressive Jewish interpretation of Maimonides' 13 principles here!



Celebrating 355 Years


of Jews in America

Celebrating 355 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.




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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

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Book Order Form
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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, 2004-2009. All Rights Reserved.










Michael A. Ross, a post-denominational, American Jew, and author of the newly published, The Ten Commandments Guidebook elucidates both spiritual, practical, and fun ways to self-struggle with our Ten Commandments. Mr. Ross uses his creative poetry, prose, and lyrics to construct modern midrashim and piyyutim, prosaic and poetic commentaries. Rabbi Ellen Pildis, a post-denominational rabbi, offers praise of his text on the book's back cover. In re-visiting The Ten Commandments, Mr. Ross finds meaningful and unusual ways to sing about, to wax poetic, to constructively criticize, and to praise in light of our Commandments. Mr. Ross also is author of BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail Guidebook - 6 Self-guided Jewish History Walk Tours of Downtown Boston. His writings are drawn from a lifetime of Jewish American experiences.


Here is an example of his lyrics
Try to smile and love your neighbor
which consider 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 2004-2009. 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, simply appreciative or 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.
To print out a purchase order, click here: The Ten Commandments Guidebook.






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!



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 order now!



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!
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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.