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 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!

Boston Walks Publishers presents

The original lyrics,

From the New

The Ten Commandments Guidebook

With

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

Copyright Michael Alan Ross, 2004-2008. All Rights Reserved.

Can a post-denominational, American Jew elucidate both spiritual and practical ways to self-struggle with our traditional Jewish faith in God? Michael Alan Ross uses his creative poetry, prose, and lyrics to construct modern midrashim and piyyutim, prosaic and poetic commentaries to meet such a challenge. Mr. Ross has the chutzpah, audacity, to look anew at some of our Jewish texts and experiences. As a modern, post-denominational, committed, American Jew, he seeks meaningful ways to struggle with our Jewish texts, rituals, good deeds, and beliefs. In his newly published, The Ten Commandments Guidebook, he offers many such ways. He also is author of BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail Guidebook - 6 Self-guided Jewish History Walk Tours of Downtown Boston. 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 2004-2008. 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.