Word Prompt – SHIRA – Jordana Baruchov

I’m not sure if all women do this, but I know I did – dream about your future children and their names. One of those names was Shira. Spoiler alert: It didn’t happen. So why did I dream about a Shira?

Song has a profound connection to the soul, acting as a bridge between our inner emotions and the outer world. Ever since sleep-away camp, I discovered how music resonated deeply with my soul. It had a unique ability to convey my emotions in a way that words alone often couldn’t – whether it was joy, sorrow, love, or longing. The songs we sang on Shabbat offered a sense of peace and healing. They could bring me to tears in one moment and laughter in another. Perhaps it was because I didn’t yet know how to express my emotions, and through shira, I was open to expressing them.

With all of that, it made sense for me to want a Shira as a child – a child who could bring such light into the world and represent the ultimate connection a human can possibly feel. As a mother, one is bound to their children; they are an extension of us, a piece of our soul. So, just as the song connects me spiritually, so do my children.

In essence, shira connects to the soul by expressing, reflecting, and amplifying the deepest aspects of our human experience, making it a powerful medium for both personal and spiritual connection. So, who wouldn’t want to name their child after that concept?