“Many of us feel overwhelmed by the unending onslaught of terrible news and a sense of deep foreboding for what is yet to come,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov of the destruction and hatred rising up around us. But “our hope is not yet lost. It is 2,000 old… together we can choose life again and again.”
Reflecting on the massacre of over 1,400 Israelis by Hamas, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch wonders: “What culture, what mindset, what belief system produces — or condones — such brutality?” This week’s parashah describes the flood that wiped out humanity, he says. But, like Noah, “even when the world is awash in immorality, it is still possible to be righteous…”
A week after Hamas massacred more than 1,000 Israeli civilians, “we gather for Shabbat on the day that Hamas has termed ‘A Day of Rage,’” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “These rally-goers are not supporting peace. They are not supporting Palestinian rights. They are supporting a Nazi philosophy of exterminating Jews.” So what can we do? “Show up,” he says. “Hold everyone accountable. Insist on moral clarity…”
When Rabbi Dalia Samansky’s uncle died, her grandmother said, “God has been good to me. He gave me an extra 40 years with Marty.” “I was in awe of her ability to recognize and articulate her gratitude amidst her grief,” she says. “‘When you open yourself up to experience gratitude, you discover with clarity and accuracy how much good there is in your life…’”
Walking through Amsterdam’s cobblestone streets and looking up at its majestic buildings, “all senses are awakened to the history and memory surrounding you,” says Rabbi Tracy Kaplowitz. But what could Moses, in the absence of such material marvels, she wonders, leave as a legacy to our people? She finds her answer in an art exhibit in The Hague…
After a summer spent admiring bonsai trees and traversing a boulder field, Rabbi Rena Rifkin brought home two lessons: “The strongest trees are ones that can bend in the wind,” but you also need sure footing. “Our relationships, our community, our underlying beliefs — these are our rocks.”
