Shalom All,
So, I know I started with how unique and difficult the past few months have been in the last bulletin, but given the derecho that just hit us, it seems appropriate to mention it again. If we were living a 1000 years ago, we might be tempted to believe that God was punishing us in some way, for some slight, but our modern minds know that this isn’t how God works.
The truth is, despite the damage and destruction, the way our entire city came together to check on one another, to help neighbors in need, to clear trees and debris, is incredibly inspiring. We have all lived up to the mitzvot of loving our neighbors and being our brother’s and sister’s keepers. Though our city, our community, and even our Temple will never be the same, it will continue. We’ll clean up (the amount of work that has already been done is amazing), plant new trees and watch them grow, but it’ll always look a little different then before.
Nevertheless, life will move on. It’s already starting to get back to normal. Or, at least, what normal is during this pandemic. We have power and internet again at Temple, Zoom services and meetings, and we’re back into our preparations for online Religious School and High Holy Days. Sabrina and the Tikkun Olam committee are going to return to putting food items together for our more at risk members, which is something we were doing every week or so before the storm. If there is anything in particular that any of you need please let me, or Carolyn, or Sabrina know and we’ll see to it.
In times like these it feels like everything is so out of control that there is no way it’s ever going to get better, but it does, it will. Hang in there. Gam Zeh Ya’avor – This too shall pass.
For now I will wish you all an early Shana Tovah.
May the coming year bring us peace, happiness, and an open building that we can all congregate in together.
Rabbi Todd