When I first spoke last October 10th, I opened with ein milim – no words, there are no words. Of course, words followed, many words, then thousands more have followed since that evening.
This evening, I want to highlight just two words: Courage and Hope.
What does the concept of courage mean to us? I think of our ancestors who bravely set out on unknown journeys towards new beginnings. Goldie’s mother Hinda leaving her Russian home and travelling on a boat to Canada, alone at 13. I think of Lindy’s father Lionel shooting down enemy planes during the ‘48 war. I think of the anusim, the conversos who trudged their way from Spain north, south, east in 1492. So much courage. Lech Lecha. In every generation.
Courage is one of our words. How do we speak up? What do we say? When do we act? What can I do? Courage. The willingness to stand ground, speak up, not hide our faces, not hide our names. You don’t have to like me or agree with me – but you know who I am, unlike those imposters who rage against Jews, covering their face and hiding their name.
One of our challenges over this year has been watching the far too rapid isolation of Israel. We are in danger of Israel becoming a new Pale of Settlement. We must have the courage to not allow Israel to be made a new Pale, a new version of intellectual, creative, artistic, scientific isolation, confinement. We cannot allow academe to limit access for Israelis to publish in academic journals, or to meet with colleagues, we cannot allow artists and theatres, and feckless journalists force Israelis into this Pale. Isolation is emerging far too pervasively, and Israel needs our collective courage. We must speak up, stand up.
And every day we are seeing more and more courage. Family members have woken up to the presence of hatred in their communities; they have found their courage. Everyone here is showing up tonight with courage.
And, as Sarah Mali taught us, we must do the work of hope. In every way we can, every day, we must do hope. Every day the creative chutzpah of our Israeli cousins are doing hope – be it developing pagers for Hezbollah customers or developing David’s Sling, holding weddings on the border of Lebanon or picking tomatoes in the south. Every day we too must do hope. With our words. With our actions. Courage. And Hope. Courage needs hope, and hope demands Courage.
G’mar Chatimah tova.
Chaye Sarah
November 17, 2024 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk
As we look forward to celebrating a Bar and a Bat Mitzvah over the coming weeks, we again are reminded of our obligation to be a community of learners. It takes such courage for our young people to learn and sing in front of us. But I have come to appreciate that their fear is nothing compared to that of’ grown-ups’ – now that fear is monumental. So kol hakavod to everyone who is facing into the challenge of learning new prayers, reading Torah – and then sharing your learning with us.
Learning can be fascinating. I remember being at a Taharah and one of the women present remarked how she had not been able to come for a while and she couldn’t remember how to tie the knots. And then she said, “But my hands will remember.” And they did. So much of what we do as Jews builds wisdom and learning into our hands, our bodies. And we have to learn to trust that learning.
My favourite prayer in the weekday Amidah is as follows: In the blessing known as Ata Chonen we recite: “You grace humans with wisdom and teach humanity perception. Bestow upon us Your knowledge, insight and understanding. Blessed are you the grantor of wisdom.”
In our hands, and in our souls, may we know all these blessings, of wisdom and perception, and share our own wisdom gently.
With love,
Rabbi Lynn