High Holidays - Flipbook - Page 4
RABBI SHARYN PERLMAN
TORAH FOR THE HEART
HOPE IS MANDATORY
Shalom, Friends,
It’s May. The month that usually brings with it the blossoms
of Spring, the hope of new beginnings, and the promise of
Summer.
But this year is not a usual year.
We are living through what are probably the most
challenging times for the Jewish community that we have ever
experienced.
The devastating war in Israel is still raging. To date, over
500 IDF soldiers – most of them tragically young – have been
killed. The hostages are still being held captive; their families
desperately trying to remain hopeful. And college campuses
across the country are being overrun by students who are
filled with hate and rage.
It can feel overwhelming. Many of us are vacillating
between heartbreak, anger, frustration, and maybe even fear.
And we’re searching for ways to integrate all this into our lives.
There is much that is out of our control.
And yet, there are things that we can do.
First, we can pray. Because prayer helps. That’s not to say
that prayer is magic; we don’t say a prayer and instantly get
what we pray for. We never know how, or whether, or even if
our prayers will be answered. But that’s not the reason why we
pray. We pray to to unburden ourselves. Prayer allows us to
pour out our heart to God. Whatever it is you’re feeling, try
sharing it with God, or maybe even giving it to God. Sometimes
it can feel like it’s all too much to carry; giving it to God can
lighten our spiritual load.
Other things you can do.
If you’re frustrated with our government leaders, write to
your representatives – national, state, and local – and let them
know. If you’re pleased with their support of Israel, let them
know that too.
If you’re angry with your alma mater, email the president
and tell them how disappointed you are. Then CC the
president as you write to the head of fundraising to let them
know that all your tzedakah monies are going elsewhere. Or
take it a step further, and ask them to remove you from all
alumni fundraising campaigns.
Then send those dollars to any one of the MANY important
organizations that are helping Israelis and the Hostage
Families cope with the trauma they are living through.
Wear paraphernalia to let people know you’re hurting –
dog tags, pins, yellow ribbons, etc. They are good
conversation starters.
tbiport.org
Put up signs supporting Israel and the hostages in
your front yard or in your window.
In Israel, people have yellow ribbons on their car door
handles. We just put them on our cars, and now there’s a
basket of yellow ribbons just outside the sanctuary. Please
help yourself and put them on your car/s as well.
Get tickets for the NOVA Music Festival Exhibition in
NYC, at 35 Wall Street. It’s open every day, 11 am – 8 pm,
until Thursday, May 23. The founders wanted to recreate
the experience and the horror of Oct. 7. I haven’t seen it yet
(we have tickets for the 19th), but reviews say it’s graphic,
so viewer discretion is advised. For more info, and to order
tickets, visit https://www.nova0629exhibition.com/
Rachel Goldberg Polin is the mother of hostage Hersh
Polin, whose left arm was badly injured on Oct. 7. Hamas
released a video of Hersh during Pesach; you can see that
his left hand and part of his forearm are missing. But the
real heartbreak is witnessing the trauma and pain on his
face. The blessing in this video is that his family now
knows that Hersh is alive; most of the other 132 families are
still desperately hoping to hear similar news. Rachel has
become the de facto spokesperson for the hostage
families at many rallies. And her message has always been
constant: