Zooming bravely forward
WE K E E P m o v i n g forward.As Jews, our history is a testament to the fact our community continues to grow as much as possible — no matter what is thrown in our way. When we need to change, we innovate. When faced with new circumstances, we adapt. When hardship comes our way, we are ready to support those who need our help.
In many ways our world has been turned upside down, as it has been many times before. Thankfully, we have our tradition to help us re-orient. A revolution in how we engage with Judaism has taken place in no time at all. Thanks to the efforts of so many, our communities have been a lifeline for those who have been isolated or vulnerable. We have given people connection as well as tangible assistance to get through this time.
We should feel a great sense of pride at what we have achieved. Once again, we have engaged our Jewish instinct for innovation and continued to move forward. It is similar to a Jewish version of Aesop’s fable of the tortoise and the hare. In the Talmud, we are told that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi notes a contradiction about the coming of the Messianic era from the book of Isaiah. Here it says, “I, the Eternal, will hasten it in its due time”. How can something both be hastened — made quicker — and still be in its due time?
It is much like the development of our community. No matter what, we are constantly moving forward. Occasionally we are faced with challenges which require us to speed up, to pull things together and get on with it. The Sages of the Talmud say the coming of the Messianic era is sped when we have merited it, the same as our progress as a community is sped when we stand up to meet a challenge such as this. We need a sprint to deliver the goods when they are needed — our new Zoom pros know all about that — but most important is that at no point do we stop making progress. Every day we are moving towards that due time — a time when we hope to complete the task of repairing our community and our world, of tikkun olam.
Rosh Hashanah is not just the new year — it is the anniversary of the creation of the world. We will once again make an accounting of ourselves and our actions, but this is not introspection for its own sake. We are not being self-indulgent. Teshuvah, repentance, is about committing to concrete change and improvements. We celebrate the anniversary of this imperfect world by pledging to make it a little better. As we learn in Pirkei Avot: we may not finish the task, but nor are we free to desist from it.
When you look through the pain and suffering of the pandemic, you see real ways in which it has spurred us to actions which aid the improvement of our world. On a society-wide level, we were able to end homelessness within a few weeks, even if temporarily. Within our communities, there has been no end to the stories of compassion. We have assisted others left without income. Those who were able have gone out of their way to ensure people isolating or shielding have had access to the supplies they need. Inter-generational bonds have been strengthened, even if just by helping everyone figure out how to use Zoom, as many of our communities have been doing, so nobody has to feel alone.
This Rosh Hashanah will feel strange. We must continue to follow the latest guidance closely to keep everyone in our communities safe. Once more, we will adapt: creating new ways of infusing our time of reflection with meaning and community spirit even if we can’t be physically in the same space. Our rituals will still bring us together, even if we perform them a bit differently.
But this year we hold a unique duty. When faced with serious trouble, we didwhatourcommunitiesdobest—we acted to show the love and duty we have for one another. How can we keep that spirit alive even as we hopefully take tentativestepsbacktowardsnormality? How can we apply the same attitude of solidarity to the everyday challenges of life, as well as these historic moments? Howcanweensurewedon’tneedapandemic to remind us of our continued commitment to one another? If we can work that out, we will have done a huge amount to hasten the coming of the perfected world we have been striving to bring since the beginning. I wish us all a sweet year, a year of health, love, joy and resilience to face challenges, in the knowledgethatJudaismteachesusthat not only can we cope with adversity but we can grow from it and despite it.
We acted to show the love and duty we have for one another’