Last year at this season, I wrote a Heart of the Matter about the duality of Sukkot- how it is a time where we are commanded to be joyful- Zman Simchatenu, yet it is also a reminder that with one swift wind, our sukkah can be blown over. Our time in the sukkah reminds us, even amidst our celebration, that we remain vulnerable. Life is fragile. I outlined the ways in which JFS walks alongside our clients in times of personal fragility as well as the community at large during times of communal vulnerability and fragility.
Sukkot leading into Simchat Torah 5784, the Jewish people’s sukkah was not just blown over but shattered on October 7th. Once again, JFS walked side by side with our community navigating this trauma and offered different ways to process it, depending on each individual’s needs. Some needed individual counseling, others a support group. And others a community healing circle which offered moments to reflect, sing, meditate and hold the Torah close. In a supportive community. Am Echad, B’Lev Echad. One people with one heart.
Acknowledging the weight we are all carrying post-October 7th is necessary. Just knowing that we are not isolated in our suffering but that it is shared by our entire community doesn’t erase the pain, instead helps us carry it together. Rather than being broken we are bonded by it, and it is a source of connection and solidarity. This is our Jewish super-power. It doesn’t weaken us- as a collective we are still here, showing our resilience, strength and enduring just as our people always have.
Am Yisrael Chai.
The Jewish Observer is published by The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville and made possible by funds raised in the Jewish Federation Annual Campaign. Become a supporter today.
