Facing the past, praying for the future

Facing the past, praying for the future

Deborah K. Goldfarb | Jewish Long Beach

As summer wanes and our children and teens return to school, and young adults return to universities, I reflect upon the events of the past year. It has been a long, hot summer and I was happy to spend time camping in the Sierras, a respite from both the heat and the boiling political atmosphere related to the war Unfortunately, as we approach the High Holy Days and I write this article, the war continues in Gaza, over 100 hostages remain in captivity, regular attacks from Hezbollah batter the north, and Iran and its proxies continue to threaten Israel

This year the Jewish Holiday of Tisha B’av, the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av, was more prescient than ever as we mourned not only the loss of the Temples in Jerusalem but the trauma of our Israeli brothers and sisters as they continue to pray for the return of the hostages held by Hamas

This day of mourning is observed with a 25-hour fast to commemorate the tragedies which shaped the Jews as a people: the destruction of the first and second Temples in Jerusalem, the Crusades, the expulsions from Spain and the Inquisition, the Holocaust, and now, the most brutal murder and injuring of Jews since the Holocaust, compounded by the capture and holding of the hostages and the anguish of an ongoing war.

Jewish tradition guides us into action in times of grief and in times of joy. A year ago, following the Hamas attack o October 7th, we came together as a community to mourn and process the shock we and our Israeli brothers and sisters felt as a Jewish Community. Sin then, we joined together under the auspices of our parent body, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), to raise nearly $100 million to support the rebuilding of Israeli communities and the emotional support of their citizens who were ravaged by the attack and the war

In this issue, we outline some of the programs. Learn more on page 4.

Since the attacks, we have had many speakers and survivors at the Alpert JC and we plan to continue these and other educational activities throughout the rest of the year We are also preparing for a solemn commemoration on October 7, 2024, in conjunction with our local synagogues and organizations.

As we move towards Rosh Hashanah and a new year, please join us as we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and the welfare of Israel and the Jewish people

L’Shanah Tovah