Letter from the Editor

Therese Berkowitz

One of my least favorite questions, usually asked of me by a fellow Jew, is something along the lines of “Why would I want to live in Israel?” If it’s an Israeli asking the question, the next line usually has something to do with how great New York is. How could I leave? Let me assure you, shoveling out the car in the blowing icy snow to get to work, the ridiculous cost of real estate, or sitting in hours of traffic after a tiring day, are all I need to picture to remind myself of why New York is NOT great. If it’s an American asking, it is often followed by my next least favorite question: “Aren’t you afraid?”

The short answer: no. First of all, I’m from New York. Afraid? You can’t scare me. While I did grow up in the safety of a New York City suburb, I moved into Manhattan in 1975, when the city was severely crime ridden and covered in graffiti. There were no safe streets, only slightly less dangerous ones.

This past May was my first “war” here, and while I was pretty concerned for our soldiers and fellow citizens in Sderot and the communities near the Gaza border, I never felt afraid. Perhaps that is me just being naïve, or having too much faith in our army or in Hashem. But the truth is, and I have a hunch that everyone reading this will agree, there is no place on earth that I would rather be. Heavens, I’m one of those people who tears up every time I see a big pile of our soldiers clustering at a bus stop or I hear Hatikvah!

Why do I mention all of this?

Because this year we will be celebrating Shemita. My first!

Just as every seven days we carve out a sacred space and time to enjoy the beauty of Shabbat and its holiness, as Jews living in Haaretz, every seventh year we are commanded to carve out a sacred space and time for this land, because it too is holy. And just like Shabbat, it is a gift from Hashem. A whole year! And it can only happen here.

These past few weeks, I have been blessed to be able to attend Rabbi Katz’s classes on Shemita. I know many of you have joined in on Zoom. The classes have been so informative and enlightening, I feel truly inspired to be living here and able observe this mitzvah for the first time.

As a volunteer in our shul garden these last two years, I am happy to report that the gardening team has been working diligently in preparation for the sacred year ahead, mindful of the prohibitions and grateful for the exceptions. While our garden is not a

source of fruit or grain, it is a part of our ecosystem and contributes to the balance in our atmosphere and environment. Selfishly, I also enjoy its beauty, and spiritually I am awed by its growth or decay, reminded each week that it is all from Hashem.

I feel blessed to be able to work with an amazingly knowledgeable and devoted team. Thank you Susan Wolff and Sharon Wilensky! Each Monday morning we meet not only to connect with this holy land, but to connect with each other. We work and talk, sweep and sweat, lug and laugh. It is a joy. Add to this the learning that we have been engaging in as a part of our Shemita prep, and you can understand why we find the experience so rewarding. It’s a perfect trifecta.

And to my fellow Jews who ask me why I would want to live here, I answer: It’s the holiest place on earth!

When we chose the theme of Reconnecting for this edition of our magazine, it seemed like a no-brainer since at the time we were breathing a sigh of relief as we were beginning to de-mask and reengage. But as I write this, we have once again been instructed to mask-up and maintain social distances, while our chagim plans are all in limbo. I think it is safe to say that the year has had its challenges. So, while Reconnecting in person may not yet be an option, we hope that you will find the articles included in this publication a thought provoking reconnection with our community of writers, chroniclers, historians and poets.

Additionally, please find information on the back cover on how you can support our farmers during this year of Shemita.

I would like to personally thank the magazine team—Elizabeth Dorfman, Melissa Dubinsky, Jacques Korolnyk, Monique Korolnyk, Ed Pearlman and Laura Shuck—for their patience, creativity, integrity, diligence and humor. And a special thank you to Bernie Wolff.

Together, we wish the entire kehillah a safe and healthy year, ketivah v’chatimah tova. n