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Dear Friends:
Last week, I wrote to you from Poland where, together with 10,000 other Jews from around the world, I participated in the March of the Living. As always it was a somber and a difficult trip - as I led a group of 60 teenagers through what was once thecenter of Jewish life, and now is reduced to memorials, ruins and ashes.
But today, I write to you from Yerushalayim, still on the March of the Living, but now privileged to celebrate our Jewish present and future.
We arrived a few days ago, and, if European air traffic clears up, I should be back for Shabbat. But even if not, this has been a wonderful trip, filled with a sense of joy and “achdut”. And no where was this more evident than last night, on the eve of Yom HaZikaron - Israel’s memorial day for the 22,684 soldiers killed in the line of duty and 1,750 civilian victims of terror.
We spent the evening in the city of Raanana, arriving before sunset and participating in the city-wide ceremony for fallen soldiers. The theme of the program was “teachers telling stories” - stories of their students who had fallen in battle. And those teachers did a magnificent job - from the mayor of Raanana who was a former high school principal, to a physics teacher and a music teacher.
Listening to these educators, I could only think about the many rabbinic comments that equate a teacher to a parent - and I could only admire how close these teachers have stayed to the families of their former students.
Afterwards, we went to “Ohel Ari” - the magnificent synagogue and community center that former Chicagoans, Rabbi Stewart and Susie Weiss built in memory of their son, Ari, z”l. Ari was killed in Shechem eight years ago, and since then the Weisses have dedicated much their energies to keeping Ari’s memory alive. The community center they created was only recently dedicated and it is magnificent; not only as a structure, but as an organization, with lectures, classes, a kollel and of course minyanim. At Ohel Ari, Susie shared Ari’s story with our students - and she was great - eloquent, powerful, funny and poignant. I am so glad she agreed to speak - because the kids, and I gained so much.
In a few hours, Yom HaAtzmaut will begin. And while I truly look forward to lifting of the veil of mourning and beginning to celebrate, I can’t help but thinking that one of the most powerful messages of this trip was Yom HaZikaron; a message of bravery, of sacrifice and of peoplehood; the message of an entire country coming together not only to mourn, but to support one another as they continue to create the miracle of the State of Israel!
May the memories of all those who gave their lives defending this sacred land be for a blessing.
Last week, I wrote to you from Poland where, together with 10,000 other Jews from around the world, I participated in the March of the Living. As always it was a somber and a difficult trip - as I led a group of 60 teenagers through what was once thecenter of Jewish life, and now is reduced to memorials, ruins and ashes.
But today, I write to you from Yerushalayim, still on the March of the Living, but now privileged to celebrate our Jewish present and future.
We arrived a few days ago, and, if European air traffic clears up, I should be back for Shabbat. But even if not, this has been a wonderful trip, filled with a sense of joy and “achdut”. And no where was this more evident than last night, on the eve of Yom HaZikaron - Israel’s memorial day for the 22,684 soldiers killed in the line of duty and 1,750 civilian victims of terror.
We spent the evening in the city of Raanana, arriving before sunset and participating in the city-wide ceremony for fallen soldiers. The theme of the program was “teachers telling stories” - stories of their students who had fallen in battle. And those teachers did a magnificent job - from the mayor of Raanana who was a former high school principal, to a physics teacher and a music teacher.
Listening to these educators, I could only think about the many rabbinic comments that equate a teacher to a parent - and I could only admire how close these teachers have stayed to the families of their former students.
Afterwards, we went to “Ohel Ari” - the magnificent synagogue and community center that former Chicagoans, Rabbi Stewart and Susie Weiss built in memory of their son, Ari, z”l. Ari was killed in Shechem eight years ago, and since then the Weisses have dedicated much their energies to keeping Ari’s memory alive. The community center they created was only recently dedicated and it is magnificent; not only as a structure, but as an organization, with lectures, classes, a kollel and of course minyanim. At Ohel Ari, Susie shared Ari’s story with our students - and she was great - eloquent, powerful, funny and poignant. I am so glad she agreed to speak - because the kids, and I gained so much.
In a few hours, Yom HaAtzmaut will begin. And while I truly look forward to lifting of the veil of mourning and beginning to celebrate, I can’t help but thinking that one of the most powerful messages of this trip was Yom HaZikaron; a message of bravery, of sacrifice and of peoplehood; the message of an entire country coming together not only to mourn, but to support one another as they continue to create the miracle of the State of Israel!
May the memories of all those who gave their lives defending this sacred land be for a blessing.
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