Our instinct, and what our tradition usually tells us to do when things are hard, is come together in community. We draw strength from each other and we come together to not feel alone in the face of fear and confusion. And yet, right now these times call for a different response. In these times of fear and confusion, the socially responsible thing to do is not to gather together, not to hug those who are afraid. This deeply pains me and goes against everything I know to be true about community, about being scared, and about facing the unknown.
The phrase I keep hearing is “social distancing” - pulling away from others to stop the spread of the virus and to keep the most vulnerable in our society safe. But a teacher of mine reminded me that perhaps we need to be clear that this is a physical distancing, not a social one. In fact, it must be the opposite. While we might be instructed to not gather, it’s imperative to think about the ways we still find closeness to others.
My colleague Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky out of LA wrote, “Every hand that we don't shake must become a phone call that we place. Every embrace that we avoid must become a verbal expression of warmth and concern. Every inch and every foot that we physically place between ourselves and another, must become a thought as to how we might be of help to that other, should the need arise. It is obvious that ‘distancing,’ if misplaced or misunderstood, will take its toll not only upon our community's strength and resiliency, but upon the very integrity and meaning of our spiritual commitment.”
We will be creative in the ways that we connect to each other, and we will be reaching out in the coming days with more communication. This Shabbat, we will celebrate a beautiful bat mitzvah. We will be safe and careful, and it will also give us joy and bolster us with a sense of togetherness. And while this is unprecedented in the life of our synagogue, we will find a path forward, together.
Wishing each of you and your families a Shabbat of love, peace, and health.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Sarit
Please note: Congregations all over the country are being scammed, with fake email addresses being created with the rabbi’s name. Please do not respond to a note from me asking for a favor to send money or purchase gift cards. All email from me will come to you from this address - RabbiSarit@bsholom.org - and not any other (like gmail), even if the name in your inbox says “Rabbi Sarit Horwitz.”
