I am always moved by the articles and pictures, emerging each year on Veterans Day, highlighting those that have served our country. I love the old, faded black and white photos people share of their parents or grandparents in outdated uniforms, accompanied by dates and location of service. I love the pictures that spouses post of their loved ones, beaming with pride at what they’ve accomplished. I am touched by the way that parents write about their children’s choice to serve, constantly serving as models and teachers even to their elders.
Mostly, I am inspired by one’s choice to serve our country. I am grateful to their parents, spouses, children, and friends for supporting them in their time of service (and in all the ways we know it may affect them afterwards). And I know, on a deep level, even if I don’t think about it daily, I am indebted to the ways that our country is made better because of the dedication of these individuals and their commitment to our ideals.
I am most drawn to the personal stories of what impacted one’s choice to serve. What or who inspired them? What were their choices about? For me, these stories are the most impactful part of Veterans Day because it urges me to think about where I may see myself in their stories. It pushes me to see how I could be similarly inspired to serve, even if that service looks very different.
We are entering a season that in many ways is about service. As we have entered the month of Kislev, the month which holds Hanukkah, we are asked to think about how we can bring light to others, how we can bring light to dark places. The shamash, the candle that brings light to others, literally means "servant" or "helper." We are each a shamash in the world, serving and helping others. As Hanukkah (and other traditions too, of course) comes and we think about gift giving, we are also encouraged to think about what gifts we ourselves bring to others. In so many ways, this is what service is truly about - bringing light and lifting others up. This Veterans Day, I am moved to think about the ways that we live our lives as if they can be a gift to our community, to our society, to our world. In tremendous gratitude to every person that has served our country, I pray that we are each inspired to think about the ways that we, too, can serve.
Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Sarit
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