February 23rd, 2024
14 Adar I 5784
I have been to Israel many times before, and yet something about this upcoming trip feels different. There are some elements that I can pinpoint: I’ll only be there for four days, I won’t be visiting many of the classic Israel tourist locations, I won’t spend much time with family or friends living there. But also, some other elements that feel harder to identify. The trip will feel intense in a way that I’m not sure I can adequately prepare for. Intense in an important, heartbreaking, connected type of way.
There is a phrase - taken from Psalms - that many are using when greeting others in these horrible days: עִמּוֹ אָנֹכִי בְצָרָה/emo anochi v’tzarah.
The phrase is originally used as the Psalmist imagining God saying about one in distress, “I will be with him in his trouble.” It’s this idea that God joins us when we are at our lowest and keeps us company. And so this phrase has been used more and more in the recent months. There is very little that I can do to change the situation in Israel. But I am privileged to have an incredible opportunity of showing up. To say to those in Israrel - and to the country as a whole - emo anochi v’tzarah. I’m with you, I’m joining you in the sadness, I’m keeping you company in the distress of it all.
As I leave this coming Sunday morning for a packed 4 days in Israel, this has become my mantra. And I’ve been thinking of three pillars that are framing this week ahead: 1- Achdut/Unity, 2 - Eidut/Witnessing, and 3 - Hitnadvut/Volunteering.
I have felt the importance of showing up for others with a sense of connectedness, to say, “i’m in this with you. This is hard.” There may be disagreements about policies, and ultimately, showing up in unity is not a statement of being in complete agreement, it’s a statement acknowledging that we are connected as a people, and our people are in pain. And I have been feeling how crucial it is to be a witness to the devastating atrocities our people have endured. Admittedly, this has felt complicated to me - being a tourist showing up to see the damage done to Israel and her citizens. And at the end of the day, I realized that witnessing the stories of those that experienced the very worst parts of humanity on October 7th is a way to stay that their story matters. Their pain matters in this world and I am willing to show up, emo anochi v’tzarah, to hold some of their anguish. And finally, as a member of klal Yisrael, the people Israel, I’ve felt the imperative to give of myself. To visit a hospital with wounded soldiers and citizens still in rehab, to tend to fields that have been empty of their workers, to show up as a Jew and say, emo anochi v’tzarah. Being with you in your pain, Israel, compels me to give of myself.
Next Shabbat, I will share some reflections from the trip, and in the meantime, I hope you’ll follow the shul on Instagram to see my updates from Israel. I am eager to share my experiences of this trip with all of you.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Sarit
