Friends,
It is heartbreaking to enter yet another Shabbat in the wake of a horrific mass shooting and, of course, we are all reeling at these senseless and devastating losses of innocent, young children and their teachers. We are sad, broken, angry, raging, exhausted and so much more. I am sure those of you who are parents have been wanting to hold your children so tightly in your arms, as we hear the stories and see the faces.
Earlier today I went to the JCC preschool graduation, which was such a beautiful and joyful event, seeing all these happy, shiny, smiling, singing faces as they move on from these life-changing years in community. In the last weeks, we have seen middle school, high school and college graduations too, celebrating these significant milestones that 19 families in Uvalde, Texas will never see. I was so glad that I was there to see these wonderful kids, many of them Bonai families, marking this moment. We need joy, we need celebration.
This week I had the honor of officiating the very sweet and loving wedding of Larry Cohn to Robin; and this Shabbat we will be celebrating the impressive achievement of Ezra Margolis as he is called up to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah. We need Shabbat, we need simcha, we need the precious gift of the Jewish lifecycle and of marking sacred time, we need each other, we need community.
Yes, we need to do what we can to challenge and change the sick culture of our country and the unbearable reality that more children die from gun death than in traffic accidents, and yes we need to mourn and grieve and scream out “how much more can we take?!?” And we also need the rhythm, the resilience, the resonance, the ritual of Jewish life and practice.
So mazal tov to all the graduates (we will be honoring our recent high school graduates next Shabbat morning) and to the Margolis family, to Larry and Robin.
The parsha this week, Behukkotai, seems to present a worldview that promises reward for those who follow the Torah and punishment for those who do not. We all know that this is just not how the world works and that not one, not one of those 21 victims and their broken families did anything to deserve such a cruel end to their lives and that it is unthinkable that they did. We also know that there are so many wicked and complicit people with blood on their hands, enjoying healthy and prosperous lives. I cannot see the world, the Torah, Judaism in this simplistic way and there are always more questions than answers.
Words are so inadequate in the aftermath of these events, but I do appreciate the work of my colleague Rabbi Naomi Levy to frame these moments in prayer and her words are below.
Bonai Shalom has an active Gun Violence Prevention Group. For more information, scroll down on our social action page here.
The safety and security of all of our members and guests, young and old, is so important to us and we are constantly reviewing and updating our security protocols. We have developed a wonderful relationship with a recently retired police officer who serves as an armed security guard for all of our services and school sessions. More information will be available soon.
Light on all these souls and comfort and healing to the shattered hearts
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Marc
A Prayer for the Victims at Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas
by Rabbi Naomi Levy
Our hearts are breaking, God,
As our we mourn innocent children
and their teachers.
The loss is overwhelming.
Send comfort and strength, God,
to grieving parents,
To siblings, family and friends
in this time of shock and mourning.
Shield them from despair.
Send healing to the schoolchildren who are lost and frightened
Whose eyes witnessed unfathomable horrors.
Ease their pain, God,
Let their fears give way to hope.
Let their cries give way once more to laughter.
Bless us, God, Work through us.
Turn our helplessness into action.
Teach us to believe that we can rise up from this tragedy
With a renewed faith in the goodness of our society.
Shield us from indifference
And from our tendency to forget.
Open our hearts, open our hands.
Innocent blood is calling out to us
to act and pass the laws that will stop gun violence.
Remind us that we must commit ourselves to prevent further bloodshed
With all our hearts and souls.
Teach us perseverance and dedication.
Let us rise up as one in a time of soul-searching and repair
So that all children can go to school in peace, God,
Let them be safe.
God of the brokenhearted,
God of the living, God of the dead,
Gather the souls of the victims
Into Your eternal shelter.
Let them find peace in Your presence, God.
Their lives have ended
But their lights can never be extinguished.
May they shine on us always
And illuminate our way.
Amen.
