How fitting for Sukkot to follow our days of awe -a holiday that spotlights abundance and gratitude. We nearly filled our sanctuary and social hall to capacity during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. It was so uplifting to stand on the bimah and address all of you on Yom Kippur morning. Thank you for filling our space with your presence - I felt the connection and it brought me tremendous joy. I am also incredibly grateful for the seamless collaboration between Rabbi Moss and Amy Maude Helfer. I hope that their spiritual leadership and beautiful harmonies elevated your experience as it did mine.
As much as Sukkot is a joyful holiday that celebrates abundance and gratitude, it also draws attention to the long journey through the wilderness that Israelites experienced on their way to the Promised Land. By all accounts, this was not an easy journey, and they faced tremendous uncertainty along the way. We too have a long journey ahead - one that needs attention to stamping out hatred and antisemitism.
October 7 will mark three years since the brutal attacks on Israel. Just a few days before on October 5 , we will hear first-hand testimony from Eliya Cohen, a survivor of Hamas captivity, and Ziv Abud, who survived the vicious attack at the Nova Music Festival. I suspect that telling their story is helping them heal from their horrific trauma and create meaning for their life together.
Telling one’s story can be tremendously healing because it aids the organization of memories that can otherwise become fragmented in the face of intense emotion and threat to life. Narrating one’s experience facilitates its processing so the brain can separate it from the present, where it could remain as a threat, and store it away as something from the past. I urge you to register for this event so that you too can be part of Eliya and Ziv’s healing journey.
Each of us has our own individual story, as well as our collective story as Jews and as members of this TBT community. Throughout 5787, there will be opportunities to learn more about our TBT story as we celebrate 50 years on the Shoreline and write its next chapter. I also invite you to share your own personal story. It could offer you the chance to feel seen and heard, and deepen your sense of belonging in this community. Or, if you do not feel comfortable sharing your story, be witness to someone else sharing theirs. Stay tuned for more details.
In the words of the Jewish composer and songwriter Dan Nichols, “All that is good takes work.” Healing and building a resilient community both require intentional effort and dedication. During this season of Sukkot—a time of gathering and gratitude—I am deeply thankful for the shelter of our beautiful sanctuary and for everything you contribute to our shared journey.
Chag Sukkot Sameach!
L’Shalom,
Jodie M. Ambrosino, TBT President