Dear USCJ Community,
I hope you have enjoyed time with loved ones in your sukkah over the past few days. As we approach the end of our High Holiday season with Shemini Atzeret and Simhat Torah – and the Hebrew calendar anniversary of the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 – many of us are feeling mixed emotions.
This period is traditionally a time of immense joy and celebration within our community, marking the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle and the immediate beginning of a new one. It is a time when we express our love and reverence for the Torah, dancing with the scrolls in a vivid demonstration of our enduring commitment to our faith and heritage.
However, this year, our hearts are heavy as we approach Simhat Torah. The anniversary of the pogrom on October 7, 2023, and the ongoing conflict in Israel and the region, have cast a shadow over our preparations. The sorrow of these events, compounded by the anxious wait for the safe return of 101 hostages, brings a layer of solemnity to our observance. In fact, a recent publication from the Rabbinical Assembly notes that the hakafot, the traditional liturgy that accompanies our celebrations, is also a plaintive cry for salvation.
Indeed, it is precisely in these moments of darkness that the true strength and resilience of our community shine brightest. Our history is a testament to our ability to find hope and joy in the face of adversity, to come together as a community and support one another through the hardest of times.
In the immediate aftermath of October 7, in remembrance of the massacre at the Nova Music Festival, our siblings in Israel bravely coined a phrase that has echoed in our hearts ever since: “We will dance again.”
This year, as we roll the Torah back to Bereshit (Genesis) and start our cycle anew, let us also renew our commitment to each other and to our faith. Let us hold fast to the belief that better days are ahead, that peace will prevail, and that we will, once again, dance together in celebration.
I encourage you to make “We Will Dance Again” the theme of your personal Simhat Torah observance.
It acknowledges our current struggles and sorrows but also affirms our unwavering belief in the future. It is a call to embrace the joy of our traditions, even in the face of adversity, and to look forward with hope for the day when we can all gather without fear or sorrow, united in our joy and our faith. As the prophet Micah so eloquently put it, “Every family shall sit under its own vine and fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid; for the LORD of hosts has spoken” (Micah 4:4).
May this Simhat Torah bring comfort to those who mourn, strength to those who are waiting, and hope to us all.
With heartfelt prayers for the return of our hostages and the safety of our people, and with wishes for a season of renewal and hope,
Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal
CEO, USCJ
