Blogs

We do not wish to see the forest

We wish to see the trees, the tree.

The child, not the human race.

This fragment of poetry was found in the fragments of posthumous writings by Yehuda Amichai, the renown Israeli author and poet.  I think of them often, especially when the world feels as overwhelming and heartbreaking as ours too often does.  In the staggering number of migrants at our borders, of Israeli and Palestinian lives imperiled and intimations of global disasters, we search out individual stories.  “Tell Me Something I Can’t Forget,” mused a participant in a writing workshop for low-income women years ago.  That’s what we all want… to be affected by each other’s stories.  To feel a part of the common humanity, whether such stories are intensely relatable or foreign to our own lived experience.  Is it any wonder TED Talks and podcasts are so popular?!

At Temple Beth David, just as winter loosens its hold (maybe!) the time has come for the kind of Israel engagement many in our community have been wanting.  We will begin by hearing stories, and attempting to discern – intellectually and emotionally – the issues as they speak to us.  Here are some upcoming programs to add to your calendars:

1.  This Sunday, March 3, 10:00-11:15am in the Sanctuary.  Gadi Ben-Dov will share his perspectives on the current situation in the Middle East.  Gadi was born in the US, raised in a kibbutz in the Galilee, traveled the world through his IDF service and now lives in the center of Israel. His love of the land, and especially the people of Israel have given him insights into this country that he shares with tour groups and synagogues across the US and internationally. Nearly 5 months after Hamas's brutal attack & abduction of ordinary citizens, and a time of war in Israel that has ignited despair on both sides of the border, Gadi's information and teaching about life in Israel will leave us all the wiser. His shared stories are meant to engage and inform rather than to cause division.  Please note that his presentation will be zoom only.

2. Sunday March 17, 10-11:00am, Social Hall.  “Conversations with our Children in a Difficult World.”  In recent years, kids have been inundated with exposure to so many complicated, layered and heartbreaking issues.  And since October 7, 2023, Israel and anti-Semitism have been at the forefront. How can we create space for their questions and feelings? Do they need more information or less?

Together, we will explore a range of responses and possibilities that can help us learn, listen and expand our own coping mechanisms.

3.  Thursday May 9, Temple B’nai Israel, Southbury, CT, 7:00pm.  “How October 7 Changed Israel and the Jewish World,” with acclaimed Israeli author and speaker Yossi Klein Halevi.  Either of these links will give you more information about him, as will our synagogue website.

https://www.yossikleinhalevi.com/

https://www.letterstomyneighbor.com/

All TBD members and friends of members are encouraged to attend all of these offerings.

May your Shabbat be filled with rest, peace and stories you can’t forget.

Join us for Family Services tonight at 6:30pm.  Looking forward to being together then!

Rabbi Rebecca Gutterman