Letter from the Rabbi: Shock, Grief, Light and Hope

On this snowy morning, I sadly write to you with feelings of shock and grief. Having gone to sleep last night with news about the tragic shooting at Brown University where two students were murdered and nine injured, we awake this morning to the news of the horrific terrorist attack on the Jewish community in Sydney, Australia, as they were celebrating the first night of Hanukkah, where at least eleven people were murdered and many more injured.

First I want to express our deepest grief on behalf of our community for the deaths of these beautiful neshamas, these beautiful souls, who were gunned down with such cruel violence. For their loved ones who are experiencing such excruciating loss, there are no words. Our hearts are broken as we stand with you. We mourn with our Chabad friends Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a Chabad emissary who was murdered at this attack. We pray for a complete healing and recovery for those injured, and we pray for the thousands of people who are experiencing trauma from this senseless and outrageous violence.

I also would like to share some thoughts on this first night of Hanukkah in light of the terrorist attack in Sydney. When I read the shocking news this morning, I thought of our own Hanukkah celebration tonight and asked myself, how can we sing and be joyful on such a day? I then thought of our Hebrew School children and the beautiful play they had rehearsed and thought, how can we allow violence of a terrorist to take Hanukkah away from them? And then I thought, when terrible things happen in the world and to our Jewish family, it is exactly the comfort of community that I seek. For me, being together tonight on Hanukkah will be both a balm and an act of faith.

At our event tonight, we will have, as we always do, the help of the Island’s wonderful and personable police officers to reassure people regarding security. We will light the candle as an act of faith. We will take the Shamash, the “helper candle” as a reminder that we too need to help bring the light. We will light a memorial candle for those who were killed. And we will recognize, on this holiday that celebrates heroism, the heroic acts of bystanders: the students who attended to the bleeding of other students in the middle of the shooting at Brown; and an unarmed bystander at Bondi Beach, Ahmed al-Ahmed, a fruit stand operator who was in the area, who saved many lives by tackling one of the gunmen from behind and disarming him. Their heroism reminds us of the things big and small we can all do to bring life and kindness into the world.

So I invite everyone to gather together tonight at 5:00 in person or by Zoom at the Hebrew Center, and indeed light a candle in the darkness. I invite you to enjoy the short Hanukkah play our children have been so excited about, with messages of light and hope. I invite you to share this holy time in our holy space, breaking bread together, in kindness and community.