I must admit, I have a great deal of excitement for the year that is about to unfold in front of us. However, this year, it’s hard to do that without reflecting on the year that has been. It was a year of trauma and pain. A year of great uncertainty and tragedy. But also, a year of community building. The attacks of October 7th rocked all of us. The images and stories disturbed and rattled us to our core. And we came together to support one another and help care for Jews worldwide.
The attacks of October 7th changed everything for us, yet…things remain as they were. We are now more aware of how precarious we are as Jews in the world, but we always knew that. We now know how important community is, especially one in which we know that we are safe to be who we are and to express our own thoughts and ideas, but we always knew how pivotal AEMT is for that.
Our year ahead will reflect the power of our community. There will be moments of reflection as we create a safe space to discuss how we feel post-October 7th. There will be moments of learning and study – of Torah Lishmah (study for the sake of study) – as well as classes that help inspire us to change the world. There will also be opportunities to travel as we head not only to Israel on our rescheduled trip but also to the Deep South and visit historical sites that helped change the direction of our country. We will also have increased events for social gatherings with a program happening almost every month through either our “Year of Food” or “Nights of Fun” series.
There is a lot in store for us this year as our congregation turns 165 years old, and if last year taught us anything, it’s that we have no idea how it will truly unfold, but if we do it together, we know we will be alright.
