Shalom,

This past Tuesday, I witnessed something that I never thought I would see. I didn’t realize how badly I needed to see it, until it happened. Sitting in our offices at Temple Jeremiah, we all watched in awe and inspiration as hundreds of thousands of Jews and supporters gathered at our nation’s capital. I found myself glued to the computer screen, taking in every smile and every emotion captured in support of the Jewish people and Israel. I also couldn’t help but wonder who I knew in common with EVERY single person shown in attendance!

If you did not have a chance to watch any of the March for Israel, you missed the most impressive young high school and college leaders speaking out. In a time where many of us feel that our voices are not being heard, while many of us carry fear and/or anger with us for what is happening in our world…Tuesday showed us that we are not alone and there is hope. Speaking of hope, perhaps the most inspiring moment for me was hearing hundreds of thousands of Jews and allies singing the Hatikvah together. It truly gave me chills, and I wasn’t even there in person. From now on, I will forever be proud thinking of that moment, whenever I hear the Hatikvah recited.

In this week’s torah portion, we have the story of Jacob and Esau, where we learn about the two brothers who fought from the time they were in the womb together. It isn’t too difficult to draw comparisons of what is happening in our world and what happens in this week’s torah portion. While the portion is extremely relevant, I still want to focus on this past week.

Even before Tuesday’s inspirational March occurred, I experienced another moment that brought light and hope. This past Sunday evening, I attended the wedding of a cousin of my wife Brittany. If there were ever a time that we all needed to Horah….this was it! Looking around the room at everyone dancing, smiling, and celebrating, it was clear that while the world doesn’t slow down, we can still embrace the little moments, especially in celebration. As I was dancing, I came across a fellow educator who is a good friend of mine. We smiled at each other, and I said to her, “It’s so nice to celebrate!” She smiled at me, and we both knew just how true that statement was.

In closing, this week showed me that no matter how dark the world may seem, we must keep going and take in any opportunities we have for celebration and positivity. I leave this week with a heavy heart for all that is going on in Israel, but also a true renewed sense of hope. There is power in numbers, and we saw that this past Tuesday in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of thousands of Jews gathering in our nation’s capital in support of Israel, speaking out against Antisemitism. There truly is a reason that the Israeli national anthem is called Hatikvah….there must always be Hope.

Shabbat Shalom,

Matt Rissien