It is with deep gratitude and a full heart that I share my very first Shabbat message in my capacity as your new EVP/CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ. It is a profound professional honor to serve in this role, and over the course of the coming days, weeks, and months, I look forward to meeting you and beginning this journey together.
As I step into this new and joyous chapter, I am struck by the beautiful juxtaposition that so often defines Jewish life: the ability to hold two countering ideas and emotions as true at the same time. Even as we look toward the future with hope and aspiration, I am mindful of how challenging these past two weeks have been in our world. This is truly a moment of highs and lows living side by side.
One of the gifts of Judaism is that it allows us to rejoice while still grieving, to feel gratitude even in struggle, and to stand proud even in vulnerability. Shabbat itself embodies this truth: the candles we light bring together day and night, joy and rest, holiness and mundane.
My first two weeks here were no exception. On one hand, I have spent time with our exceptional staff and generous donors to listen, learn, discuss, and begin to dream together. From these initial meetings I have been inspired by the vibrancy, strength, resilience, and promise of our Jewish future here in Greater MetroWest and through our work and partnerships in Israel, and around the globe.
On the other hand, I am carrying heaviness. With big change comes the natural sense of unease as my family and I settle into our next chapter. This has been coupled with heartbreaking news: a deadly terror attack in Jerusalem just blocks from where my sister-in-law lives with her family, and the tragic loss of more Israeli soldiers. One of those soldiers was the brother of a teen from Modi’in who spent time in Rochester with a family down the street from me this past spring making the losses feel painfully close to home. Our hostages remain in dire conditions in Gaza. This week we also marked the 24th anniversary of 9/11 and witnessed more violence in our own country. These lows weigh deeply on us, even as we continue to work on strengthening our community.
Shabbat teaches us how not only to hold these contrasts—highs and lows—in our daily lives, but also how to continue placing one foot in front of the other, even when that feels most difficult. Each week the light of shabbat pushes back against the darkness, reminding us that joy and sorrow, hope and worry, peace and unrest are not opposites but companions in our lives. In holding them together, we discover resilience, strength, and the possibility of renewal.
As I begin this journey with you, I feel humbled to join a community that knows how to live in this balance by lifting one another in times of celebration and carrying one another in times of need. Together, we will continue to shape a proud Jewish future that is both compassionate and enduring.
I wish each of you a Shabbat of peace, rest, and connection. May we enter it together, carrying the fullness of who we are and the hope for an ever-brighter future.
Shabbat Shalom!