Shabbat Gathering: Let's be each other's light.

Dear Chevrei, as is our custom, we will gather tonight at 5.45p ct to welcome Shabbat. These are the coordinates:

Zoom
Meeting ID: 883 8469 4181
Password: 822665
Phone: +1 312 626 6799

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Here we go.

So, I’m back in Arkansas.

This recent most transition from life in Madison to life in Arkansas has been more difficult than any one of the others I’ve made during the past year.

I’ve observed my mother’s yahrtzeit and had the opportunity to observe that moment with you, dear reader. Thank you for being there for me when I’ve said kaddish with you every week this past year .

Now, I’ve received an email notification that my aunt’s yarhtzeit is here. I get emails for my mother and aunt as well as the yahrtzeits for my father and uncle and a few others who preceded them.

But I need to find the light to erase the darkness so I turn my focus from something deeply internal (like yahrtzeits) and look through the opposite end of the telescope at the external world (the World of the Big and Important News That Is Happening All Around Us Right Now). And that world (as we all know) is an absolute bummer, man.

It was especially good to be in Madison this time. It was reassuring to be around Jews who have suffered through the same thoughts I’ve had this past month or so: Horror, grief, outrage, pity, fear, mobilization, and the rest of the panoply of emotions we’ve all felt since October 7th. It was nice to give people hugs knowing they were going through the same sh*t I’ve been going through in this external world.

So, anyway, suffice it to say that, internally and externally, these are dark days around me and around you my dear friend, and dark days indeed for the extended world of Jews, our folk, our deeply crazy and farflung mishpocha.

What do we do when the lights go out?

We light a candle.

What if the room is large and it’s still dark in the corners?

We light more candles.

And last night was the last night of Chanukkah and we lit all the candles we had left. Light all of them. Chase away the darkness and the shadows. For maybe a couple of hours.

So, that’s what we did: we lit our Chanukkiah and filled all the candleholders with all the candles we had left from that package of 44 fancy, vegan, kosher Chanukkah candles.

I wish I was with you tonight in real life so I could give you a warm hug on a dark and cold night.

And may it be for all of us a blessing.

See you tonight!
Gut Shabbes!

All my love,
brian.

PS

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