How I would just love to simply write a message with a teaching from the weekly Torah portion and not have to address yet another tragic event. But alas, a close colleague and friend, Rabbi Shlomo Noginski, was viciously stabbed yesterday in Boston, Massachusetts in front of the Shaloh House Chabad Center he works at and my world was shaken as was the entire Boston area community.
Thank G-d, my friend is making a good recovery and will be okay, and is truly a lucky person whose life was saved. In his words "the attacker was desperately trying to kill him as he repeatedly tried to stab him in his upper body" but thank G-d, he is okay to tell the tale and the perpetrator is now in Police custody.
Coming on the heels of the terrible incident in Winthrop, Massachusetts just a few days ago in which hate also played a terrible role, these attacks obviously are disconcerting and stoke fear. Yet if being proud of who we are and what we stand for is important, it is now more than ever when it is vital that we don't let hate shape us or define how we act.
Instead of fear and anxiety we need to focus on being positive and living in a meaningful manner.
Instead of hiding our identity, we need to be proud of who we are and wear our Yarmulkas and Jewish symbols with pride and joy.
Instead of doing less, we need to do even more as we keep doing what we need to do as individuals and as a community.
An attitude like that certainly takes courage and is not a simple sentiment to bear in mind in the face of these challenges. Yet if we are to learn from history and especially Jewish history, it is precisely the power of faith, courage and positive determination, that has helped us continue to ride the waves of history and keep plowing onwards, in a never ending journey of constructive positivity that is changing the world one day and one person at a time.
This morning there was a community wide vigil in Boston at the site of yesterday's incident and I truly and really wanted to be there, standing shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues. Yet my responsibilities at Camp Gan Israel of Sudbury, especially in light of yesterday's event, meant that I needed to stay on site and be present in helping run a smooth camp experience.
As I helped manage the camp this morning, I was watching dozens of children celebrate their Judaism in a fun and meaningful way, hearing them laugh and squeal in delight as they play, and enjoying the sounds of their singing and prayers, and honestly it has been the best and most reassuring comforting message of why we are here and what we are seeking to do. It is a powerful reminder of why we need to ensure that our focus on the future is responsible and pragmatic, yet at the same time, full of positivity and the joys of living up to our Jewish values.
Chief Scott Nix of the Sudbury Police Department will be joining us for services this Shabbat morning and will be sharing a few words shortly after the Torah reading. Please feel free to join us and stand together as a community following these events. Services begin at 10am and include the Torah reading & message at 11am and are followed by a Kiddush at about 12:20pm.
As we celebrate July 4th and the values upon which the USA was founded, we are grateful to live in a country that treasures religious freedom and constantly seeks to better itself and eradicate hatred and bigotry.
We thank the Sudbury Police Department for communicating with us and sending law enforcement officers by throughout the day during camp to check in on the center. Likewise they will be stopping by tomorrow and we are truly grateful for all that they do.
We are continuing to pray for the families of the tragedy in Surfside and hope and pray that we can still experience miracles. Over the course of the week, I discovered that a friend or two have family members including children or parents who were in the building and are among those who are unaccounted for. My heart goes out to them and I pray that G-d give them the strength that they need during this terrible and painful tragedy.
Wishing everyone a peaceful and tranquil Shabbat!
Yisroel