In Terrible Pain, But Strong & Marching Forward
An hour doesn’t go by without me speaking with another person locally or in Israel, who lost a relative, a close friend, or their children’s close friend.
Everyone is broken hearted and devastated as the scope of this horrific tragedy and massacre becomes more apparent and known. Each one of the 1300+ victims represent a whole world and leave behind, siblings, parents, children, spouses, dozens of friends and so much more.
It is evil to the ultimate degree….
At the same time many hundreds of thousands of people have been called up to help end this terrible evil. We know countless friends or children of friends who are now on the front lines and we are thinking of them and praying for them, thinking of their mothers and how they sleep at night, and thinking of the terrible pain that Am Yisrael are going through right now.
Imagine talking to a mother who has two children on the front line, or to a mother that has five children and son in law’s on the front lines. Yet they don’t stop and rest and they act, recruit and help bring support and assistance to those who need it.
Countless people tell me that they can’t sleep at night (including myself), that they have a hard time functioning and doing what they need to during the day, and maintaining a positive demeanor with their kids, and it is just truly so difficult.
Our hearts are bleeding, the tears are flowing, and we are all grieving.
Where do we go from here?
We must grieve and be there for everyone, whether they are family members, friends or people you never ever met….. At the same time, we MUST BE STRONG, we MUST MARCH FORWARD, and we MUST BE PROUD AND COURAGEOUS AND BELIEVE IN WHO WE ARE and what WE STAND FOR.
Our kids need to see us believing and living AM YISRAEL CHAI, the Jewish People are Alive, through our determination to be strong, through our actions and willingness to act and be proud about our Jewish faith, traditions and values, and by STANDING TALL AND FIRM for each other, for Israel and for what is RIGHT and Good.
Let’s speak up for Israel, stand by Israel’s side, share messages and give a hand with tangible acts of support, and let us never cower to the threats and intimidation of global antisemitism or the evil that this represents.
Each morning this week, people have showed up to pray for Israel, people keep stopping by to say a prayer, to lay Tefillin, or to drop off a message of support. There is a truly an outpouring of pain, but together with that, there is hope, pride and determination.
I am grateful to our local friends and leaders who have reached out to us and to the Jewish community to offer condolences and solidarity in the aftermath of the worst atrocity the Jewish people have experienced in 78 years. It means a lot and we are grateful for that.
Friends, we must fight back, not just with weapons, but with resilience, good morale, inner strength, a commitment to being stronger Jews, and more acts of goodness and kindness, and Mitzvot such as Shabbat Candles & Tefillin, and with the knowledge that with G-d’s help we will succeed and be strong.
I just got off the phone with a friend, a Chabad Rabbi, who lost three young men from his town and small community who did Bar Mitzvah’s for, and one more is missing. He told me about a soldier from his town who he just spoke with, who fought for 14 hours straight, to save civilians' lives, even though he was running out of ammunition multiple times and had a bag shrapnel wound in his leg.
He did this, because there was no other way, and no other option!!
Friends, let’s remember that we too have no other way!
We must go on, we must be strong, and we must stand tall and strong as proud Jewish people!
Let's do it!
Am Yisrael Chai
Yisroel
THANK YOU FOR HELPING US DIRECTLY SUPPORT ISRAEL
Thank you to so many people from our community who have donated and helped us send tens of thousands of dollars to the people on the front line of this tragedy, through people that we know and are directly connected with.
If it is life saving equipment, coats, dinners for hundreds of soldiers, aid to the families of victims, Chabad Centers in some of the hardest hit towns and more.
The feedback we get is indescribable, from tears, heartfelt words, and mainly the knowledge that thousands of miles away, we are thinking of them and helping them in the very very difficult times.
You can do it through many good organizations such as Magen David Adom, Chayal El Chayal and many others.
If you want to participate through us and the people that we know and are supporting you may do so, at www.chabadsudbury.com/donate and in the comments write for Israel, or you may contact us if you would like more details.
Shabbat for Israel
Please join us this Shabbat for Shabbat for Israel, tomorrow evening Friday at 6pm (with Shabbat Candle Lighting at 5:50pm) and again on Saturday morning from 10:30am - 12:30pm.
A Word about Security
Please rest assured that we are in contact with local law enforcement with whom we have had meetings with this week, State and National Security Organizations, and have worked together with our in house team of security and hired security, to make sure that all events at Chabad are safe and secure.
We have taken multiple additional steps and will be investing in some additional resources which we have been advised to purchase and or install. We are also in touch with other organizations about any local activity that we need to be aware of to make sure that everyone is always safe in our community.
If you would like to help out with volunteering or helping out towards costs of security, you may do so at www.chabadsudbury.com/donate and label it for Security.