At the end of the incredible evening on Wednesday (read more below), Rabbi Schochet shared the incredible story of his own mother who was a young child during the Holocaust.
He told us, how her parents had been murdered by the Nazis but she had been saved and was being hidden by a Protestant Minister at the risk of his own life.
One day the Protestant Minister, took a three day trek through the forest and farmlands in the middle of the winter, to come to another barn in the countryside, where this little girl's grandparents were in hiding (his great grandparents). They were in shock when they saw him and thought the worst must have happened. Yet he quickly reassured them and told them, that he had come to reassure them that their little girl is in safe hands and every night before he puts this little three year old girl to sleep, he reminds her gently that she is Jewish and that is her faith, and then he says the first paragraph of the Shema with her.
He had felt the need to come to tell the grandparents who were in hiding, whose children had been murdered, that their little granddaughter was not only alive physically, but was also being looked after properly as a Jew, to reassure them in those most difficult and terrifying moments.
The minister then turned around after the short visit and made the three day journey back to his own home.
Today, a tree and a plaque stands for this minister at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem for his heroism in saving this little girl's life.
Yes we are living in a world that is still on the edge but thank G-d, things are much calmer than they were a week ago in Israel. Yes there are plenty out there (not the majority) who don't like us, even though some of them claim to stand for justice and equality, but it is imperative for us, not to let these events shape who we are and how we live our lives.
We live for something higher, we have a job to do, the world is waiting for us to continue marching forward to do another Mitzvah, to add another dose of light and kindness somewhere, especially where we can make a difference. And yes a little child, the one inside each one of us, is waiting to say the Shema each and every day to constantly remind ourselves of who we are, what our purpose and mission is and to remember that we are not bound or under the control of the negative forces or sentiments around us.
Let's keep making light, let's keep taking the moments of challenge and see how we can grow, squeeze light out of them.
It is the promise of our faith, and an idea that continues to keep us going over the centuries, that we know that no matter the challenges we have faced and the new ones that arise in every generation, even if labeled differently, ultimately we will succeed in our mission of making the world be the beautiful place that it was designed to be, in every sense of the word and for all of humanity.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe who lived and breathed this message in the decades after the Holocaust, would drive home this theme constantly throughout his talks and messages to thousands. This Sunday as we mark the 31st Yahrziet, his message is resounding ever louder in a world where challenges may lurk, but where opportunities to do good are everywhere.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Yisroel
P.S Candle Lighting in Sudbury is at 8:09pm today!
Please join us for the Shabbat Services tomorrow and the Kiddush that follows!