Facing the uncertainty together

Friends,

In two weeks we will gather on May 28th (virtually of course) to celebrate Shavuot, our festival in which we received the Torah at Mt. Sinai. We picture the entire Israelite community standing at the base of the mountain in complete chaos and fear “… as morning dawned, there was thunder, and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the horn; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. (Ex 19:16)” Their future unknown, they prepared to hear God's voice..

Some days it might seem like we are in the midst of that chaos: clouds obfuscating our view of the future and the loud blasts of people telling us a myriad of conflicting opinions about how and when we might return to life. Like the Israelites, it is OK if this is too much to handle. After hearing the ten commandments at Sinai, the Israelites instead put their faith in Moses to receive the rest of the Torah. Yet we do not have a Moses at this moment, one person in whom we all trust to lead us in our uncertain future. Many of us have our own Moseses, leading to confusion and even acrimony toward those who might follow a different opinion. Without one Moses we find ourselves looking inward, trying our best to trust ourselves.

The science is clear that reemerging will take a long time and happen in many phases. It is OK not to know what to do, to look around and only see chaos. Like the Israelites, I hope that we can all trust our own instincts to guide our decisions and not to sever relationships with those who disagree. Our Torah teaches us that it is OK to rebuke someone if it comes from a place of loving-kindness, but that we should never hate another person in our hearts. (Lev 19:17)

We are also learning how and when to safely open CMI. In partnership with Merav and the Board of Trustees, we are following the guidelines of the State and Local governments, the CDC, and the values-based approach informed by the Reform Movement. We will share more information with you as we form action plans for the worship, the nursery school, religious school, adult education, and more. Our actions as a community and individuals will be guided by the Jewish value pikuach nefesh, to save a life. We should protect our own life and go out of our way, even if it inconveniences us, to protect others, especially the most vulnerable. We will all have to trust each other to make the best decisions for ourselves.

I pray that we each find calm and comfort during this time of chaos and uncertainty. One thing is known – we will always be stronger when we work together, as a community, and face our future together. We continue to pray for those afflicted by Covid-19 and please do not hesitate to reach out if you or someone you know is in need of any kind of support.

I wish you all blessings of hope, strength, courage and health,

Rabbi Brian Immerman