Standing Together

Friends,

Our Torah portion opens this week ba-midbar – in the wilderness. Midbar is the place between mitzrayim, the narrow place of slavery in Egypt, and the promised land. While the Israelites were in this wilderness, their entire future was unknown. God and Moses instructed them to have faith that God would not only protect them but would lead them safely to their destination. Yet, when the people arrived at the edge of the promised land their faith wavered. They convinced Moses to send twelve spies to scout the land. While the spies came back and spoke of a land flowing with milk and honey, ten of the twelve were convinced that God was only leading them into this new land to perish. Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, instead saw the potential in their future and trusted that God would guide them.

We are currently standing together ba-midbar, in the wilderness, the in between of what was and what is yet to come. In this liminal state, we find ourselves asking so many questions that go unanswered. Like the Israelites, we are fearful for our safety, the continuity of our community, and pining to return to the life that existed before COVID-19. The Israelites had to decide how to proceed together – they couldn’t separate their community. They gave into their fears and decided not to proceed into the promised land and God retaliated by making them wander for forty years. We, too, are linked by the same covenant as a sacred community – we can only move forward together in order to support, learn with, pray alongside and protect each other.

There are many challenges ahead of us as we work hard to determine how to safely re-open. At this time we do not yet have plans to resume in-person worship, learning or nursery school and we are working hard to determine when it will be safe to do so. We are following the guidance of the CDC, local and state officials, and I am in constant contact with leaders at the the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis. 

While we face these challenges, we also have an incredible opportunity to engage and enrich our community in new and exciting ways. Michelle has created opportunities throughout the week for our students to gather and learn and build community during religious school. Our Chesed Team has been working to connect our community and expand our care for one another. Attendance at weekly Friday night services is up consistently week over week, as is Torah study. I love looking through the screen to see that some people have dressed up for services and participating, others are enjoying dinner, and some are even bringing us with them on an evening hike. People are connecting because no matter where we are, CMI is important to us and we find meaning in our rituals and traditions. The lessons we are learning about how to best connect and care for others will last well after we end physical distancing. We are not going to return to CMI as it was – we are going to emerge stronger than ever.

As we move forward one day, one month, and one season at a time we have two ways of responding to our time ba-midbar, in the wilderness. We can join with the ten spies who convinced others that the challenge was too great, or we can embrace the optimism of Joshua and Caleb who had the faith and courage to create an exciting new future. I look forward to working with you all as we make CMI a center of caring, connection and community.

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

Rabbi Brian Immerman