עוד לא אבדה תקותנו, we have not lost our hope. The Israeli national anthem is by far one of the most meaningful and beautiful national anthems in the world. It tells the Jewish national story in eight short lines. To sum it all up, we are the people of תקוה… hope. When we look over the course of Jewish history… the Jewish story… we find that the singular thing that kept us together and committed was the singular focus that we sought to return to our homeland. It is embedded in our liturgy and in our rituals. We end our seders with “next year in Jerusalem.” We face Israel when praying and some of our houses have elaborate signs or paintings on the eastern walls to designate it as the direction of Israel.
When we were struggling at the hands of tyrants in Spain or Eastern Europe, the dream and hope of a return to our homeland provided us with the energy and strength to keep going. That hope became entrenched in the Jewish psyche and was expanded well beyond the yearning for Zion. We as a people have claimed the role of the eternal optimists of the world and as people who truly believe in tomorrow. Hopefulness is essential and it is transformative. As Jews in the Diaspora, we are inspired by Israel and her pursuits and accomplishments. At the same time, we are also in awe of the fulfillment of our hopes in her existence.
Hope is something that we all need to be willing to put more effort into on a daily basis. This past year has been difficult for all of us. It has been awful to be isolated and to live in fear. This past year we woke up each morning in a world that looked no different than the previous day and went to bed knowing that the next day would be the same as well. There was one thing that provided us with a path towards feeling restored and being able to cope and that path was called hope.
We hoped every day that things would improve. We hoped for a cure and for solutions. The act of hoping allowed us to endure the pain knowing there would be an end and a time when things would improve. This value can be applied to our lives outside of Israel and our lives outside of COVID. Hope is a transformative way of existing and living on a daily basis. Hope is something that we cannot lose sight of and cannot give up on. Hope is the last thing to die and we have never lost our tight grip on it. Happy 73rd Birthday Israel!
BIRTHDAYS Shabbat Aaron Krisel David Borukhov Stephanie Ladden
Sunday Andrew Ryan Ladden Nadya Ilyayeva
Monday Cynthia Benator
Tuesday Billy Light
Wednesday Andrea Bader Caroline Piha David Cohen Max Maslia Rachel Selber-Kropp Suzanne Dinur
Thursday Alan Franco Dina Akbashev
Friday David Franco Hazel Segall Judy Chyatte Nancy Hearshen
ANNIVERSARIES There are no anniversaries this week.
Meldados
Shabbat Denise Solomon for Mother Rachel Benveniste Levy Elliott Penso for Aunt Esther Hazan Grace Benator for Mother Rachel Benveniste Levy Milton Jay Solomon for Grandmother Rachel Benveniste Levy Michael Benator for Grandmother Rachel Benveniste Levy Michelle Rich for Grandmother Rachel Benveniste Levy Sam Benator for Grandmother Rachel Benveniste Levy
Sunday Cynthia Morgan for Father Meyer Hatten David Sotto for Mother Lucy Sotto David Sotto for Wife Cindy Sotto Julia Roth for Brother Jake Alhadeff Marilyn Bernstein for Father Jake Alhadeff Rochelle Richman for Father Jake Alhadeff
Monday James Wolfe for Father Morton Wolfe Josh Hearshen for Great Grandmother Laika Ruskin Phyllis Arogeti for Father Dave Taratoot Sam Shlimak for Mother Maria Shlimak
Tuesday Alan Taranto for Mother-in-law Jessica Cohen Bensinger Albert Barrocas for sister-in-law Esther Barrocas Betty Roistacher for Grandmother Reina Barocas Irvin Alhadeff for Father Abe Alhadeff Julia Roth for Brother Abe Alhadeff Rebeca Selber for sister-in-law Esther Barrocas Steve Alhadeff for Father Abe Alhadeff
Wednesday Elliott Penso for Grandmother Miriam Hazan Jeanette Arogeti for Grandmother Estreya Alhadeff Jerry Sevy for Grandmother Sharon Gatien Stella Firestone for Grandmother Estreya Alhadeff
Thursday Birdie Benator for Sister Pat Benveniste Levin Jon L. Weinberg for Father Eugene Abraham Weinberg Raymond Schinazi for Father Felix Solomon Schinazi
Friday Maxine S. Barocas for Father Israel Swerdlin Sarah Duwell for Mother-in-law Rose Schwartz
