From the Desk of Adam Lehman: Marking Two Years Since October 7th
Friends,
We find ourselves two weeks into the Jewish new year of 5786, as we make the transition from the reflective holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to the celebratory spirit of Sukkot, which begins tonight at sundown. At the same time, tomorrow marks two years since October 7, 2023 — one of the most tragic days in Jewish history. And this moment is further intensified by the hope and uncertainty of a potential ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war that would bring home all remaining hostages after more than 700 days in captivity.
The holiday of Sukkot is referred to as z’man simchateinu, the season of our rejoicing. In fact, we are literally commanded to be joyful during Sukkot. In the Torah portion which introduces Sukkot, the Torah states, “You shall rejoice in your festival…and you shall have nothing but joy.” While many have questioned the idea of being “happy on command,” those questions are even more relevant this Sukkot, as we remember the lives lost during the atrocities of October 7th and process our grief, anger, and fear from the most recent antisemitic murders committed at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, England last week on Yom Kippur. How can we both honor the memory of the victims of these horrific attacks and maintain the joyful spirit of Sukkot?
Jewish college students have been finding ways to strike a balance between seriousness and joy for much of the past two years — navigating sometimes unwelcoming or even hostile campus environments, while making the most of their opportunities to learn, make and deepen friendships, build community, and strengthen their Jewish identities.
And they will again have the chance to strike that balance at their Hillels in the coming days, with campus Hillels providing opportunities to both commemorate 10/7 and to observe Sukkot in joyful and creative ways. As one example of the former, many Hillels are hosting exhibitions based on Lee Yaron’s award-winning book, 10/7: 100 Human Stories. The exhibit showcases diverse stories of extraordinary resilience and heroism, while honoring the humanity of the tragic victims of 10/7. And as an example of the latter, students from campuses served by Metro Chicago Hillel will gather in the sukkah to celebrate with meals, crafts, and service, where they will pack care kits for people in need over the course of the holiday.
As my rabbi pointed out during his Kol Nidre sermon, the Hebrew word for wisdom, chochma חָכְמָה, is comprised of the roots for both strength, koach כֹּחַ, and questioning, mah מָה. Considering these roots of wisdom can help all of us bridge from the deep sorrow and remembrance of tragedy to the meaningful joy and gratitude of Sukkot.
As we honor the lives lost, we demonstrate the strength of our commitment to the principle “Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh” — as Jews, we are all responsible for one another — while also continuing to interrogate the sources of hate and evil that led to these horrific acts of violence. And as we celebrate Sukkot, we publicly demonstrate the strength of our pride and convictions, and engage in the continued learning and observance that produce even deeper and more durable sources of joy.
May 5786 provide us all with pathways to greater wisdom that can in turn translate into a year of greater peace, security, joy, and well-being.