January 25, 2021 by admin

A Faithful Young Jewish Woman Struggles to Understand Why…

There is nothing quite like being in shul on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I never feel the impact of the phrase, “k’eesh echad b’lev echad,” that the Jewish people are like one person with one heart, as strongly as I do on the High Holy Days, when everyone is gathered together and wearing emotions openly. 

This year, however, because of the pandemic, the world I treasured so deeply was ripped from me.  I have a neuromuscular condition which makes me immunocompromised, and I need to be hyper-careful, knowing that even completely healthy people have suffered horribly from this disease. I can’t take any chances of potentially getting the mysterious COVID-19, so for months I knew that I would not be able to go to shul in person for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Even with all of the safety precautions my congregation was taking, I realized I could not risk sitting next to someone who did not wear a mask at all, or did not wear it properly covering her nose and mouth. 

Since I am a consistent shul-goer, it was difficult for me to reconcile myself to this. As a child, I sat with my mother rather than going to youth groups. My father took me to shul every Shabbos and Yom Tov. As I’ve gotten older, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are especially poignant and meaningful days for me, and I take the seriousness of the teshuva season extremely seriously. 

The months of Elul and Tishrei are times of self-reflection. Yet, the beginning of the pandemic was instead a time of fear, anger, sadness, confusion. Of course, I am just a human being. Often, I wondered why Hashem is making this pandemic last so long. I questioned the curveball thrown into our daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly religious traditions, laws, and obligations; making it difficult to accomplish doing the mitzvot. Now, a few months later, I feel I’ve gained  perspective.

Some people’s hardships are more evident, while other people have deep, secret hardships about which they do not speak. A human being is not defined by this. What defines a person is how he or she deals with, overcomes, or accepts hardship.

Sometimes we become too complacent, jaded, or ungrateful. When this happens I believe that Hashem sends us a message in order to shake us, wake us up, and show us that we need to do better, whether we need to be kinder and more understanding to ourselves, or to others. While it was painful for me to stay home on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I came to realize that I was not meant to be in shul. I stayed home this year so that, hopefully, Im Yirtzah Hashem, if God wills it, I can be there safely next year, and the years to come.

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October 23, 2020 by admin

Life Lessons for the Present Moment

It’s not a bad time to think about faith, some possible spiritual, ethical, personal touchstones, and a bit of wisdom for the present and the near future of our complicated lives. To help in this daunting task, a few book suggestions from Lilith’s editors:

Remix Judaism: Preserving Tradition in a Diverse World (2020) by Roberta Rosenthal Kwall

“Kwall insists on proactive development of Jewish rituals that can be observed consistently, even if those rituals differ from traditional observance. Kwall provides plenty of specifics.” (Publisher’s Weekly)

Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life—in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There) (2019) by Sarah Hurwitz

“Her book will resonate with other secular Jews looking to regain a sense of their Jewish heritage. A solid guide to Judaism for reluctant believers.” (Kirkus Reviews)

My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew (2017) by Abigail Pogrebin

Based on her column in The Forward examining all the landmarks of the Jewish calendar. “The Jewish schedule heightened the stakes,” Pogrebin explains, “reminding me repeatedly how precarious life is, how impatient our tradition is with complacency, how obligated we are to rescue those with less, how lucky we are to have so much history, so much family, so much food.” (Goodreads)

This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation (2003) by Alan Lew

A classic. Rabbi Lew writes: “There are times in life when we are caught utterly unprepared: a death in the family, the end of a relationship, a health crisis. These are the times when the solid ground we thought we stood on disappears beneath our feet, leaving us reeling and heartbroken, as we stumble back to our faith.”

The Year Mom Got Religion: One Woman’s Midlife Journey into Judaism (1999) by Lee Meyerhoff Hendler

“How awakening to religion can transform—and disrupt—a life. A poignant personal testimony of the discoveries, achievements, and disappointments of a woman’s renewed commitment to her faith— and how her personal transformation deeply affected her lifestyle and relationships.” (Jewish Lights)

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The Lilith Blog

October 15, 2020 by Chanel Dubofsky

Connecting Jewish Tradition with Black Fugitive Legacies

This autumn, the parking lot of the Halcyon Arts Lab in Washington DC hosted a special sukkah built by visual artist Jessica Valoris. Though its materials—recycled cardboard, paper, bamboo and plant materials—are all things you might expect to find in your average sukkah. this one is anything but; it’s a structure that confronts the past and present, invites us to engage with possibilities of the future. Lilith spoke with Valoris about creating, Black fugitivity, spirituality, and more. 

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