News

You’re a stiff-necked people,

Our Father did say.

Prone to distraction, led easily astray.

Willful and troublesome,

Recap: Bayla, Mimi, and Sophie are getting ready to go away from the constant bombing in England. Tante Aimee has a distant relative there who will take the girls in exchange for their working on the farm.

(Courtesy of Soroka Medical Center) Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva is Israel’s only major medical center for the entire Negev region, and one of Israel’s most strategic institutions.  It offers outstanding medical care to a profoundly diverse population, spanning cancer care, infection control, genetics, clinical research, emergency medicine and many other specialties.  The entire Negev depends on Soroka for their health; a huge responsibility during peace, war and now pandemics.

Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, died on the eve of Rosh HaShanah, as Jews worldwide ushered in the High Holidays. She was a scholar, cultural icon, and trailblazer – certainly the only member of the Supreme Court to merit her own comic book and action figure. She wore her Jewish heritage openly and spoke of it with pride.

When we hear about issues that arise in our community, it is human nature to dismiss them as inapplicable to us.  We naturally find some rationalization as to why the issue cannot possibly be relevant to our lives or our families.  We lull ourselves into a false sense of security and convince ourselves that we are not in danger, that we are somehow immune to the problems and struggles of general society.  So, while we are regularly confronted with data clearly demonstrating that issues like alcohol disorders, substance misuse, and addiction occur in our community at rates almost identical to the public at large, we find a way to explain away the data.  

With Aseret Yamei Teshuvah approaching last week, my thoughts, in a way, turned to Pesach – how would this Rosh HaShanah be different from all other Rosh HaShanahs?