Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

Whatever the timeline is to get past the pandemic — a year and counting of living a not-normal life — there are definitely hopeful signs that the time is within reach. Among those signs is a change in demeanor and some sense of optimism amid the tragedy of lost life, lost livelihood and lost contact.

There have been changes that we may keep going forward. For Kol Ami, we will be exploring what tools have been presented to us that will keep our community more connected. An increased focus on cooking at home and a general appreciation for slowing down may also be in the cards.

These new approaches may not be all that new. Judaism and our Jewish calendar have offered ways to ground us, and allow us to slow down time and appreciate the everyday. This past weekend, preparation for Passover began with a heightened sense of intentionality that I had not felt for some time. Nothing remarkable, just doing a cleaning of things long in need of cleaning that do not get attention every day, every week or even every month. Somehow it just meant more this year.

Much like Passover itself, which gives us the opportunity for a little springtime rebirth to reimagine our existence, present circumstances also compel us to reimagine our sense of what is normal, what gives our lives purpose and meaning. With the coming holiday celebration, may this be a year to reimagine for ourselves, for our Kol Ami community and for our world.