Since last Shabbat I have had, and have heard, a lot of reactions to what occurred in Colleyville. Fear that antisemitic attacks can occur anytime, anywhere. Anger that we still need to be vigilant about it. Relief that the hostages escaped. Solidarity from and with our partners in the ongoing fight against hate. These each have a rightful place in our consciousness.

As we spend 2022 celebrating the impact of the Downtown Synagogue on multiple generations over the past 100 years, I am extremely excited to share that one of those generations will soon be hitting its own“100” milestone. We now have almost 100 kids under the age of 18 in our membership. Most of them are age ten or younger and represent a tenfold increase in kids in our congregation over the past decade.

We are working to meet the needs of these children as they grow. We are blessed to have our stellar musician-in-residence Gavri Yares leading Tot Shabbat on the 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month at 10:00 a.m. Gavri does an amazing job engaging the kids (and their parents), and our kids (and their parents) give rave rewards.

Each year, Hanukkah brings light into our homes and light and leadership into our synagogue. At our annual meeting we have the opportunity to express our gratitude to our outgoing board members and elect new ones.

It is wonderful that blacks and Jews alike now again make use of this sacred space. But the past, our past, pricks at us here, doesn’t it, as we confront the scars of time? We wrestle with the implications of the exposed wrought-iron rebar in the ceiling and the holes in the plasterboard above us.

Throughout history, the Jewish people have responded to crisis with resilience and reimagining. This year, for our Days of Awe, we have created both in-person and virtual ways to be in community and experience the holidays. Deep thanks to our amazing streaming team.

The timing of the Jewish New Year always made more sense to me than the Gregorian new year. It coincides with new beginnings and matches our hopeful and optimistic mood. The weather is more tolerable. School has begun. Kids are excited to reunite with their friends. With their children at school, parents – who have been hanging on for dear life over the summer – finally have a semblance of order and normalcy in their lives.