Rabbi Tracy Nathan
Rabbi Tracy Nathan
When we complete one of the five books of Torah, we stand and chant Hazak, hazak, v’nithazek! Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened. As we say goodbye to our annual reading of that book, we acknowledge the ways in which its stories and ideas have strengthened us, and we look forward to being strengthened by the stories ahead.
We stand at a similar threshold moment now at Temple Beth Israel of Waltham. In saying goodbye to Rabbi Foust, you recognized how much the community was strengthened through his teaching, leadership, and the depth of his kindness and open-heartedness. And now, in looking ahead, there is excitement but also uncertainty, and so we remind ourselves, “Hazak, hazak, v’nithazek – Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened.
I am writing this as I complete my first week as Temple Beth Israel’s new spiritual leader, and I already feel full of gratitude for the opportunity to serve in such a warm and embracing community. As I too stand in this place of uncertainty, I am encouraged by your warm welcome and by the commitment to community and caring I observed during the interview process. As we move together through this new beginning, I look forward to sharing our stories, to learning about you and your families, to hearing about your passions and your dreams, and to dreaming together. To facilitate some of these conversations, we are arranging several evenings at community members’ homes to sit down together and hear our stories and our hopes for Temple Beth Israel (stay tuned for these dates).
Of course, we also stand as individuals and as a Jewish people at the threshold between the past and new year. This is the month of Elul, the month of preparation before the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe that usher in the New Year. This is the season of teshuvah, whose root means “return” and “turn.” With the energy and enthusiasm of the summer still upon us, we are invited to look back and look ahead. We are charged with examining our lives and asked to return to moments and people of significance during that examination. The shofar that we began blasting on the 1st of Elul calls us to awaken our awareness that we have arrived at the gate between the years. This is the moment to look backward and forward to that which requires insight, understanding, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, and transformation. We return so that we might turn and orient our lives toward that which brings life and blessing to ourselves and to others.
Anyone who has undergone the true work of teshuvah personally or as a community knows how hard the process is. And so, to strengthen and inspire us, we recite the 27th Psalm each morning and evening from Elul through Hoshanah Rabbah. The psalm concludes with these words of encouragement: Hazak v’ya’ametz libecha….Be strong and let your heart take courage (Psalm 27:14). Whether you are continuing on your teshuvah journey or just starting out now, I wish you strength and look forward to gathering together at the gates on Selichot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur and to celebrating our journeys, rejoicing and dancing from Sukkot through Simchat Torah.
May you receive and give abundant blessings this New Year.
Scott and Hanan and I wish you all a sweet new year – L’shanah tovah u’metukah.