Clergy Blog

When I started learning Yiddish 14 years ago, as with any language, one first learns how to respond to the question: “How are you?” After the pleasantries of good, not good, so-so, we took a step deeper into broadening our responses. 

Two of the first full phrases that I learned in Yiddish:

Es ken zayn erger - It could be worse

Es ken zayn beser - It could be better

I’m normally adverse to Yiddish being seen as kitsch, and we were taught these phrases somewhat in jest, but there is some deep Jewish experience and truth at the core of these responses. 

We are still reeling from the recent attack in Boulder on peaceful Jews calling attention to the plight of some 60 remaining hostages in Gaza. Thank God no one was killed. It could be worse.

Pundits opining about whether this is antisemitism or antizionism. In the end, this man wanted to harm Jews and targeted his attack as such. It could be better.

This week the American Jewish community dwells between these two statements: it could be better, it could be worse. This is not a sustainable place for us to sit, and last week was different, as I’m sure next week will be, but I just want to acknowledge that for many of us, this week has felt like a balancing act; a tightrope suspended by the horrors of an attack on one side, and our quiet (and not so quiet) resilience on the other. 

I hope we can bring in this Shabbat with the intention of maintaining our pintele yid, our internal Jewish spark, and adding some joy as well! As our Psalms teach: ivdu et Adonai b'simcha. Serve God with joy. Period!  

Tonight we celebrate Pride Shabbat, lift up the voices of diversity in our community, and recommit ourselves to pursuing equal rights for all our fellow citizens in the face of efforts to disenfranchise. 

Speaking tonight will be Jennifer Williams, Trenton City Councilwoman, and the first openly transgender elected official in New Jersey.  

Tomorrow morning we celebrate with Ashley Jaffe and her family on the occasion of her bat mitzvah, and Michael Weinstein and Mara Loventhal as they are called to the Torah for their auf ruf ahead of their wedding. 

Looking forward to a meaningful Shabbat and week ahead.

Shabbat Shalom,

Max