In the dark times
Will there be singing?
Yes, there will also be singing
About the dark times.
(Bertolt Brecht)
Dear Lab/Shul Community,
This week we weep.
This letter, smeared with fresh tears, is an invitation to weep together.
Only those who sow in tears will also reap in joy.
As I’m writing these words, on Monday morning, the news headlines from Israel are devastating.
The most right wing government in Israel’s history, led by hawks and religious leaders of Jewish Supremacy, despite the most massive popular protest in the country’s history, passed the first major law of judicial reform, opening the door to drastic diminishment of democracy.
Who knows how this day and the next ones will play out. There’s grave concern among many of us, along with tears and more tears. I know that in Israel and elsewhere there are also those who are jubilant. This, perhaps, is part of the crisis – how very divided we are, devoid of core and common ground. This is a complex situation. To understand a bit more I invite you to read this article in VOX, published this morning, in which I’m also quoted.
We weep this week because our ancient woes are now fused with brand new headlines.
We weep because of tyranny and fear-fueled hatred, religious extremism, political discord, racism and discrimination that divide us, disasters and wars that displace us all over the world.
We weep with frustration and fury as we worry for our future. We weep as a way to honor our hearts, to hold this present moment, no matter how painful, hand in hand, with awareness, honesty, compassion and hope. We show up for and with each other’s tears because we know what happens when we don’t. Weeping together is an ancient tradition, a way to process pain and to plug into hope.
This letter is an invitation to weep with me, with us, on this auspicious week.
This Thursday afternoon, 7/27, at 6pm ET, please join us to Rise from Rubble at our multi faith call for justice.
This is the annual ritual event we’ve been holding each year on the afternoon of Tisha Ba’v, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. At this ritual event we begin our ascent to the new Jewish year. To restart the new cycle we first focus on what’s broken in our lives and in our world. From the sharing of sorrow we move with commitment to do what we can to repair, within and beyond, to rise from the rubble, heal the hate, and begin, better, again.
This year we’ll be gathering at Rev. Derrick McQueen’s historic St. James Church in Harlem, and will also be broadcasting the event live online.
I hope you’ll join us in person or on screen. Please register HERE.
Why does this ritual matter even more this year?
The news from Israel meets the 2,000 year old tragedy that the fast of the Ninth of Av commemorates – with alarming accuracy. Once again, our people are torn as religion fused with nationalism is ripping apart our connection to each other and the sacred.
Will history repeat itself? Will a minority of zealots once again burn down the building as they did 2,000 years ago, enabling the Roman Empire to burn an exhausted Jerusalem, worn down by internal strife and civil war?
This fast day commemorates this tragedy but also offers us a helpful framing for resistance, for reflection, with what to learn, how to help, how to heal.
The first step is to gather and lament together, to let our guard down and be vulnerable, to provide a place for good grief, whether we are holding personal pains and fears, or if what is in our aching hearts are the divides and discords in this country, and all over the world.
Joining me this year to co-lead this ritual are Lab/Shul’s ritual leader Ben Freeman, along with Rev. Derrick McQueen, and Jericho Vincent, the founder of Temple of the Stranger in Brooklyn. I’m so honored to gather with this wonderful group of leaders.
Following the ritual we will proceed to St. Nicholas park to break our fast at a potluck dinner. Please see details here if you want to participate.
There will be many more protests and assemblies, next steps and ways to support the people standing up for democracy in Israel. I urge you to stand with those who fight for justice and hope, work for change and rise from this rubble – everywhere.
Please stay informed and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions and suggestions. Watch my video from this past Friday, with helpful links at the end for supporting the protest, joining whatsapp groups of activists and staying informed.
Today we sow in tears. Tomorrow we WILL reap in joy. As Brecht reminds us – we’ll keep on singing.
May we be rise from the rubble, connected and inspired, part of the peace.
Amichai
