Marking the Anniversary of October 7

By Eileen Levinson, Founder and Executive Director

I’ve tried so many times to write this message. Each time, I’m flooded with emotions–but the words don’t come. How can words possibly describe the horrors of the past year? 

October 7 and the days after were some of the saddest in my life. It was certainly the worst attack on the Jewish people in my lifetime. When I stop to think about the fact that it has been one year–one very long year–since that horrific day, I am struck with a barrage of feelings. Fear. Grief. Distrust. Loss. Disbelief. 

So many things changed for us that day. Our sense of security. Our relationships. Our connection to our community. Our experiences with hatred. Our mental health. Our plans for the future. And life may never go back to the way it was. 

But this isn’t the first time our community has been struck down. As we prepare to summon our ushpizin–ancestors and spiritual guests–into our sukkah, I’m working hard to channel the strength, the resilience, and the determination of those who came before me. They rose, and they rebuilt. And we will too. 

I know I’m not alone in this. So many of you are feeling the same way. The one thing that has kept me going, is knowing that we’re in this together. There may only be a few million of us, but we’ve been honoring our traditions and marking the passing of each new year for 5,785 years–and we’re not going anywhere. 

Today is a terrible milestone to be marking. But it’s an important one to honor. I hope you take care of yourself today, and you find a way to sit with all that has happened and changed this year. This book of rituals, poems, and prayers is designed to help you create space for the complexity of emotions today–hopefully it helps serve as a guide through this difficult anniversary.

May this next year be one of peace and safety. May we find the courage and the strength to dance on Simchat Torah, and may we find comfort and solace in the power of Jewish rituals and celebrations. 

Shana Tova.