October 9, 2015 | 26 Tishrei 5776 | Shabbat Candlelighting at 6:16 p.m.
 

This message has 539 words and will take about 3 minutes to read.

We’ve seen multiple tragedies unfold across Israel over the past few days, and our hearts are aching. Being targeted and attacked is not new for us. It’s an unfortunate reality of our history, and our present. We have to decide, from generation to generation, whether we will allow it to cripple us, or whether we will seize on it to strengthen our resolve. Sometimes that resolve can be found in the most unexpected places – not because we question whether someone is capable of it, but because their acts simply went beyond our expectations.

I had such an experience when I spoke to the grade 12 class of King David High School a few days ago, and asked what’s important to them about Jewish community. I was surprised, and more than a little impressed, when March of the Living came up first. They spoke passionately about how strongly they feel about their responsibility to give life to the stories of the Holocaust. I found it incredibly poignant to see them genuinely embrace this. One so often hears that young people today are supposedly detached from our history, our community, and Israel, yet these teens are more connected and committed than ever before.

For those of you with teenagers, registration is now open for March of the Living until the end of the month. We are so proud to support this program through the Federation Annual Campaign. If you’d like more information, please contact Dafna Silberstein in our office at 604.257.5190.

We have a pretty incredible track record in Vancouver of strengthening our resolve in difficult times. When I first arrived, a story was shared with me of just such an instance, and it’s on my mind because I have been thinking about Naomi Frankenberg z”l, who we lost just a few days ago. During one of the times when Israel was under attack, either in 1967 or 1973, Naomi and Dennis z”l, both of blessed memory, made a surprise announcement at a meeting of community leaders who were ready to give to support the fledgling State of Israel.

The way it was told to me was that most of the people in the room already knew what they were going to give, and they were ready to do so generously. But the Frankenbergs z”l were late. About half way through the meeting, Dennis z”l arrived out of breath, having come straight from the bank. He announced that they had mortgaged their house and they were going to be giving more.

The Frankenbergs z”l showed that in times of crisis we have choices to make, and that we can turn these difficult times into opportunities to propel our community and our people forward.

Darkness and light go hand in hand, just as in this week’s parsha, Beresheit. (My bar mitzvah parsha, by the way.) We do not yet know if the tragedies we’ve recently seen in Israel will lead to a sustained cycle of violence. Certainly, it is a real concern. What we do know is that whatever difficult times lie ahead, we can use them as motivation to renew our commitment to addressing our challenges together. What takes us from dark to light are our own positive actions. From the Frankenbergs z”l to the King David students to ourselves, together, our choices create that light.

Shabbat shalom,

Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver

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