Rabbi Rachel's Reflections
Rabbi Rachel's Message
June 2021
June 2021
Shalom chevraya,
This, sadly, is my last bulletin article. It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly a full year since I started last summer—and what a year it’s been.
A few weeks ago my younger daughter had an allergic reaction and became violently ill while we were driving on Storrow Drive; it was quite traumatic for both of us. This morning she said to me, “Mom, I just realized that really happened. For the first couple of weeks afterwards, I thought it was just a dream.”
I share this with you because this period of COVID time feels a bit dreamlike to me. It’s been so extraordinary (as in NOT ordinary) that I find it difficult to fit it neatly into the narrative of my life. And my entire time with you all has been in the context of COVID. When I look back, will my time here have that same surreal quality? I don’t think so, because of the depth of the relationships I have made. It’s hard to believe, but it is possible to get to know people quite well over Zoom. Whether at services, classes, or meetings, we have shared who we are with each other in an authentic way despite the strangeness of the medium. I am confident that those relationships will continue to deepen despite my no longer working at Temple Emanu-El. The reality of knowing you will serve as a concrete reminder that this all actually happened!
That being said, I do kind of relate to Moses’ grief at the end of his journey. He brought his people to the holy land but didn’t enter it himself. We’re at a point in the pandemic when we have a view of the other side. We’re on the precipice of returning to the Temple building and resuming in-person services. It won’t be exactly as before—nothing will—but it will certainly be closer to normal than anything we have experienced together over the past year. And I won’t be there to share that with you, which is sad. But it is comforting to know that with Cantor Vera’s and the board’s expert leadership, you will soon be safely enjoying each other’s company.
In the meantime, thanks so much for being my first community out of rabbinical school. I couldn’t have asked for a kinder, more caring place to land. As I frequently say, every single person at this temple is so warm and openhearted. I feel honored to have been your rabbi for this year. Please stay in touch, and enjoy the building and each other!
B’vracha,
Rabbi Rachel
This, sadly, is my last bulletin article. It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly a full year since I started last summer—and what a year it’s been.
A few weeks ago my younger daughter had an allergic reaction and became violently ill while we were driving on Storrow Drive; it was quite traumatic for both of us. This morning she said to me, “Mom, I just realized that really happened. For the first couple of weeks afterwards, I thought it was just a dream.”
I share this with you because this period of COVID time feels a bit dreamlike to me. It’s been so extraordinary (as in NOT ordinary) that I find it difficult to fit it neatly into the narrative of my life. And my entire time with you all has been in the context of COVID. When I look back, will my time here have that same surreal quality? I don’t think so, because of the depth of the relationships I have made. It’s hard to believe, but it is possible to get to know people quite well over Zoom. Whether at services, classes, or meetings, we have shared who we are with each other in an authentic way despite the strangeness of the medium. I am confident that those relationships will continue to deepen despite my no longer working at Temple Emanu-El. The reality of knowing you will serve as a concrete reminder that this all actually happened!
That being said, I do kind of relate to Moses’ grief at the end of his journey. He brought his people to the holy land but didn’t enter it himself. We’re at a point in the pandemic when we have a view of the other side. We’re on the precipice of returning to the Temple building and resuming in-person services. It won’t be exactly as before—nothing will—but it will certainly be closer to normal than anything we have experienced together over the past year. And I won’t be there to share that with you, which is sad. But it is comforting to know that with Cantor Vera’s and the board’s expert leadership, you will soon be safely enjoying each other’s company.
In the meantime, thanks so much for being my first community out of rabbinical school. I couldn’t have asked for a kinder, more caring place to land. As I frequently say, every single person at this temple is so warm and openhearted. I feel honored to have been your rabbi for this year. Please stay in touch, and enjoy the building and each other!
B’vracha,
Rabbi Rachel