Nachamu, Nachamu / Comfort us, Comfort Us
Shalom Friends & Family,
I write this letter less than 24 hours since a man violently attacked members of the Boulder Jewish community who were participating in a peaceful weekly march in downtown Boulder in support of the Israeli hostages. I apologize for not writing personally to each of you.
First, thank you for reaching out to check in on me. Thank You! Physically I am ok. Emotionally, I am cycling through sadness, anger, fear, rage and numbness, Spiritually, I am hurting but being comforted by and through extended community and the wisdom of our sacred Jewish tradition..
Six of the eight people who were physically injured enough to go to the hospital are people I know well. They are people with whom I have shared Shabbat dinners, at whose child’s bar mitzvah I officiated and celebrated, with whom I have participated in a woman’s group, and with whom I swim at the same local pool. All who were physically injured have returned to their homes except for two who were badly burned and are in the burn unit at Anschutz Hospital in Denver. We pray for their recovery.
In addition to those who were physically injured, there were others participating in the peaceful march who witnessed a terrifying sight. There are others who were simply walking by and enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon in the downtown. And, finally there are so many hurting — the thousands of people who are connected to Boulder, the thousands connected to those affected and of course the legions throughout the world who are connected to our extended Jewish community. The ripples are real. (I must say none of this is made easier by the constant attempts to reach us by many, many media outlets.)
As planned, the community came together Sunday evening to observe the holiday of Shavout, the holiday in which Jewish people observe our receiving Torah. It was a very, very different Tikkun Leyl Shavuout than we originally planned. Yet, the community and Haver: the Boulder Rabbinic and Cantorial Fellowship pivoted to create a space of comfort, a space to be, a space to learn and yes, even a space to eat cheesecake. This morning, at Shavuot services, we came together in our individual synagogue communities to “receive” Torah and to be there for one another and to find comfort. From the text of Isaiah, we chanted Nachamu, Nachamu, ami yomar Elocheichem/ Comfort us, Comfort us in our wilderness.
In the short term, we are accessing services to make available to all in our Boulder community, a community that in the past years has also experienced wildfires, floods, and a shooting at a local supermarket. In the coming week, we will figure out a way to come together as a Jewish community and as a Boulder community that supports peaceful gatherings, peaceful protests, and yes, peace.
As you know, our people often read Psalms in challenging times. Clearly, the writer of Psalms knew challenging times. I keep repeating the phrase from Psalm 23, Nafshi yeshoveiv, yancheini ve-ma’gelei-tzedek le-ma’an shemo/ The Eternal restores my soul and guides me to righteous paths as befits the Eternal’s name. I pray and please pray for me (and us) that our weary souls will be renewed and that we will be guided to paths of healing, justice, and peace.
B’vracha,
Rabbi Ruthie Gelfarb