Voices

Bylined opinion and news columns published by United Hebrew Congregation Terre Haute.

We need not justify our emotions, but maintain our humanity in the face of pain and sadness

By Student Rabbi Rocki Schy
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For the past few weeks or so, like many American Jews, I’ve been feeling increasing amounts of worry.

I worry for specific individuals I know in Israel, about innocent people just trying to live their lives, about how the situation in the Middle East will affect global antisemitism.

When I was working with a religious school in Dresher, Pa., in 2015, I taught a high school class about Israel.

I remember talking to my students about antisemitism and Israel. I told them they would be expected by the non-Jewish public, as Jewish young adults, to have a high degree of understanding about the conflicts in the Middle East, and they might even be expected to justify their beliefs or legitimize their Judaism by speaking about Israel in a specific way.

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Shofar’s cry inspires an accounting during Elul

By Student Rabbi Rocki Schy
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Elul is an intense month! We’re gearing up for the High Holy Days, and in order to prepare ourselves, we have certain rituals that we carry out during this time.

We perform teshuvah, the process of making amends to our fellow humans whom we have wronged during the course of the year.

We undertake a cheshbon hanefesh, an accounting of our souls, where we assess how we measured up during the year.

We look inward to determine where we excelled and where we fell short. We read Psalm 27, in which the psalmist asks to dwell with G-d. And, of course, we hear the shofar.

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Betsy asks: What are your talents?

By Betsy Frank
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As the academic year ends for our students in K-12 and college, I’ve started to think about all the hope and talents these students possess.

But developing talents doesn’t end with formal schooling.

So, what are your talents?

I know our congregation is filled with many talented people. First, Student Rabbi Rocki Schy offers succinct homilies, is a pro when reading Torah, and conducts well-organized and informative Torah studies.

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