Student Rabbi Matt Derrenbacher will serve UHC Terre Haute during the 2021-22 academic year.
Spring is a season of transition: Pesach is just behind us, we’ve switched from praying for rain to praying for dew, and we engage in the practice of s’firat ha-omer, counting the Omer.
Pesach is our foundation for this season of transition where we personally and communally experience the transition from slavery to freedom.
That freedom, then, sets us out on our journey to true transformation.
Every spring, we gather to retell the story of our ancestors’ liberation from slavery in Egypt.
We are reminded that our ancestors cried out to God in their suffering and were freed through a series of miracles and wonders performed by God through Moses.
But the story doesn’t end when our seder ends, does it?
The Hebrew month of Adar is supposed to be an incredibly joyous time. Our sages teach us that as the month of Adar begins, no matter how we may be feeling about life, we are to increase our joy.
But what happens when the commandment to be joyous meets the reality of loss, sorrow and pain? On Feb. 17, our community and our world lost an absolute tzadik, Walter Sommers.
Walter was one of those rare humans who loved everyone. It didn’t matter who you were or where you came from, Walter wanted to take the time to get to know you and be your friend.
With so much of our time spent in the dark (before the winter solstice occurs Dec. 21), this time of year can be particularly difficult for a lot of us.
The pandemic rages on; antisemitism continues to run rampant in communities and on college campuses; social and political division drives communities, friends and even families apart.
It is at this time of deep darkness that we need to let the light in. But how do we accomplish this difficult task?