As 5774 Approaches....
Tomorrow we Jews will begin our 5774th year on this earth! Who would have believed this possible? If anyone had told the generation of the Shoah that our people would be around this long they probably would have been astounded.
Imagine, we did this without beheading anyone on TV, without a single suicide bomber , without kidnapping and murdering school children, without slaughtering Olympic athletes, and without flying airplanes into skyscrapers.
We lasted this long despite 400 years as slaves in Egypt, 40 years of wandering in the desert, the mighty Roman army who nailed us to ten thousand crosses; despite the best efforts of fervent Crusaders, the Spanish Inquisition, Hitler's third Reich, Stalin's gulags, Arab wars of annihilation and 100 years of hateful terrorism, hundreds of hate-filled UN resolutions.
How did we Jews do it? We survived with the help of Hashem by concentrating our efforts on prayer, education, love of family, faith, hard work, helping one another and apassionate dedication to life no matter what evil befell us.
We hung in there in hope the rest of the world would one day overcome it's hatreds, jealousies, violence and join us in a life of cooperation and mutual respect.
We're not there yet, but we're still hopeful to get there with the help of HASHEM And when we will enter our places of worship for the Yomim Tovim, this is what we'll pray for with all the strength in our hearts.
Best wishes for a New Year filled with health, happiness, laughter, success, joy, and kindness and may this coming year bring peace and security to Israel, to the Jewish communities in the Diaspora and to our planet.
5774 and counting.
Imagine, we did this without beheading anyone on TV, without a single suicide bomber , without kidnapping and murdering school children, without slaughtering Olympic athletes, and without flying airplanes into skyscrapers.
We lasted this long despite 400 years as slaves in Egypt, 40 years of wandering in the desert, the mighty Roman army who nailed us to ten thousand crosses; despite the best efforts of fervent Crusaders, the Spanish Inquisition, Hitler's third Reich, Stalin's gulags, Arab wars of annihilation and 100 years of hateful terrorism, hundreds of hate-filled UN resolutions.
How did we Jews do it? We survived with the help of Hashem by concentrating our efforts on prayer, education, love of family, faith, hard work, helping one another and apassionate dedication to life no matter what evil befell us.
We hung in there in hope the rest of the world would one day overcome it's hatreds, jealousies, violence and join us in a life of cooperation and mutual respect.
We're not there yet, but we're still hopeful to get there with the help of HASHEM And when we will enter our places of worship for the Yomim Tovim, this is what we'll pray for with all the strength in our hearts.
Best wishes for a New Year filled with health, happiness, laughter, success, joy, and kindness and may this coming year bring peace and security to Israel, to the Jewish communities in the Diaspora and to our planet.
5774 and counting.
6:39 PM in New Brunswick, NJ
Shabbat Ends 7:42 PM
Friday, 3 May 2024
Parashat