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December 28, 2024 - 27 Kislev 5785 Parashat Miketz - Holidays and Holy Days
Dear Friends, "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." - Albert Einstein Sometimes sermons write themselves. This past Tuesday evening, December 25th, about 40 people from the greater Fort Lee Jewish community braved the near-freezing weather and joined forces with each other in the center of town to light our large chanukiah. Because of the weather, the timing of Chanukah on the Gregorian calendar this year (over the "winter break" when so many of us take the opportunity to travel), and the unique challenges faced by the Jewish community over the last 14 months, I was so delighted to be greeted so warmly by so many of our friends in the community. We show up - when it matters most, and when we most need each other- including and especially for moments of celebration. All the more so, the Sages would say, to be bearers of light at the darkest time of year, in a world that sometimes feels and is so dark itself. As I'm sure you've heard by now, Tuesday marked the first time since 2005 that Chanukah and Christmas fell on the same day. The last time before that was way back in 1959 and it won't occur again until 2035 and 2054. While I don't believe that natural occurrences like earthquakes or hurricanes are sent by God to punish humanity, the Jewish and Christian calendars coinciding precisely on this day is, to me, God speaking to us. What I hear in this moment is God reminding us of our shared humanity; that people of all walks of life, especially those who identify with a faith or religion, have, by far, so much more in common than what is different between us. We hold that life is a precious gift, to be appreciated and lived fully, knowing that no one is promised tomorrow. We have a sense of something beyond ourselves, that we are a part of something larger; that we are an important part of the whole, but we are not the whole. We may have varying viewpoints and approaches on exactly how to do so, but we share a spiritual and philosophical pursuit of living a meaningful and productive life, for ourselves and the world around us. We may not know the answers, or have entirely different ones, but we share the same questions, as well as a sense of purpose. In the fractured and polarized world we live in, it has never been more important to meet each other in the middle, to heal the fissures that have taken over and defined the times. In a hardened and cold world, we are commanded to recall the Tzelem Elohim, the spark of the divine, in every single human being, to soften the jagged edges of society, and bring warmth to frigid spaces and souls. When the darkness seems about to envelop us, we need to remember that we, like God, can be creators of light, to ignite the divine spark within ourselves and each other, and dispel the gloom. To see and be seen. To feel that human connection. Though my feet were cold as we walked back to the Shul on Tuesday evening, my heart was warm. I felt comforted and uplifted by a community that is still here, I believe, because we are precisely as Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once described us, "A people that can walk through a valley of a shadow of death and still rejoice is a people that cannot be defeated by any force or fear." And, if we can do that for ourselves, it is time we lean on what is shared amongst all humanity. It is time that we go out into the world around us, to be bearers of light, kindness, and peace wherever we go. That is what we shared on Tuesday evening. That is what I hope we carry with us through this Chanukah and holiday season, into 2025 and beyond. Shabbat Shalom, Happy Chanukah, and Happy New Year, Rabbi Joshua Strom
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