We are living in a different world than we were a week or two ago. The world is changing at such a fast pace. We are playing catch-up and functioning in the now rather than being able to plan in advance. Having said that, here are some quick thoughts that I hope will help us all cope and lift up our spirits.
As we all navigate the new, current reality of social distancing, here are a few reassuring points to keep in mind:
On a personal level:
This current pandemic has occurred in the age of technology so we thankfully have the ability to connect remotely. Imagine if this had taken place 50 years ago; we certainly would have been much more isolated than we are now.
We are never truly alone if we let God into our lives and into our spaces.
We as a people, and most of us individually, have weathered difficult and uncertain circumstances before in our own lives or in the lives of our ancestors. We cannot compare experiences; your pain and mine are never comparable. But it might give us needed strength and encouragement to remember that humanity is resilient.
We can only take care of what we can. This means maintaining the mandated or encouraged social distancing, washing our hands thoroughly and often, and checking in on people who might fall through the cracks. That’s what we can do. Worrying about those things out of our control is unproductive and even counterproductive. Let us do what we can, and give over to God those things that are beyond our control.
On a professional level:
We need to help our students continue to learn. But “lo alecha hamelacha ligmor--it is not incumbent upon you to finish the work.” If students don’t cover as much material as expected, they will still survive and thrive as lifelong learners. The amount of academics they gain during this time will not ultimately change the course of their lives. What will matter is boosting their spirits, spiritual connections, sense of resilience and intrinsic motivation to learn.
Much more important than the didactic learning is keeping the relationships with your students strong and ongoing. They are looking to you [and their parents] as the trusted adults in their lives to guide them in how to navigate this new reality. Be real, but be calm. As mentioned above, we have weathered storms before (and found solutions to problems we didn’t expect), and we need to assure our students of that.
Don’t be afraid to solicit the hard questions from kids. This is the kind of situation in which theological questions arise. You can view this as an opportunity to discuss ideas related to God and the Universe, especially as students may be more likely to make themselves vulnerable, having a screen between you and them. Don’t squander this chance to help facilitate your students’ individual relationships with God.
On a Torah level:
We are on the cusp of Pesach with good lessons on which to draw. For example, in Shmot [Exodus] 32:25, the text says, “ וַיַּ֤רְא מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם כִּ֥י פָרֻ֖עַ ה֑וּא כִּֽי־פְרָעֹ֣ה אַהֲרֹ֔ן לְשִׁמְצָ֖ה בְּקָמֵיהֶֽם׃ --Moses saw that the people were out of control—since Aaron had let them get out of control—so that they were a menace to any who might oppose them.” The word פְרָעֹ֣ה—out of control—is the same word as פרעה—Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who could easily have been labeled as being “out of control.” God and the Jewish people defeated the one who was out of control, and we will also overcome the current phenomenon of a world that currently feels “out of control.”
In the Haggadah we see a very strange passage that actually previews for us that this plague will pass: “וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה. זוֹ הַחֶרֶב, כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ, נְטוּיָה עַל־יְרוּשָלָיִם--And with an outstretched arm. This is the sword, as it is written: and his sword was drawn in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem.” The quote is from I Divrei Hayamim (Chronicles) 21:16 and refers to the story of King David foolishly counting the Jewish people against God’s will. Thereafter, a plague--ostensibly some sort of infection--fell upon Israel and 70,000 people died. Following that, David saw an angel hovering over Jerusalem with his sword drawn. God had planned on destroying the Holy City, and upon seeing that David had atoned for his foolish act, held back from doing so, such that the sword transformed into a symbol of protection and recovery. We, too, will recover from this current plague, and we shouldn’t miss the moment to point that out through this arcane passage on seder night.
We all hope that life gets back to normal—whatever that means—sooner rather than later. In the meantime, we at JEIC stand at the ready to help you in whatever ways we can. Please feel free to reach out to us in this time of shared need.
Sharon Freundel, Managing Director, Sharon@JewishChallenge.org
Rabbi Shmuel Feld, Founding Director, RabbiFeld@JewishChallenge.org
Rachel Mohl Abrahams, Senior Advisor, Education Grants & Programs, Rachel@Mayberg.org