We declare, Am Yisrael Chai, the people of Israel live. In every generation, our enemies sought our destruction, yet we have prevailed over them. We have survived, and more than that, we have thrived to this day. We celebrate our resiliency every year as we commemorate three significant days in the Jewish calendar: Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israel’s Memorial Day, and Israel’s Independence Day.
This year, these three days carry complicated meanings. We remember those who have died so we may live. Their sacrifice is all the more poignant as we still combat the same Jew-hatred our ancestors did in generations past.
We can hold two feelings at once. We can grieve the senseless deaths of millions in the Shoah, the deaths of soldiers on the battlefield, and the death of victims of terror. And, we can still celebrate that Jewish babies are born, Jews can make aliyah to Israel, and Jews still have self-determination in our ancestral land.
We have much to celebrate and much to mourn, but we have done this for generations, and we will continue to do it for generations more. We say, “Am Yisrael Chai. The people of Israel live.”
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Max
