I opened the blog this morning with the intention to write down some of my thoughts and feelings.
I, along with the rest of my community, as well as the Jewish community at large, spent almost three emotionally charged and emotionally stressful days giving extra tzedaka, saying tehillim around the clock, baking challah and keeping our eyes and ears glued to screens and to phones waiting for some sort of information upon which we could gather hope.
It was not meant to be.
Did I know Gavriel and Rivky Holtzberg? No I did not know them personally, but I knew them. I knew them as well as any other young Lubavitch woman who shares the same goal, the same dream, the same mission as I do and as Rivky Holtzberg did. He was a child of the neighborhood I live in. His parents live down the block from me. His niece was my student a few years ago. Another niece learns in the classroom next door to mine this year.
Rosh Chodesh Kislev is a special day on the Chabad calendar. It is usually a day of great joy, of festivity, of celebration. Now, this day of joy is marred by horrific tragedy. As I sang the "Rosh Chodesh Kislev Niggun," a joyful niggun attributed to that significant day on our "chassidishe calendar," with my class on Friday, I heard mourning instead of joy, I saw tragedy instead of celebration.
This is not how it is supposed to be.
Many have already written essays. Many have expressed their thoughts. As for me - there is nothing for me to say. This is sad time in my community. A sad time indeed.
Check this out if you're interested in more.
You can listen to the nigun I mentioned here.
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5 comments:
You don't need to be lubav -- it's a sad day for all of us. This is klal Yisrael's tragedy, no matter who or where you are. And if anyone denies that, THAT's when I will lose hope...
amen and may your words be a comfort for all of us.
arnie draiman
www.draimanconsulting.com
B~M -
I didn't mean that only lubavitchers are sad - chas veshalom!!!
It is hard to describe though the pain felt in the Lubavitch community. Especially since a once jouyous and happy day has now turned dark and sad.
It's so horrible. I can't stop thinking of the enormous tragedy...reminds me a little of what happened in Mercaz Harav last Adar. We don't have answers here...we just need to keep believing.
I didn't mean it that way -- I just noticed that you were giving the view from within the community and wanted to let it be known that the rest of us are feeling the pain as well.
(HS -- Mercaz Harav came to my mind too... a lot of similarities... it's been such a hard year...)
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