A Message from Our Clergy: Why Online?

“I make this commandment not with you alone, but with those who are standing here on this day, and those who are not standing here on this day… Choose life!” (Parashat Nitzavim, Deuteronomy)

These words which we read every Yom Kippur guide Jews in everything we do, even when they seem to conflict with another foundational Jewish value, captured in Yiddish expression: “Life is with people!” We are a people who gather. We gather for joys and sorrows, for study and celebration, for feasting and prayer. But if our well-being, or the well-being of any other soul, would be compromised, we always follow that simple and profound command, “Choose life!”

Throughout our history, we have faced threats to our well-being and the well-being of humanity, challenging our ability to gather in the ways and places tradition directs. And every time, we have creatively adapted, choosing safety and life. As a result, our rituals have evolved and the blossoming of our practices have deepened the meaning and heightened the power of how we express our Judaism. This year demands that we adjust to fulfilling that sacred mission and provides an invigorating opportunity for radical innovation.

Coming together through technology, in real time and through recorded modules, much will be different, but “Life is with people!” will remain unfaltering. We will be the first generation to gather online in this new way, from various locations around our city, our nation, our world, during our holiest season. But as Moses’ echoing words remind us, though we didn’t stand with our ancestors when we first heard “Choose life!” they were spoken to us then, as they are now. Even without the benefit of WiFi, our biblical ancestors understood that time and space collapse when we gather together as a community, pursuing the sanctity of our very existence.

We look forward to welcoming 5781 with you, experiencing the familiar observances of our tradition’s holiest days together in this new way. We wish you and your loved ones Shanah Tovah – a happy, healthy, and sweet new year.