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Hannah Geller
Jewish & Israel Activist, Video Producer

Behar-Behukkotai: Beginnings, Endings, In-Between

Am Yisrael Chai By Simonafaustyna - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Wikimedia Commons
Am Yisrael Chai By Simonafaustyna - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Wikimedia Commons
In Judaism we have beginnings, we have endings, and we have the in-between.
For example: Shabbat starts, it ends, and we make havdalah separating it from the new week.

We are still mourning Sarah and Yaron, the tragic end of two beautiful Jewish lives. I don’t know about you, though I was filled with uncertainty and shock, as well as fear and disbelief. I got stuck in the in-between, a momentary lapse of faith. But in just a second this all changed.

Before I knew it, my tears of sadness became those of joy as I learned that my close friend gave birth to a healthy baby girl, bringing another Jewish soul into this world. Seeing both the ending and the creation of life within hours was poetic. I went from being angry at G-d to praising G-d. From asking, “how could this happen, why them, why not me?” to singing (and dancing in the kitchen) to songs about how much I love to be Jewish.

You see, the paralyzing pain morphed into a surprise strength. It was inside me all along. I just had to choose it.

This Shabbat we will wrap up sefer vayikra, one of the five books of Moses. Next week we will start sefer bamidbar. So what do we do in the meantime?
Immediately after finishing one book, we say in one united voice, “Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek!” – “Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened!”

The beginnings and endings– the ups and downs– in this life are inevitable. But what we do in between is what really defines us.

It’s about how we as Jews embrace our adaptability and our resilience, our optimism and our strength, our unity and our vision.

Will we choose to stand strong in the face of challenges? Will we rely on each other to hold ourselves together? Will we accept our fate or will we fight for our future?

The choice is yours. I know what I’ll choose.
Shabbat shalom and am Yisrael chai,
Hannah
Originally written for Voice Of The People, President Herzog’s Initiative for a Shared Jewish Future. 
About the Author
Hannah Geller leads video strategy for a global Jewish advocacy organization and is one of 150 council members of Voice of the People, President Herzog's initiative for a shared Jewish future. She is the Director of Photography for Emmy-Nominated "Quiet Sundays,” is always dreaming of innovative ways to help the Jewish people, and aspires to be an influencer for good and holy purposes. Views are hers.
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