Thursday, March 28, 2024 -
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Is G-d trying to tell us something?

Should we be worried?

When preparing Andrea Jacobs’ story last week on the Boulder floods for early publication, we experienced a brief moment of déjà vu: Weren’t we here last year? Only in 2013, Andrea’s story was about a much more personal trauma that occurred just after Yom Kippur: an HEA congregant being hit by lightning.

Both stories share two major things in common: our powerlessness against the weather, and Yom Kippur. Is G-d trying to tell us something?

Suddenly, the Unetanneh Tokef piyyut, where the variegated means of death are enumerated, seems very real. Who by water? Who by fire?

We can’t deny being a little freaked out, but on closer deliberation, and after seeing the community come together to support those affected (both Jewish and gentile) by the floods, we concluded that the lesson G-d may be trying to teach is something altogether positive: the importance of supporting each other, and how effective humanity can be when people simply come together.

Two weeks ago, just before Yom Kippur, we blogged about how integral unity is to the success of the larger Jewish community. From the events of the past few weeks, it seems we’re on the right track!

Kol HaKavod to all those who helped the Boulder/Longmont communities, in any way, big or small, known or unknown.

Andrea Jacobs’ coverage of the freak lightning strike last year can be found here and the follow up here.




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