Rabbi Melissa Stollman is currently a major gifts officer for the Union for Reform Judaism, and is the former director of lifelong learning at Congregation Kol Tikvah in Parkland, FL.
No matter what we face in the world right now, we still can thank God for what we have – including the blessing of each new day and the hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Now, as restrictions begin to lift, we are faced once again with how to conduct our worship in meaningful ways. Just because our synagogues can be open does not necessarily mean that they should be.
Not enough time has passed for us to fully heal from what we, as the communal collective, experienced. We may be able to understand and process the grief more fully, and recognize the signs of post-traumatic stress, but it doesn’t lessen the effects of either.