One Year: October 7th Memorial Vigil

October 7, 2024

Remarks by Rabbi Ari Israel

 

There is nothing more whole than a broken heart. These words, spoken by 19th century Chassidic Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Kotkz remain vexing today.
What an anomaly, to be whole and broken at the same time!
Today was a broken day last year.
Today will be a broken day next year.
Today is just plain broken.
I wish I could stand here today with words of comfort.
I wish I could hug you all with encouraging words of support.
I wish I had words.
I wish I didn’t need to have any words.

A year ago, standing on the mall I shared words from my then 3 year old grandson Yaakov.  He is now 4 and was just at my house for Rosh HaShana
He asked me why do bees have stingers?
Then, as we were going outside and there was a downpour, he asked me why does Gd let it rain?
Though tempted to scramble for an explanation, I stopped myself.
Because the question of the unknown is more powerful than any finite and trite answer I could provide. And because I also don’t understand.
I feel like my four year old today as I struggle to comprehend the world around us.
The hate and ignorance that exists, right here in College Park.
The upside down debacle out on the mall today where fellow Terps excused the violence against Israelis on Oct. 7th.
I turn to them and extend an olive branch of hope.
To stop the antisemitic double standards. Instead of calling for divestment and anti-normalization, let’s INVEST in understanding one another.
To truly be pro your own identity instead of trying to pull mine down,
To not see the students gathered here as oppressors but as fellow students and human beings,
To not break up tough conversations on the mall today that organically happened but to let students talk to and learn from one another.
For everyone to seek to be free as a people, not at the expense of denying my people’s rights to exist
And I too, have work to do.
For me that’s meant to feel and know the story behind a five year old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab in Gaza city who lost her life in this violence, I want to uplift her story.
It breaks my broken heart that she lost her life.
I shared with our community earlier today that while it is a hard day for global and Israeli Jews, it is also a hard day for innocent civilians in Gaza, southern Lebanon, and elsewhere who are caught up in this conflict.
While ultimate moral responsibility rests with those who target civilians and hide behind them, we are heartbroken for all the human suffering unleashed by the cowardly 10/7 attacks.
As my grandson did, I ask you all to join me tonight and repeat loudly.
LAMAH
Which in Hebrew means WHY
When I say LAMAH
Please say WHY
LAMAH
WHY
LAMAH
WHY
Like my grandson, we as Jews like to ask a lot of questions.
We ask: why did this happen one year ago? Why after centuries of struggle are there still people bent on our destruction?
LAMAH
WHY
Rabbi Soloveitchik, the great 20th century Rabbinic leader shifted the Hebrew accent and emphasis, instead of LAMAH?
Limah – for what?
Li – for
Mah – what
Not why but what do I do about it now?
How can I lead a life with more empathy for the other?

How can I give a little more of my bounty to help those who have less?
How can I express love a little more to those we encounter?
To express our gratitude towards others – including the University Administration under President Pines as we welcome Vice President Patty Perillo here this evening.
To Chief Mitchell who is here tonight and the entire heroic UMPD squad who don’t just wear a badge of honor on their sleeves, the proudly display their generous heart with a smile.
I can’t alter or solve the LAMAH
I can This is LIMAH – who am I at this moment?

A limah moment is that several weeks ago, hundreds of Terps gathered in this spot to memorialize Hersh Goldberg Polin.
Tonight I want to announce that a Limah moment is that our community will be raising funds to write a Sefer Torah, a Torah scroll, in his memory that will live on in blessing as it was on Simchat Torah last year, the day of celebration of Torah, that October 7th fell out.

To quote Leonard Cohen
There’s a blaze of light in every word
It doesn’t matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah


Tonight, we are all broken. But to quote the Kotzker again, there is nothing more whole than a broken heart.
Because when something breaks apart, it’s not the same when you put it back together – ripped pieces of paper, a hole of dirt, a shattered glass.
Yet – when you take those individual pieces and hold them next to each other – it is those gaps – those moments of human interaction, that fill the void with the love and light each and every one of us carries.
The blaze of light that Leonard Cohen recognizes in us all
LAMAH
Why?
Because Limah – we are here for one another, together – Ahm Yisrael Chai!


As I look out at well over 1100 Terps standing here with love and pain, I see the light of every one of your souls that steps in to help out each other and together, we will repair our broken heart that will be more whole than before.


I want to welcome a blessed national leader to the podium: Congressman Steny Hoyer – an ally, a fellow Terp, a former SGA Vice President that led to him becoming the Congressional Majority Leader and the greatest friend the Zionist State of Israel has ever had in Congress!