Stories.The Torah is a collection of interconnected stories that we are commanded to repeat and remember. When Parashat Ki Tavo begins, Moses is giving his last speech to the Israelites, who have been wandering in the desert for 40 years. He tells them to recite over their offerings to G-d:

My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt and lived there, few in number, there becoming a great nation, powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians ill-treated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor.Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders (Deut. 26:5-8).

As the Israelites are about to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land, Moses reminds them not to forget where they came from, and to retell the story to the next generation. The Jewish people are storytellers, and by retelling our stories, we aren’t talking about history. We are part of the story, and they are our collective memory, repeated generation after generation, defining who we are and why we are here.  

As leaders in our communities, we have the obligation to share the stories of the past, to work to ensure a vibrant Jewish future, and to share what we have learned with our community. We are responsible for one another and we are commanded to share the “first fruits of the soil…and enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger in your midst, all the bounty that the Lord your God has bestowed upon you and your household” (Deut. 26:11). This reminds us that when we have good fortune, we have an obligation to help others in our community and to share our bounty.

As leaders in JFNA, our collective actions—fundraising, advocacy and outreach to our community—are critical. We play an important role in the future of the Jewish people; our actions and our passion inspire others to become involved, and to continue telling the stories of our people.

On JFNA’s King David Society Mission to China last March, our group shared a Shabbat dinner with members of the Shanghai Jewish community, attended a reception at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to China, met with students at a Jewish day school in Hong Kong and visited the JDC soup kitchen in the Hong Kew section of Shanghai, where thousands of Jews fleeing Europe during WWII found refuge. While we were thousands of miles away from our home, we were not learning about someone else’s history; we were learning and remembering our story. By learning the stories of the Jewish people in China, then and now, we were embracing them as our own.

This June, I participated in the second annual Ride for the Living, cycling from the darkness and death of Auschwitz to hope, light and Jewish renewal in Krakow.

As I stood at the gates of Birkenau, on the railroad tracks where so many Jews were sent to their death, Rabbi Avi Baumol shared a story describing how Jews seek revenge not by retaliating, but by living, growing and rebuilding. The proof that against all odds, we are a resilient people was clear that day.

We came together to celebrate life. Most inspiring was Marcel Zielinski, who, as a 10-year-old, was liberated from Auschwitz and walked back to Krakow to look for his parents. Seventy years later, three generations of his family came together to trace his route, from the ashes of the camps to a festive Shabbat dinner under the stars.

We biked 65 miles through the Polish countryside to light candles, recite the Hamotzi, share a table with a growing, thriving Jewish community and listen to Mundek, a survivor, sing Yiddish songs from his childhood. We had pedaled hard all day, crossing railroad tracks more than once, reflecting on where those tracks had taken boys and girls, men and women. Each participant realized that if Marcel, Mundek and other survivors can endure the Holocaust, we have the opportunity, obligation and privilege to continue the Jewish journey.

Ride for the Living helps spread awareness of this vibrant Jewish community, and reminds us that despite the enormous challenges facing the Jewish world, there’s hope and a bright future ahead.

As Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approach, we are asked to reflect on our year. Have we done our best for ourselves, for others, for our community? Maybe this year we can each share a personal story to ensure the continuity of our collective memory.

Shabbat Shalom,

Suellen