This week’s JCC State of Mind is written by Rabbi Hindy Finman, Senior Director of Jewish Life & Director, Center for Loving Kindness and Civic Engagement

Since officially joining the JCC in mid-June, I have had the privilege of meeting with so many people from across the entire Pittsburgh community and learning firsthand about the beautiful tapestry of our collective narrative. One recurring theme is the deep desire for instilling hope in all of us. So much has happened this year and we are all holding both concern and the belief that hope is not only possible but necessary.

The structure of the Jewish calendar allows us to opt into rituals rooted in hope and the possibility for a better tomorrow. As we enter the month of Elul, the month that leads us into the sacred time of the High Holidays, we find ourselves standing at the threshold of a season filled with reflection, renewal, and, most importantly, hope. Elul invites us to begin the spiritual work of introspection and make amends. It is a time when we are encouraged to pause, look within, and consider how we can grow, repair, and renew our relationships—with ourselves and with others.

This year, we are excited to expand our traditional High Holidays of Hope into an entire Season of Hope at the JCC, where we look to offer an opportunity to start anew, to replenish our hearts and minds, and to set our intentions for the year ahead. This journey, however, is not complete without a profound sense of hope that underpins our efforts and reminds us of our responsibilities and prospects for change and growth.

SEASON OF HOPE – UPCOMING EVENTS

• We invite you to join the 10.27 Healing Partnership on September 3 for Rosh Chodesh Elul: Preparing the Heart and Mind, an evening of meditative wellness activities and Jewish learning designed to increase thoughtfulness, care, and self-reflection.
• Set a Goal this Jewish New Year! Between September 3 and October 25, we encourage you to fill out and submit a JCC goal setting card and go on record with at least one thing you hope to accomplish in the year 5785. Think fitness, volunteerism or anything that will get you going. Together, there is no limit to what we can do and the sense of hope we can create!
• On September 18, the JCC will host An Evening with Mohammad Darawshe, where we will hear Mohammad’s personal story of living in Israel following October 7 as a member of the Arab minority and learn about his work with Givat Haviva and its impact on Jewish-Arab relations in Israel and beyond.
• Once again, we look forward to Start the New Year with A Mitzvah on October 3 from 3-4:15pm in Squirrel Hill and on October 6 from 2-3:15pm in the South Hills. Please come to the JCC and join our partners from several local congregations and community-based organizations in preparing care kits for those in need. Register HERE.
• On the afternoon of Yom Kippur, October 12 from 3-4:45 pm, we will gather for Saving the World, One Life at a Time, a community conversation on how we might meet our responsibility in addressing one of society’s most pervasive and challenging issues – the opioid epidemic. Register HERE.
• Save the date: Along with our colleagues at PJ Library and the JCC’s Early Childhood Development Center, our Season of Hope will culminate with a family-friendly Simchat Torah Shabbat dinner on October 25 from 5-6:30 pm. An age-appropriate acknowledgment of the yahrzeit for the events of October 7, 2023 will take place as well.View the full Season of Hope Schedule HERE

In today’s world, hope is more vital than ever. We live in a time of rapid change, uncertainty, and challenges that can often feel overwhelming. Yet hope is what sustains us. It is the light that guides us through the darkness, the force that propels us forward even when the path is unclear. Hope reminds us that, no matter the difficulties we face, we have the power to make a difference—to ourselves, to our families, to our community, and to the world—as was the case when the community gathered this past Sunday for a musical event in the JCC’s Ostrow Palm Court to send energy of light and goodness to Alon Ohel and all hostages that remain in Gaza.

May the Season of Hope at the JCC inspire us to gently embrace that hope, filling our hearts with courage and determination to build a stronger and more inclusive future for our Jewish and broader communities.
 
Wishing you and your families a Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Hindy