We currently find ourselves in one of the most emotionally complex and meaningful seasons on the Jewish calendar – the weeks that bring us Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom HaAtzmaut. While these days arrive in relatively close succession, they ask very different things of us – remembrance, grief, gratitude, and even joy. Holding all of that at once is not always easy, but it is deeply important.
This past Monday evening and Tuesday were Yom HaShoah, and we paused to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and to honor not only the survivors who have carried forward lives of resilience and courage, but also the “Righteous Among the Nations,” non-Jewish individuals who risked everything to save Jews from capture by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
Next Monday evening and Tuesday is Yom HaZikaron and our focus will shift to those who gave their lives in defense of the State of Israel and to victims of terror. It is a day marked by collective mourning, reflection, and recognition of tremendous sacrifice. The weight of loss is both personal and communal, reminding us of the human cost in maintaining the existence of a free, democratic Jewish homeland. (Click HERE for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s virtual community ceremony.)
And then we will arrive at Yom HaAtzmaut next Tuesday evening and Wednesday. The abrupt transition to Israel’s Independence Day can feel jarring for some, moving from sorrow to joy in a matter of moments and celebrating renewal, self-determination, and hope. Yet that very shift reflects a central truth of the Jewish experience – that even in the shadow of loss, we continue to look forward. (Click HERE for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s virtual community celebration.)
Together, these days form a powerful emotional arc. They teach us that grief and joy are not opposites that need to be separated, but instead that both can be held at the same time – gam v’gam. They remind us that memory gives meaning to independence, that sacrifice deepens appreciation, and that hope is made more profound when it emerges from hardship.
At the JCC, we recognize that our community holds a wide range of perspectives and experiences around this unique sequence of days. All are valid. In embracing the full emotional range of this season, we affirm not only our history, but our shared commitment to community and a future grounded in dignity and connection.
Wishing you and your families a Shabbat shalom,
Jason
