The Coronavirus pandemic is a time like none other in our lives. The loss of control, of daily routine and physical intimacy have impacted many of us in deep and troubling ways. Whether we are alone, without an income, trying to home school our children while working full time, or worrying about loved ones that we cannot visit, the stressors around us have grown exponentially. It is at times like this that we truly understand the importance of being part of a larger community. I am impressed at how the Temple Emanuel community has filled a void in our lives. Weekly Shabbat services provide structure and a needed, though brief, connection to others as we wave
and say “Shabbat Shalom” via Zoom. The TE religious school immediately set up online learning to replace in-school classes, helping our children retain some normalcy and routine in their lives.
Our members have reached out and checked in with each other, have made
meals, gone grocery shopping for those unable to do so and provided online
support in how we cope with the stress.
Members continue to work in our gardens, keeping TE beautiful for when we all return. And our contractor has started work on the school building addition, helping to promote our vision of the future during this time of uncertainty.
The larger Jewish community is there for us as well. The Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven has been doing its own outreach to members in the community and has set up emergency grants to Jewish agencies, synagogues and individuals in need. They have been providing tech support, running errands and providing online programming to help us as we make our way through this crisis. We are all a part of many communities —our families, our friends, our workplaces, organizations to which we belong.
As a member of Temple Emanuel, please know that we are here for you. If there is something you need, please reach out to me or to the Rabbi and we will try to get you the help you need. Thanks to all of you who have volunteered your time and kindness. We don’t know when this pandemic will end or how things will change, but I do know that having the support of a community makes a huge difference in how we get through difficult times. We are lucky to have such a strong Temple community, and I thank all of you
for being a part of TE. I wish all of our members and staff good health and peace as we make our way in this uncertain time.