It has been a heartbreaking day for the Jewish people. This morning, the bodies of Oded Lifshitz and Kfir, Ariel and Shiri Bibas returned to Israel in coffins. I cried and raged when I heard the news. How does one make sense of a world in which lives end this way? In which small children, their mother and a life-long peace activist are killed in captivity, in war? How do we hold our grief and rage, whilst also knowing that all around Oded, Kfir, Ariel and Shiri, so many Palestinians, including small children and their mothers, have also had their lives cut short? I don’t know that I have satisfying answers. Today is one of those days in which any answer would be unsatisfying. The only glimmer of an answer I can offer is to do what we can to maintain our humanity and to stay true to our values. This means that we must tend to one another – to our grief, to our rage, to whatever we are holding – and help each other navigate this horrific moment.  And it means that we must, once we have the resources to do so, pursue justice in this world, however we can.

This Shabbat is one such opportunity, to be present with one another, and to explore how we might pursue justice. We may not be able to solve all of our world’s problems in a single moment, but we can start. We will celebrate Disability Pride, uplifting the diversity of bodies, minds and souls in our community. As a disabled rabbi-in-training, I am so moved that our community is holding this service, a sign of our shared commitment to justice for all marginalised communities, including disabled people. The service will be co-led by me, Lilly-Emma and Simone. We are looking forward to sharing liturgy that witnesses the disability experience, and reflecting together on disability justice and the ways in which Judaism and the disability experience meet. We hope that you will join us this Shabbat, as we affirm that we are all made in the image of the Divine. There’s still time: if you self-identify as disabled and want to be involved in this service, please email studentrabbiyael@makorhayim.org. We would love to honour as many people as possible and will work with you to make participation accessible. Please don’t worry about whether or not you are “disabled enough.” We trust you to know your own experience. You can register here to let us know you’re coming. Please bring a snack to share for Kiddush.

However you are marking Shabbat this weekend, I hope that you are able to find comfort and consolation in community.

With love and blessings,

Student Rabbi Yael