We all need a home. A place to rest, shelter and belong. As I’m writing this, during the last days of Sukkot, these thoughts are on my mind.
For a while something’s been bothering me: on Sukkot, we build a temporary dwelling — a shack of sorts — we expose ourselves to the elements in covered huts, commemorating G‑d’s sheltering our ancestors as they traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land. While we rejoice in the protection that we received from G-d, there is a message contained in this story — that we are not in control of our own security, and that it is never guaranteed.
Living in Cape Town in 2021, it is impossible to view these makeshift structures whose abilty to protect us from the elements is limited at best, without acknowledging the many similarly flimsy structures that have sprung up all over our city in the last year and more, proliferating at an alarming rate. There is a crisis of homelessness on our doorstep.
Sukkot reminds us that it could be us, that it was indeed us.
On page 17, read about Danny Diliberto’s vision of the power of kindness and giving. And how he’s put these values into practise, making a meaningful difference in his own, and many peoples’ lives.
Last month, we printed a 52-page Rosh Hashana issue. Thank you to all those who expressed delight and appreciation for the hard copy. We intend to print once more this year, for our final edition of 2021 — December/January. There were some emails asking to be removed from the postal list as these readers were more comfortable reading the Chronicle online. It’s good to know that we have loyal readers on both platforms, and will continue to endeavour to cater to all preferences.
Spring has well and truly sprung, and a veritable cornucopia of chaggim has come to an end. And while it was good to relive the rituals and connections that these special times entail, they did make production of the Chronicle a bit tricky to navigate. That said, I believe we have come up with plenty of interesting and inspiring content. As Daniel Bloch says on page 6, quoting the late American author, Spencer Johnson, “Life moves on and so should we.”
As we plan our last two issues for the year, please remember to send us your news, opinions, letters etc so that this publication can fulfil its mission of serving as a meeting place, a source of information, and a conversation for our community.
I wish you health, stamina and productivity as we head back into that most unfamiliar of things — a 5-day working week!
• Published in the PDF edition of the October 2021 issue – Click here to get it.
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