By CHIEF RABBI DR WARREN GOLDSTEIN
I have been searching for the right words to capture my feelings after all we have been through since October 7. And then it came to me. It’s the soul-stirring opening line of the final parsha of the year that we read on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah: “You are all standing here today before G-d.”
According to the great Torah commentator Rashi, this is G-d’s promise to the Jewish people that we will never be destroyed. We will endure throughout history; no matter the great difficulties and challenges and calamities we face – we will still be standing in the end.
We are still standing. Doesn’t that say it all? It’s now almost one year since the October 7 massacre, the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. That day shook the Jewish people to the core. But we remain standing. Proud, defiant, more vital than ever. After everything we’ve been through – the trauma of the attack, the losses in the ensuing war, the painful plight of the hostages, the rockets and missiles from Hezbollah and Iran, the horrific antisemitism that has been unearthed and targeted at Jewish communities across the world in the aftermath – we’re still here.
Looking back at this year, it’s staggering what we’ve weathered. We stand in awe of the heroism of the soldiers of the IDF for fighting a gruelling war in unimaginably difficult circumstances, the families of the hostages for enduring so many months of not knowing where their loved ones are or what is happening to them, the brave people of the state of Israel who’ve been embattled on all sides, forced to flee their homes and fend off rocket attacks.
In the US, the UK and many other countries, Jewish communities have been on the receiving end of poisonous antisemitic rhetoric emanating from street and university protests, with antisemitic incidents surging to the point where, in many places, outward signs of Jewishness are considered a risk.
Here in South Africa, while we have been blessed with some of the lowest rates of antisemitism in the world, our community has had to contend with an openly hostile government siding with violent regimes and terror groups that make no secret of their genocidal intent towards Israel; a government that has levelled a modern blood libel against the Jewish state at international fora such as the ICJ (International Court of Justice) and the ICC (International Criminal Court).
But, through it all, we “are all standing here today before G-d” – meaning that our strength comes from our connection to Hashem; knowing that He is always with us, and will continue to be with us, every step of the way, especially in times of crisis. No matter how difficult things get, we are never alone.
Ultimately, to “stand before G-d”, also means to live authentically, standing firm with a clear conscience, being true to our most sacred values. And I think we can take great pride as a community in doing exactly that – standing firm in our Zionism, standing firm in our Jewish pride, standing firm in our commitment to truth and justice.
This commitment to G-d and our Torah values is what has kept us standing – and thriving. And it is the gateway to a vibrant future.
May Hashem bless our special Cape Town Jewish community and, of course, our brothers and sisters in Israel, with a sweet new year – a year of peace, safety and abundance for all.
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