Dear Friends,
The tragedy, the devastation, and the heroism and resilience of Oklahoma City has affected us all. BJBE congregants are compassionate and determined to do what they can and respond when called upon. Even as the mission to New Orleans leaves on Thursday, members are reaching out to us to organize a mission to Oklahoma City. This Friday night I will be talking about the events of the past week as well as honoring our veterans on this Memorial Day weekend. I will also announce a BJBE emergency relief team that is in formation that will have the ability to respond to disasters, including this current one. In the meantime, I have asked Cantor Wolman with Dr. Gary Schaffel to explore a brief mission to Oklahoma on June 7-9th.
On Thursday, Rabbi Stoller leaves for New Orleans with a group of congregants as part of our ongoing commitment to help rebuild that city. He wrote this to the group:
I know all of us are devastated by the tragedy yesterday in Oklahoma. The images and reports are chilling. Homes flattened. Lives destroyed. Children buried alive in their school. The horror is unspeakable and incomprehensible. We simply cannot know why tragedies like this happen, and sadly, we have no power to prevent them. But that does not mean we are powerless. We have the power to respond, to lend a hand, to give of our time, our resources, and ourselves to help the victims. God is found in the response to tragedy, when people come to help and be present with those who suffer.
This is what our work in New Orleans is all about. As we head to NOLA on Thursday, I know that the people of Oklahoma will be very much in our hearts and our prayers. I hope that BJBE will find a way to participate in the relief effort there, too. In the meantime, over the next few days, let us harness the compassion and empathy we feel toward the victims of this horrendous natural disaster, and give it with all our might and all our hearts to the people of New Orleans.
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu, melech ha’olam, shenatan lanu hizdam’nut l’takein et ha’olam.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who gave us the opportunity to repair the world.
I know you join me in admiration to our NOLA team in wishing them God’s speed. If you are interested in joining the team to Oklahoma, please contact Cantor Wolman (rwolman@bjbe.org), and if you wish join the small steering committee of our emergency relief team, contact Chime (ccostello@bjbe.org).
With blessings, prayers and hope,
Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar