TBS News and Information

Our Torah portion this week contains a timely message about our world today. (Doesn’t it always!) In Ki Tavo, Moses tells the Israelites a long list of what may befall them when they enter the Promised Land. There may be curses, but there are also blessings. The difference comes in how they order their society and form a community.

Curses and blessings. That’s certainly something we know in our world today. We continue to be cursed by the plague of gun violence. Evergreen High School in Colorado became the 100th school this year to report incidents of gunfire on school grounds, as a 16-year-old shot two fellow students before turning the gun on himself. We are cursed with the scourge of racism and hatred of others. On Thursday, multiple historically Black colleges and universities in Alabama, Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, and Georgia, went into emergency lockdown following racially charged threats made to their campuses. We are cursed by the rise in political violence. The killing this week of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk follows an alarming recent trend of the targeting of public figures: the murder of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, the firebombing of Governor Josh Shaprio’s home in Pennsylvania while the family slept inside, the assassination attempts on President Trump during the 2024 campaign, and others. These curses undermine the very fabric of our society as violence and hatred fray our communal ties.

The alternate vision is one of connection, inclusion, and harmony. While I feel hard pressed to find that on a national scale, we do see those blessings within our own community here at TBS. Take this past Sunday for example. On that one day, 30 parents and grandparents explored with Rabbi Perlin ways to celebrate Rosh HaShanah with our young children, Brotherhood held a very successful opening event, 19 pre-teens went bowling together with our Junior BeaSTY youth group, 17 eleventh and twelfth graders enjoyed pizza and camaraderie for Post- Confirmation class with me, and our magnificent choir rehearsed with Cantor Lindsay for the upcoming High Holy Days. We are grateful for the blessings of being together, learning, eating, and having fun.

Our blessings as a community don’t stop, of course, with just one day. Our High Holy Day season is upon us, with so many opportunities to gather for prayer and reflection, connection and community. That begins tomorrow night, with our Selichot program with Rabbi Perlin, including dedicating her portrait in our front lobby, and the Selichot service that Rabbi Perlin, Cantor Lindsay, and I will lead. Be sure to join in this very meaningful evening!

Curses and blessings informed Israelite society long ago. They shape ours today, too. May we so order our society and strengthen our community so as to avoid the curses and merit the blessings, instead.