counting on community

I was talking with a friend before Shabbat and I described this time after the High Holidays as "the descent." To which she responded, "Well that means you at least got a little high!" Good point. The High Holiday season, which we have now officially exited [I even took my sukkah down today!], was full of intensity. And it was incredibly beautiful. I have savored the moments when I was able to close my eyes and listen to all of us singing together. Our songs and our silence were transformative for me personally. And I was feeling almost melancholy that it was all over. 

And then this past weekend we celebrated the New Moon, Shabbat and Molly's Bat Mitzvah. And we danced and sang and ate. And I was once again nourished by the sweetness of the KT community and Jewish time. I was reminded that in fact the High Holidays are our community booster shot. They are designed to get us back in the swing of things, to help us reconnect, to jumpstart the year. And then we get to enjoy each other and be nourished by the slightly less intense, yet still beautiful and joyful rhythms of the weeks and the months. 

Thank you for that reminder. Thank you for teaching me about the incredible power of community, every day!

Shavua Tov,
Rabbi Ari Lev