Or say? Or think?

I thought to share links to essays. Or tell you about Ask Haviv Anything, a podcast I am loving right now. I thought about maybe not writing anything and letting it all go this time around.

Instead, I am going to go stream of consciousness, allowing my fingers to take dictation from my heart.

We will get through this. We Jews are a forever people.

That seems to piss alot of people off.  Let it.

We are stronger than hatred. We are stronger than the eviltry lobbed our way century after century. We know the stories of courageous grandparents and greatgrandparents who faced down Cossacks and Nazis and present-day shooters, These stories are deposits in our shared memory banks; we make withdrawals when we need to, fortifying ourselves in their memory.

We will light our candles. We will sing our songs. We will eat our latkes with sour cream and applesauce. And we will remember those whose lives were taken on this holiday and others all the way back to the Maccabees and before then, too.

We will remember the miracles: of a day’s worth of oil lasting for eight; manna from Heaven, the sun’s rising each morning. and the moon endlessly cycling through her seasons.

And just three nights ago a miracle amidst the murder at Bondi when a righteous man, Ahmed al Ahmed, disarmed one of the gunmen. May he recover from his injuries and be blessed with long life, a life not extended to Boris and Sofia Gurman and Reuven Morrison killed as they attempted to stop the nightmare.  And 12 others.

Just now the sun has set. Martin and I will soon head to synagogue where menorahs will be lit and latkes enjoyed. Where there may well  be an additional armed guard or two. Where we will dance a familiar dance stamping our feet in joy and sorrow and rage and determination to live and love and laugh.

Because our byword is l’chaim and our Jewish nation’s anthem is called Tikvah. And when you have life and hope you are eternal. You are the light.