Dear Colleagues,
There are many places in the halakhic literature where the sources note that we can fulfill mitzvot for one another based on the principle:
כולנו ערבים זה בזה
All the people of Israel are responsible one for another.
This sense of unity – of oneness – reaches towards that same quality that we proclaim in the שמע as we attribute it to the Holy One.
This past year brought that sense of mutual responsibility – and a desire for unity – to levels we never could have anticipated. There are no words to describe what we and our communities have been through since Shmini Atzeret/Simhat Torah 5784, October 7, 2023. The challenges facing our Israeli colleagues as they provided every kind of physical and spiritual support. The challenges of antisemitism facing our communities outside of Eretz Yisrael. The exhaustion, loneliness, inspiration, and hopefulness that have been a part of rabbinic leadership. The opportunities and resources Our RA has created for learning, connection, counseling, advocacy, liturgical expression, and togetherness.
We offer this report in appreciation of the tremendous efforts every colleague has made this past year to inspire and lead our communities across the globe. And we appreciate the hundreds of volunteers and our incredible professional staff who have facilitated the many ways we have been of support to one another. We pray that the year to come will bring peace and safety, along with a continued sense of mutual presence and responsibility as colleagues and as a people.
עם ישראל חי
Jacob Blumenthal, RA/USCJ CEO Jay Kornsgold, RA President