On Keeping Hope

I’m currently in Los Angeles for a grad school intensive and I gave a short d’var Torah this morning.

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In this week’s Torah portion, we encounter a pivotal moment in the story of Noah. Our reading begins with “And the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.” This symbolizes physical destruction, but also a spiritual reset for humanity, as the world as it had once been was now washed away, leaving a blank slate. It serves as a reminder that our actions have consequences.Yet, even in these dark moments, “God remembered Noah.” God did not give up on humanity and the receding waters symbolize hope and the possibility of rebirth. 

It has been a tough year for Jews. In the aftermath of October 7th, we are facing increasing anti-Semitism and hatred here at home and war in Israel. When the horrific events of October 7th happened, I had just found out I was pregnant and I worried about what the world would be like for my then-unborn daughter, who is also a Jew of Color. I’m sure many of us have had difficult conversations with our students, children, family, and congregants and have worried about security. But Noach reminds us that we should not give up, even when it feels like everything is working against us.

Even in the face of hatred and uncertainty, we are building joyful Jewish communities. We are here at HUC because we are committed to passing on our religion and traditions. We have so many reasons to be scared, to want to hide, to close ourselves off, but the best way we can combat that is to continue living Jewishly. That’s why I choose to send my daughter to my Temple’s preschool and take her to every holiday celebration, even though she is too young to remember it right now. I want her to know that she should be proud of being Jewish, no matter what the world tells her.

Noach offers us important lessons about destruction and renewal. Even in the darkest of moments, we are not forgotten and we can emerge from difficult times even stronger and more resilient. Faith is not merely about belief, but also about action and moving forward. As we reflect on this passage, let us carry forward the hope that, like Noah, we too can find new beginnings and hope in the potential for a brighter future.