Buds of Hope
Spring into spring! How cool is it that the buds of spring begin even in winter. We don’t see it until spring, but there is something percolating underground, buds are forming, etc. #TuBShevat
Okay, so that’s a different, earlier holiday, but it is a lovely precursor to Passover, which falls in the middle of Spring (well, at least when there is a leap year in the Jewish calendar…)
Here are some buds of hope:
Brandeis university is offering college students who are living amidst fear of anti-semitism on their campus, an opportunity to apply to transfer to them. Article here.
Even if this is not a feasible solution to many, I wonder if just knowing that this offer exists creates a sense of solace and support. I don’t know, I’m not in college nor is my child. Do you fall into one of the above categories, or are close with those who do?
Yasher koach to Brandeis University for creating a safe haven for Jews. I suppose it is much aligned with their original founding in 1948 (yup, same year as Israel’s independence) to provide a place of higher education for Jews during a time when there was so much anti-semitism in Ivy league colleges, and beyond. How are we here, again? As I posted yesterday, I never thought we were headed in this direction.
Another bud of hope. David Brooks has put out a book on how to listen to others with empathy and have effective communication (among other jewels of wisdom). Link here.
I found out about this the night after attending a wonderful talk at a synagogue in my community on how we can create a platform to discuss Israel inter-generationally.
And finally, here is a very poignant article about the meaning of the Seder through today’s lens.