In a special Rosh Hashanah letter to the editor for The Washington Times, our President and Global CEO, Yael Eckstein, reflects how carrying the memories of the previous year into the new year is just as important as starting again, and even plays a major role in doing so:
Still, beginning again does not mean forgetting what came before.
We carry the memories of the past year with us: the names of those we lost, families whose lives were changed forever and communities that endured unimaginable hardship. We carry the images of war and suffering, but also those of extraordinary courage.
In Jewish tradition, remembrance is not passive. To remember is to take responsibility.
We cannot know what will happen in the coming year, but we can determine how we respond. We can stand with the vulnerable, defend the dignity of the forgotten, speak up when hatred grows and bring light into places that seem impossibly dark.
Last year, I saw that light over and over again: in the generosity of people who refused to look away from suffering, in communities caring for their children, elderly, families and neighbors despite tremendous hardship, and in the Jewish people’s extraordinary determination to remain connected across oceans and borders.
I saw it also in the friends and supporters of The Fellowship. Every act of generosity told those we served: You are not alone. Your life matters.