So… how is 5782 going for you thus far? I have enjoyed seeing pictures of families getting together to celebrate the holy days, including these last few days… gathering in sukkahs all across our community. And as Sukkot comes to an end, we are approaching Simchat Torah, our celebration of Torah. A holiday where we literally dance with our history and our tradition as we conclude and begin again the annual reading of the Torah. It is a beautiful time of year for our people. 

But, in my eyes, like many of you, I’m sure, this celebration will once again be tempered due to COVID.

For me, these past several weeks have been stressful and somewhat confusing as reports continue to pour in over the health and safety of our nation as the Delta variant continues to infect our fellow citizens – both here in the US and all over the world. 

And in response to these reports, we have also seen and heard the recommendations about boosters coming out from both the CDC and the FDA, as immunologists, virologists, and others debate not only the effectiveness of people getting boosters but whether they should be widely administered. All the while people debate the legality of mandating vaccination in city establishments or workplaces. It is a sad state that this issue has continued to divide our country instead of uniting around the idea of fighting against this crisis. 

And yet… there is a glimmer of hope imminently approaching as it sounds as if there soon could be an emergency authorization given so that children 5-12 can receive the COVID vaccine. It is unclear at this time when this may happen but the fact that more people will soon be able to be vaccinated is something to celebrate. 

I am extremely hopeful that as this next group of people are eligible we will continue to see a decline in those infected with this insidious illness and that we can finally near the end of this pandemic.