From the President – April 15, 2022

Man plans and God laughs.  We were supposed to be in Oregon this week to celebrate our granddaughter’s first Pesach, but weather advisories between Shasta City and Ashland forced us to postpone our trip.  We will be joining you from our home once again this year.  

Just as it was difficult to decide to postpone our trip, it was extremely difficult to decide not to hold our community seder in person. Dangerous road conditions and Covid-19 are both out of our control.  We really miss seeing our granddaughter.  Each day brings new milestones for her that we are missing, but safety must come first.  We really miss being together for our community seder, but the ritual committee including Rabbi Dean and the reopening committee observed that Covid is not gone and that a large group singing and eating together would not be safe.

Honestly, I am tired of writing about the pandemic and I am sure you are tired of reading about it.  I never thought we would celebrate our master story online for the third time, but as I wrote and has been written and said by many others, “Man plans and God laughs.”  

I am, however, thankful for the technology that allows us to hold an online seder and I am hopeful that we will be able to gather together next year.  This year as we say and sing, “Next year in Jerusalem”, I will be thinking, “Next year in our sanctuary.”

 If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when?   -Rabbi Hillel

~ Michael R Cohen, President, Temple Beth Hillel