Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.
Dear Friends,
I invite you to join me in honoring the memory of the six Israeli hostages murdered in cold blood last week.
Next week, beginning Sunday September 8, will be the first full week of the month of Elul. Genesis Chapter 1 was the Torah reading on the morning of Simchat Torah on October 7th in Israel. Let us dedicate each day of the week to study a portion of Bereshit Chapter 1 in memory of each of these victims; one day for each soul.
In my own schul, each day between mincha and maariv I will give a teaching related to each day of creation and some biographical details about each victim on their respective day. Similarly, I encourage everyone to take a moment each day to study some text and to learn about each of the six hostages. You can follow the links below or search on your own for appropriate texts and for informatin about the hostages.
May we find a small measure of consolation in our grief by leaning into our undying attachment to the God, the Torah, the People, and the Land, of Israel.
Day 1 (Genesis 1:1-5) God created light. This day in honor of Ori Danino. Ori means “my light.” The daily Ashkenazi liturgy mentions the primordial light, and asks God to shine a new light on Zion.
Day 2 (Genesis 1:6-8) God divided heaven from earth. This day in honor of Carmel Gat. Carmel is a mountain in Israel where the prophet Elijah bridged heaven and earth (1 Kings 18).
Day 3 (Genesis 1:9-13) God separated the dry land from the sea. This day in honor of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the dual US-Israeli citizen who united hearts and souls in both lands, across the ocean.
Day 4 (Genesis 1:14-19) God created the sun and the moon and the stars. This day for Alexander Lobanov. Alexander the Great was a philosemitic king who discussed the constellations with the Sages of Israel in the Negev desert. (bottom of Tamid 31b and following).
Day 5 (Genesis 1:20-1:23) God created sea life. This day for Almog Sarusi. Almog means coral. King Solomon used Almog coralwood in the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 10, particularly 10:11-12)
Day 6 (Genesis 1:24-31) God created Man with dust from Jerusalem and placed him in Eden (Rashi on Genesis 2:7). This day for Eden Yerushalmi.
Shabbat (Genesis 2:1-3) This day in honor of all six martyred souls, and in prayer for healing and consolation for their families.
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Rabbi Moshe Grussgott is a second-generation member of Morashah, the rabbinic fellowship of UTJ.
He has engaged with all types of Jews worldwide. From Belarus and Minsk to Australia and New Zealand, he worked with Jewish teens and teenagers with special needs. He has been both a hospital and military chaplain. These experiences have enriched and informed his perspective as a synagogue rabbi – his life’s main passion.
Rabbi Grussgott was educated for 8 years at Yeshiva University, during which time he earned a BA in Psychology, an MA in Medieval Jewish History, and rabbinic ordination.
Rabbi Grussgott serves as rabbi of Kehilath Israel in Overland Park, Kansas.