We Will Continue to Love

Dear Friends,

It is Wednesday, Nov. 6, and this was not the letter I was hoping to write.
Like so many of us, I feel stunned, horrified, enraged and so profoundly sad.
It is difficult to know what to say.
Soon it will be time to look forward together, to plan, to hope, to continue to rise with strength and determination.
Today I can only be in heartache and grief.

There was so much that gave me hope these past weeks.
The joy and enthusiasm of so many people I spoke with walking around neighborhoods and knocking on doors.
The help I received from election officials as I sought to fix ballots and help people vote.
The joy at the polls yesterday with folks lining up at 6:30AM to make sure they got their vote in early.
The camaraderie all day with community workers and all the people who came to vote with their kids and grandmothers.

I have been weeping all morning thinking about the 4-year-old-girl who was crying yesterday because she thought Kamala was going to be there when she went with her mom to vote. Many people surrounded her with love as her Mom held her close and joyfully sang, “We did it, we did it, we voted for Kamala and now she will be President.”

I really thought that we as a country would vote for love, for inclusion, for decency.
I can’t express the depth of my anguish and disappointment.

I am determined to return to the hope and love I know is true.
I am determined to continue the work for justice, equality, dignity, compassion and community.
And today all I can do is mourn.
 
I am sending much love to all of you.
Let’s be kind and gentle with each other.
Let’s make sure we reach out to each other and let each other know we are not alone.


Let’s be true to our sadness and disappointment.
We will continue to love and find our way together.

With prayers and blessings,
Rabbi Yael