Voices of WRJ: Noach

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been hanging on to some hope for a reset for our world. I worry a lot. Sometimes I have trouble sleeping. I often have difficulty focusing on tasks beyond staying current with the latest news of the day – and we seemingly have crises in the United States every few hours. It’s exhausting.

While many of the issues I worry about pertain primarily to my country, and to my state of Wisconsin, our entire planet seems to be at risk of imploding, whether it be from a global health pandemic, severe weather phenomena due to global warming, racism, xenophobia, trade wars, and authoritarianism. The list goes on and on. To top it all off, we can’t trust many of our sources of information, and the very definitions of truth and facts have become more subject to opinion than I ever would have guessed possible.

Many of us don’t trust our neighbors, friends, or even family members. We are so divided by our worldviews and ideas of right and wrong. Indeed, our nation’s leadership seems to thrive on creating this chaos. Not what I expected my life to be like at this point!

Along comes this week’s parashah, Noach (Genesis 6:9-11:32). It is a story of a world gone corrupt and God’s decision to hit a reset button. As we read in the parashah, there is a huge flood, which wipes out all life on the planet, except for Noah, his family, and the animals which God directs Noah to save. Eventually, they all get off the boat, wondering what life in the new world will be like, and God makes a new covenant with the family, promising never again to destroy the earth. It will now be up to the humans. That’s us.

As Jews, we hold dear tikkun olam or repair of the world. Even in the midst of all the despair many of us feel right now, there is much that we can accomplish. I remember this in my better moments! For many of us, a primary way we can effect change is to vote for our leaders. The US election is underway. I’ve voted. I’ve spoken with others, sharing my thoughts, ideas, hopes, and dreams. I encourage others to vote. I do feel some despair that, in trying to stay safe during the pandemic, I can’t easily get out and physically help others register to vote or submit their ballots. I fret a lot. And, I wonder what our world will look like once we get the results of our election.

Like Noah and his family, we face many unknowns regarding the future. I’m not sure we’ll actually disembark from an ark, but, after this long, arduous journey, will we be able to face the future with hope and optimism? Will we be fruitful and live with prosperity, once again filling our lives with light and justice for all? The challenge to improve and save our world rests with us. Let us all do our parts. In doing so, may we go from strength to strength.

Wishing you a peaceful, inspiring Shabbat!

Rozan Anderson is a member of the WRJ Board and is the newly-installed 1^st VP of the WRJ Midwest District. She is an immediate past president and former executive director of her congregation, Temple Beth El in Madison, WI, and a past president of Temple Beth El Sisterhood.