Illini Hillel Family,
We know that this is a difficult time for everyone and we wanted to spread some happy news. Erez and Dana Cohen welcomed their second child last week just before shabbat. We wanted to share with you a letter that Erez wrote last week to his newly born child. Now that Erez, Dana, and their two children are safely at home, we are able to share:
My child, this morning you made your grand entrance into our world. Your mother and I have been excitedly and anxiously awaiting your arrival. Excited because we can't wait to see all the wonderful things you will learn and experience. We will watch as you explore the worlds of sound, color, flavor, language and concepts. Anxious because the world you came into feels very different than the one we imagined for you. The everyday life things we took for granted were shattered with the appearance of a single organism.
In our current world, commencements, weddings, and even just regular days at the office or at school came to a screaming halt. I can't believe that just a month ago, we were discussing how many people we should invite to your naming ceremony. We rarely had to consider how a celebration of someone's life might affect someone else's health and longevity. Coming together as a community was a recipe for empowerment and strength. Until now. Now that you are here, I am left to figure out how to help you navigate this new world which contains a new reality for me as well.
Everything feels so unfamiliar right now. Luckily, we are not alone. We have each other and we have our traditions and texts. This Shabbat - your first Shabbat is Shabbat Hachodesh. We will read about the commandment to make a Day of Remembrance in the coming month. It is the obligation to celebrate Passover and read the exodus story "as if we were slaves in the land of Egypt". On this day we must see ourselves as those who left their known and familiar world in Egypt and pursued a new future. They had to witness a lot of reality shattering moments including plagues and miracles; including death and destruction. They had to walk the path of self discovery, exploration, and innovation in order to create something that would live for millennia after them. Their promised land was not given through instant gratification, but through perseverance and resilience. They made it through dark times. Together.
This story that has been told over and over is now becoming our reality as you and I venture into these unknown territories in search of freedom, understanding and the true essence of our community. I look forward to going on this journey with you and with our people.
Let's grow together from strength to strength. Shabbat Shalom!
Erez Cohen Executive Director, Illini Hillel