It is a miracle. Kehillat Israel, a reconstructionist synagogue in the Pacific Palisades, stands after the devasting Palisades fire last week on January 7th. Yet many of their congregation lost their homes. Despite this, the tight-knit community wasted no time in re-establishing as quickly as possible. Through the generosity of the Cayton Children’s Museum in Santa Monica, they came together this morning for one of their favorite rituals, Tot Shabbat.
It is in this temporary space that I found myself standing with them earlier today, eyes closed as instructed by the Rabbi just before reciting the Sh’ma. The room quieted somewhat – as befits an open circular gathering space filled with at least 30 young children and their parents and caregivers, as well as the Pre-School teachers and clergy. As Rabbi Sher told me as everyone gathered, “these kids have a superpower – joy – and we are going to harness that.”
In that moment between closing my eyes and the Rabbi beginning to recite the Sh’ma, I had such a powerful flashback that had the wall I was leaning against in the back not been there, I might just have toppled over. Eyes closed, I was suddenly transported back to B’nai Jeshurun Synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan the week after 9/11, where I, five months pregnant with our second child, was at a similar tot shabbat service with our then two year old. And my eyes flew open. I realized as I looked around this gathering of people seated on a floor in the museum, that I felt what I had felt then: enveloped in the warm embrace of the community. And I took a deep breath.
Overcome, I kept looking around this room. Toddlers and babies sat in their parents’ laps or scurried around. Parents hugged each other, wiped away tears. Many had lost everything, and yet here they all were: mothers and fathers and caregivers and teachers and of course, babies and toddlers, gathered to engage in one of our most sacred rituals. They were here to be present and engage in the time-honored ritual of Shabbat. Healing and recovery will take time; fortunately Shabbat gives us all a respite of time.
One of the teachers, Amy Batz, spoke of how nice it felt to just be with the kids this morning, to feel the sense of community. A bit of normalcy. The Rabbi encouraged us all to take a deep breath, and maybe another. To engage just as it had been practiced in the actual Kehillat Israel building – and in so doing, this pre-school community protected the sacredness of their weekly tot shabbat ritual.
Practicing these foundational rituals helps to ground us, to bring back the familiarity. This even extended to all of the children receiving a brand-new Dinosaur t-shirt, something that they wear each week to usher in Shabbat.
KI is deeply rooted in the Palisades community. Many that I spoke to have been longstanding members, even multi-generational members, celebrating all their simchas there. Rob Ellison, a father of three, spoke to me of having been a part of the pre-school for the last 10 years. Their youngest is set to graduate this Spring. His family has deeps roots at the synagogue. That KI is standing, that he is a part of this community, gives him a sense of hope that they are loved and supported and will get through this.
“KI is strong & resilient,” said Lauren Lev, a longtime staff member. It’s not only their internal community that is coming together though. It is also through the community at large that has stepped up. What a joy to come together, to begin the healing process and celebrate tot shabbat in a children’s museum overflowing with the noise and pitter patter of children running around the space where we were.
The prayers were said. The songs were sung. A few tears were shed. As the service came to its’ conclusion, the Rabbi introduced the final song, Oseh Shalom. He spoke of an enduring quality of the Jewish people is to never stop wishing for peace & healing in the world at large, even when we ourselves need healing.
We are Jews in the Diaspora; by definition we come from somewhere else. We have moved often; and will move again. And the community of KI will move too, perhaps in ways in may not be able know today, but given the strength and love that I witnessed this morning in their tot shabbat, they will move forward with grace and grit.
Shabbat shalom.
Dr. Beth Ricanati is a physician, speaker and the author of “Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs,” a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award.
