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September 28, 2001/Tishri 11, 5762, Vol. 54, No. 3
Acts of grace and kindness
FLO ECKSTEIN
Publisher
Precisely when we needed to acknowledge an intense loss and to begin healing, Rosh Hashana arrived to usher in the Jewish year 5762, and then Yom Kippur, when we vow to lead a principled life, relating to God and to other people with fairness and compassion.
The past two weeks have been painful beyond description, beginning Sept. 11, when terrorists turned four passenger jetliners into guided missiles; killing thousands and injuring thousands more; obliterating the soaring World Trade Center towers and adjacent buildings in New York City, and a portion of the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C.; and shaking the confidence of Americans in our personal safety and the security of our national borders - trust we had long since taken for granted.
Most of us know people - relatives, friends, friends of friends, business associates - directly impacted by the devastation. We have been shaken to the core, physically and psychologically, by a small, fanatical, insidious outlaw gang. We feel exposed and vulnerable.
Yet as swiftly as the dust and ashes descended over Manhattan and Washington on that sunlit fall morning, we witnessed our fellow Americans - professionals and volunteers, colleagues and strangers - rushing forward to rescue the wounded, to recover the dead, to plan, to rebuild. They continue to labor 24/7, salvaging what they can and removing what they must. Their patience, perseverance and nobility show all of us how to respond to this crisis. We, too, have a job to do to preserve and protect our families and our nation - in our homes, workplaces and community.
We must help victims of the terror attack by contributing to disaster relief funds and encouraging others to do so. We must gather and send needed supplies and equipment. We must, if we can, give blood.
We must decry the rash of hate crimes, ranging from phone threats to the murder in Mesa of a turbaned gas station owner, targeting decent citizens because of skin tone, clothing or name, that have infected our cities in the wake of the attacks.
We must reach out to Muslim, Arab and Sikh neighbors and colleagues, opening channels of communication with the aim of establishing mutual understanding and support.
We must be involved in politics and in our community. Citizen advocates and volunteers, including those of us who educate elected officials on how to do their jobs, make possible our free, democratic society.
We must invest new focus, energy, imagination and enthusiasm in our businesses - the backbone of our economy - so that they flourish in the wake of our uncertain economic environment.
Above all, we must "be there" for family, friends and colleagues, freely sharing comforting words and hugs, tears and laughter. This is a time to celebrate important occasions - births, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, promotions - with particular passion. We must rejoice in our many blessings.
"Faithful love gives life to all, and acts of grace restore our strength," the Rosh Hashana liturgy tells us. As we move into the New Year as Jews, and face unprecedented challenges as Americans, let us embrace the value of life and the joy of warm relationship.
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