At the 5/14 memorial last week, I walked into the Tops on Jefferson for the first time. The recently renovated interior was bright and airy, full of the normal sights and sounds of the large supermarket chain. But it was impossible to escape the events of three years ago, the horror of that horrific day hanging over the space like a specter. I bought a few bags of grapes, feeling shaken as our ancestors must have felt after inspecting the Holy Land for the first time. I understood their need for sweetness after witnessing things they were still having trouble fully comprehending. Afterward I spoke to a woman who lived next door to Tops and had only shopped there once in the time since the attack. “I just can’t bring myself to go back,” she said shaking her head.
In this week’s double portion, Behar-Bechukotai, we are told that if we follow God’s law we will “settle in the land in security.” Betach or security is a higher ideal than safety, it means not only are you protected from harm, but also you don’t need to worry about anything at all. Security is walking down the street without ever bothering to look who is behind you. For the residents of Jefferson Avenue, the gunman robbed them of their security. Even as safety has been restored, security has not. How long it will take is anyone’s guess, as the trauma settles in their psyche like a permanent scar. For me going back to Jefferson Avenue was healing, but, I know, for the neighborhood itself, there is still a long way to go.
The same, of course, can be said about the Jewish community who even seven years after the Tree of Life attack still grapples with its feelings of insecurity. The horrific killing of Yaron Lishinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim at the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night was yet another reminder of our vulnerability. As we grapple with the immediate tragedy, we pray that the words of this week’s Torah portion will one day ring true. May Yaron and Sarah’s memories always be for a blessing.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex