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Dear Cool Shul,

I am literally sitting in my car in the parking lot of my veterinarian’s office, awaiting the return of my sick dog as I write this. It has been four hours, and it’s now dark, and I am exhausted from the day’s events in D.C., and now a long haul with our pet. It didn’t occur to me to send anything to all of you about what took place today, probably because I’m too worried about too many things to think. But a few minutes ago, one of my students texted me, and my exchange with her has inspired me to reach out to all of you.

She was afraid of what she had seen on the news today. She was particularly disturbed by the Confederate Flag and the “Camp Auschwitz” shirt one of the thugs wore who desecrated our Capitol. As we started texting, I started to weep. But for the first time in a long time, not out of pain or fear, but out of hope. Friends, I know we have so little energy left after nearly a year of social isolation and four years of political unrest. Many of us have fallen ill. Many of us haven’t seen our loved ones. Many of us didn’t recognize our nation or our neighbors anymore. But I hope you can find new strength with what I told my student this evening... the thought that made me cry... “Turn on the news,” I told her. “Listen to people from both sides of the aisle finally coming together. The good guys are winning.”

Cool Shul is not a community without Trump supporters. I reach my hand out to each of you with hopes that after today, we can begin to agree a little more. But I must say what needs to be said, even at the risk of losing your trust. This country has been held hostage to lies, hatred, and fear. We are so used to our President speaking untruths that it isn’t even news anymore. We have watched decent people fall under the spell of his presence and do his bidding. And today, we saw an army of those under that spell, break into our nation’s sacred space in support of a cult personality, and the President complimented them. My student has good reason to be afraid. But listen to the voices. Listen to the Republicans and Democrats in their chambers agreeing that enough is enough, and that it’s time to move on. Listen to the voices that declare that we will find a path forward together. Listen to our President-elect remind us that this is not who we are. Listen to the voters of Georgia. The voices of peace are rising!

It is often darkest before the dawn. I pray and have hope that dawn is finally here. May we all... all genders, all races, all religions, all identities, and, yes, all political partisans, find peace. May we learn to trust one another again. May we not be afraid to stand up to corrupt power out of fear that something could be taken away from us, or even worse, out of hope something we want could be given to us if we play along.

It is nearly dawn. It’s time to save the nation, heal the planet, and cure this virus. In the light of tomorrow, let’s step toward love more boldly than we ever have before. One country. One destiny.

Sending love and hugs to all from the parking lot.

Rabbi Diane