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February begins with the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, the “New Year for Trees,” on February 2nd. Then, on the 17th, with Rosh Chodesh, we roll into the Hebrew month of Adar, marked by Purim. Two holidays in one month gives us much to reflect on.
It's been a cold & snowy winter thus far, but Tu B’Shevat, symbolizing nature’s awakening and spiritual renewal after winter’s dormancy, invites us to look ahead to Spring with gratitude. This leads us into Adar and the celebration of Purim—a month when our joy increases, knowing that ultimately, good defeats the evil Haman and light overcomes darkness.
Tu B’Shevat’s tradition of eating fruits & nuts, especially the 7-Species of Israel, connects us to the land to which we are rooted, while Purim inspires us to fight back with hidden spiritual assurance of Hashem’s protection for Israel and the Jewish people.
The world is moving rapidly. But to where? The answer is: toward the world we plant and fight for, and one that Hashem delivers.
The Jewish Federation of Dutchess County is an active participant in this world, locally speaking. All who engage with us through volunteer efforts, donations, and attendance help us make a positive difference—addressing real issues, strengthening the community, and improving people’s lives. How so? Read about it in this newspaper and our weekly JFED emails.
Reading is not enough. It takes "doing" to achieve a harvest. It takes fighting to be victorious against the dark, evil forces that plot to destroy us.
I’m confident you’ve heard the phrase, “It is always darkest just before the dawn.” The first recorded use of it was in 1650 in a book by English historian and clergyman, Thomas Fuller called "A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine." Pisgah (פִּסְגָּה) means "height," "peak," or "summit."
Mount Pisgah is where Moses viewed the Promised Land before his death (Deuteronomy 34:1–4) and where King Balak took the prophet Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 23:14).
In 1650, when Fuller wrote his book, the rebirth of the Promised Land was but a dream. In 1867, Mark Twain described Palestine in his book "Innocents Abroad" as “a hopeless, dreary, heart-broken land.” Today, we can tour the land Moses longed to enter. As it says in Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem, “The hope of Israel is two thousand years old.” Despite our enemies’ curses, Israel thrives.
On October 7th, 2023, Hamas terrorists committed unimaginable atrocities and took ~251 people into captivity. Iran and its proxies proceeded to fire nearly 30,000 rockets, mortars, and missiles at Israel. It was one of the darkest times in Jewish history.
As I write this, Israel believes that Hamas is holding the body of one remaining hostage, Ran Gvili. Iran’s nuclear program has been obliterated; its Islamist proxies—Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen—are crushed; its Islamic Revolutionary Guard is collapsing; and Ali Khamenei is fleeing the country.
Thomas Fuller, the clergyman mentioned earlier, lamented the suffering of Jewish communities in pre-expulsion England, asking, “What good heart can, without grief, recount the injuries offered to those who once were the only people of God?”
Fuller argued that the oppression of Jews was not only morally wrong but also politically unwise. He cited the example of stones from plundered Jewish homes being used to repair London’s walls, commenting that “plundered stone never make strong walls,” thereby linking the city’s future vulnerability to the injustice committed against the Jewish community.
History is full of lessons about what happens to civilizations that bless or curse the Jewish people. By the same token, there are lessons for us in the words of our prophets and in the wisdom writings.
What is clear today is that neither Israel nor the Jewish people can afford to stand alone. We need allies. We need the love and support of Christians. We need community.
The Jewish Federation is committed to—and active in—building a strong community here in Dutchess County. We recognize the essential need to partner. We need you to do it with us!
Am Yisrael Chai.
