The past few weeks have been incredibly powerful as our community has come together to engage in the sacred act of remembrance on Yom Hashoah and celebrate the miraculous 75 years of Israel's existence on Yom Ha'atzmaut. I invite you to scroll to the bottom of the post to see a few photos that depict how our community has come together these past few weeks.  

This week's Torah reading begins with God telling Moses, “Speak to the entire Israelite community and say to them, ‘K’doshim t’hiyu…, be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.’”  The Israelites are also commanded to leave the corners of their fields unharvested and not to go back to pick up any produce that may have fallen along the way. 

This is Biblical social welfare: the “haves” must provide for the “have-nots.” There is no minimum threshold to participate in this mandate. According to our tradition, no matter how small your plot or limited your bounty, you must share it with those who have even less.

As we reflect this week on how to be a holy community and address the needs of those who are struggling, I want to share with you a column published in The Washington Post this week that discusses the challenges facing Holocaust survivors and the work of our collective Federation network to meet their needs.  

There are about 30,000 Holocaust survivors living in the United States today. Many are 85 and older, and as many as one in three live in poverty. Fueled in part by your generous support of our Annual Campaign, the Center on Holocaust Survivor Care and Institute on Aging and Trauma provides person-centered, trauma-informed (PCTI) care for Holocaust survivors and other older adults with a history of trauma.  

"We have heard stories of survivors living in deplorable conditions — living in a home that is unsafe with broken floors, living in a home that has expired food in the refrigerator because a Holocaust survivor might not be able to bear with parting with food," shared Shelley Wernick, Managing Director of the Center. "For that reason, it’s critical to connect survivors with case managers who can check on them and provide them with services that make them feel safe and empowered." 

You can learn more about the Center's impact by clicking here.  

As this population has aged and the need for support increased, our Federation network has advocated for increased Federal funding to meet their changing needs. The UJCVP signed onto a letter to congressional appropriators with 123 other communities to urge them to support our FY24 priorities, which includes funding for our survivors. The chilling reality that one-third of Holocaust survivors live in poverty underscores the importance of our advocacy work.  

Our collective commitment to meet the needs of our Holocaust survivors is indicative of what our Torah reading this week means when it implores us to be holy.  

This command to be holy - k’doshim t’hiyu - is given in the plural, signifying a collective responsibility for every member of society. In order to provide for the needs of the struggling, we need many people involved.

Shabbat Shalom,

Eric Maurer
Executive Director
emaurer@ujcvp.org