“How You Feeling Today” Rabbi Elaine Zecher’s Shabbat Awakenings

May 23, 2025 | 25 Iyyar 5785

Welcome to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection, as we make our way toward Shabbat. You can listen to it as a podcast here.

At 1:30 a.m. early Thursday morning, I woke up out of a deep sleep. I felt the urge to look at my phone and there I saw the terribly devastating news about the DC terrorist murder of the Israeli Consulate staffers whose names we now know, Sarah and Yaron. In the quiet of the night, it is hard not to imagine the scene; it is impossible not to feel the fright. That is a natural reaction for us as vulnerable human beings in the world.

In the morning, more information became known about the couple, their engagement, the event, and the violence and the intention. As the day moved on, I received messages:

From a civic leader:

Rabbi, this is so scary and heartbreaking. Thinking of you and your team.

From an interfaith clergy friend:

Hey Elaine, just thinking of you this morning. What an awful day, and for the families of this beautiful young couple, just unbearable. Horribly murdered by a terrorist just for being Jewish at a Jewish institution.

Mayor Wu called me to check in and to ask about us. Later in the day, she released the following:

Statement on Shooting Outside of Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

Hours after our City celebrated Jewish American Heritage Month on Boston City Hall Plaza yesterday, a terrible act of antisemitic violence has shaken our community to its core. We mourn with the families and loved ones of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, two young Israeli embassy staffers killed last night in Washington, D.C. We know that after every act of antisemitic violence, whether in Boston or elsewhere, fear ripples through our communities. Boston stands with our vibrant Jewish community and with our partners across the City and the region.

The connectivity of support from the greater non Jewish community also gives us strength. We are vibrant and we will persevere as a community as we continue to celebrate who we are. Let’s join together for Shabbat and feel joy in one another’s presence.

Shabbat Shalom שבת שלום

Connect with me with comments and reflections here.

Rabbi Elaine Zecher