“What is Going On?,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher’s Shabbat Awakenings

December 12, 2025 | 22 Kislev 5786

Welcome to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection, as we make our way toward Shabbat, and this week the sixth night of Chanukah. You can also listen to it as a podcast.

What Is Going On?

First, be safe, be careful, and take care of yourself. It feels treacherous, frightening, and vulnerable. And raw.

I keep thinking about the relationship between a father (and any parent) to a son (or any child) even if that child is an adult. What manifests in the relationship between them and what responsibility does one have for the other? I think the connection between teachers and their students asks a similar question in how one takes care of the other. This week gave us three mindboggling and heart wrenching examples.

At Brown University, at a late-night study session, a teaching assistant was helping his students achieve success, deepening their learning in the fraught exam period. That instructor willingly offered the chance to get it right before all went wrong with a gunman’s brutal attack. Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook died from their wounds. No one can ever be the same.

The Reiners, though enormously famous, struggled with a son with addiction and psychological challenges like so many other families. They worked hard to create an environment that was healing and supportive despite the challenges. Rob Reiner and his son documented this struggle and their vulnerability. Their daughter came over to celebrate Chanukah together and instead must mourn her parents and what will happen to her brother.

Bondi Beach is a beautiful place to begin Chanukah, to light the first candle in community. Instead of being showered with blessings they were bombarded with gunfire by a father and son intentionally murdering those participants in a savage act of hatred toward Jews. What kind of father educates his child to kill and does it together? They brought misery upon their whole family. Most likely trained together on a trip to the Philippines to kill in the name of Islamic Jihad, their antisemitism was on full display.

And though there is very little soothing that emerges from this story, I am moved by the heroic act of Ahmed al Ahmed who risked his own life to save others. He showed that Islam is not about hate.

Parents (and teachers) are supposed to create environments in which to grow and to discover their best selves.

Biblical stories don’t always show ideal behavior of parents to their children. Yet, they share timeless truths about relationships. Even in this week’s Torah portion, as Pharaoh recognized Joseph’s capability to interpret dreams, Joseph rose to be seen as wise and understanding and to possess the spirit of God within. Joseph will bring honor to his family despite the challenges he faced, some which were caused by his father. Nonetheless, he found the right path.

For the loss of life, cut down before their time, may the memory of those who died at Brown University, the Reiners, and those celebrating on Bondi Beach be remembered for blessing.

And may those recovering from the wounds inflicted on them, physically, psychologically, and spiritually find healing of the body and healing of the soul, soon. May their strength and courage lift them and may our concern soothe them.

May this Shabbat, as we light the 6th candle, remind us all, of our responsibility to offer models of inspiration to the next generation to discover paths toward righteous and compassionate acts of love and may there be peace.

Shabbat Shalom! שבת שלום

I invite your thoughts and reflections to me directly.

Rabbi Elaine Zecher