When my father was a young man in Vilna, every wall in Europe said, ‘Jews go home to Palestine.’ Fifty years later, when he went back to Europe on a visit, the walls all screamed, ‘Jews get out of Palestine.’”
—Amos Oz
A social media acquaintance posted this quote to Threads this morning, and I’ve been thinking about it all day, remembering the Walls that Remember project in Vilnius. Walls covered in ghost Jews in a city once so full of us it called itself The Jerusalem of Lithuania that now has so few Jews even the great chorale synagogue couldn’t, for many years, find a rabbi.
Ghost Jews meant to mark the extermination of a once-thriving Jewish community and antisemitic graffiti are a potent mix.
So, really, I’m just checking in. How are you, friends, in these terrible days? I’m thinking of you. I’m with you in the long and difficult fight to ensure that real Jews, not painted ones, live on in the world and have places where they can be safe and thrive. I wish you a peaceful and meaningful shabbat, and may the better days come soon.
Shabbat shalom.
Sarah
Sending love little cousin. My favorite part of living in Huntington again is dropping in on my cousin Sidney 😍🥰😘