Touro’s Lander Beis Medrash Commemorate October 7
Leaders Address Faith in Times of Crisis, Jewish Historical Aspects of Tragic Attacks
October 7, 2023 served as the beginning of another painful chapter in the history of the Jewish people. It is a chapter that has not yet ended and whose pages remain stained with the blood of our brothers and sisters. Throughout the ages, the Jewish response to crisis and challenge has been constant: prayer, Torah study and turning to rabbinic leaders for guidance. This year, Jews across the globe have activated those strategies as they focused on the unfolding drama in Israel and around the world since the devastating attacks on October 7th. The tragedies of the war, the hostages in Gaza, the international condemnations and the marches on college campuses have all been personal, communal, national and global.
As the Jewish community marks a year since this tragedy began, Touro’s Lander Beis Medrash and Colleges are planning events filled with prayer, inspiration and insight from the Rosh HaYeshiva, rebbeim and rabbonim.
Faith in Times of Crisis
Faith in Times of Crisis is a program for college students and the greater community, to be held at Lander College for Men on October 7th at 7 pm. The event will be led by Rabbi Yonason Sacks, the Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud Rosh HaYeshiva, who will share a message of faith and encouragement based upon the timeless words of the Torah. Rabbi Yosef Sonnenschein, Beis Medrash L’Talmud Menahel, as well as noted Jewish historian and Lander College for Men Dean, Dr. Henry Abramson will also share their perspectives.
“The Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Sacks, has been a source of support and guidance for the entire Yeshiva since that tragic Simchas Torah a year ago,” said Rabbi Moshe Krupka, Touro Executive Vice President. “Through his leadership, the talmidim understood that the war in Gaza was not merely ‘the news,’ but rather a call to action and a personal responsibility for every Jew.”
At the commemoration event, Rabbi Sacks will share the Torah perspective on how to relate to and process tragic events. He will discuss how we can all discover the inner fortitude to strengthen ourselves and to meet the challenges of dark times. Importantly, he will clarify the interplay between time of great sadness and times of great joy in the experience of the Jewish people.
Rabbi Sonnenschein will discuss the impact of October 7th on the individual in a talk titled October 7th Are We Becoming Numb? He will examine the way our minds attempt to minimize and normalize tragedies. Drawing from the works of Torah leaders, Rabbi Sonnenschein will discuss a spiritually and emotionally healthy way to remain connected to the pulse of Klal Yisrael’s pain, without suffering emotional burnout.
Dr. Henry Abramson will address The Significance of October 7 in Jewish History. Dr. Abramson will discuss age-old Jewish resilience and lessons we can learn from past tragedies. “Jewish history provides guidance and inspiration. We will find historical analogs to our times and innovative ways to translate earlier solutions to our own challenges. We will not be paralyzed, we will not remain frozen in place: we will look to our elders and sages, who will tell us of eras long past, and we will use those teachings as inspiration for our collective future.”
For more information on Faith in Times of Crisis, contact Rabbi Ariel Kopitnikoff at ariel.kopitnikoff@touro.edu.
