Shabbat Messages

This week, the Brawerman West community was hit hard by the tragic death of a beloved Second Grade Associate Teacher, Alexandra Weiss. She was 24 years old, and had her whole life ahead of her. Though this was her first year at Brawerman West, she brought an incredible amount of warmth, gentleness, and joy to our halls. She loved children deeply, and her optimism was felt by everyone she touched. In her mere 24 years on this earth, it was clear that Alex lived a life of meaning and purpose.

Our school community is heartbroken. This Shabbat, we hold our students, parents, faculty, and administrators close in our hearts. As we navigate this communal pain, we also embrace Alex’s family and friends as part of our own community, while they mourn a daughter, a sister, and a friend.

This week served as a sobering reminder of the preciousness of life. While this life is often filled with a tangle of joy, sadness, fear, and frustration, this week reminded me that every day is not a given, but is a miracle, and that we have to try to make each moment count.

In our Jewish calendar, we currently stand at the threshold between our Exodus from slavery (Passover) and the journey toward revelation at Mt. Sinai (Shavuot). Biblical tradition tells us that during this time, our ancestors wandered the wilderness, stumbling through their first trials as a free people before receiving the Ten Commandments, our people’s handbook to leading a life full of meaning and purpose.

Between these two holidays, our tradition asks us to perform a simple command: to count. For forty-nine days, we count each day one by one, intentionally noticing the passage of time. We call this Sefirat HaOmer. The mystical tradition teaches that during these forty-nine days, the Israelites underwent a spiritual transformation to prepare for Sinai. In this time of grief, we are reminded once again to turn the counting of our days into a sacred act.

Turning our days into sacred acts begins with the small, intentional choices that Alex modeled so naturally. It is found in the gentleness we extend to a frustrated colleague, the unhurried presence we give to a child’s story, or the gratitude we voice for something as simple as a sunrise. When we stop to acknowledge and count these moments, viewing them as opportunities for sacred connection, we transform the mundane into the holy.

Jewish tradition teaches us to bookend our days with blessings for the gift of life. We begin each morning with Modeh Ani, expressing gratitude for having our souls restored to our bodies. We end our day with the Hashkivenu prayer, which asks for peace as we lie down and the grace to wake once more.

When we are faced with the hard reality that no moment is guaranteed, we are given the gift to truly honor life. In doing so, we don’t just count our days; we are reminded to truly make each day count.

May Alexandra's memory forever be a blessing to all of us.

Shabbat Shalom,
Cantor Lisa Peicott