Hope as a Strategy and a Core Belief: A Note from Adam Lehman
Dear Friends,
鈥淗ope is not a strategy.鈥 Many of you have heard this maxim in classrooms, in board rooms, or elsewhere. And there is of course merit to the idea that a full-fledged strategy requires more than hope. Yet at the same time, as we approach Rosh Hashanah, I鈥檝e been reflecting on the ways in which this expression undersells the critical role and power of hope in Jewish history, life, and peoplehood.
On the one hand, we are a stiff-necked people sometimes known for seeing the glass as half-empty. (This view is captured well by the old Jewish joke about the telegram reading 鈥淪tart worrying, details to follow,鈥 or the book on my shelf entitled 鈥淏orn to Kvetch鈥). On the other hand, our history and present as a people are defined by an unrelenting optimism and hope for a better future.
This centrality of hope in our narrative is reflected in the title of Israel鈥檚 national anthem, Hatikvah (which translates to 鈥渢he hope鈥), and is encoded throughout the Rosh Hashanah experience and liturgy. In reciting Psalm 136, we affirm our belief that God鈥檚 kindness endures forever; throughout Avinu Malkeinu we express our hope and prayers for forgiveness, redemption, compassion, sustenance, and support; in the first day鈥檚 Haftarah, we read the story of Hannah, who maintains hope, against all odds, for a child, and is blessed with Samuel; in the Shofar service, we read about b鈥檚hofar gadol (the great shofar) being blown to usher in a messianic future; and in the fundamental premise of Rosh Hashanah, we express the hope and belief that through teshuvah (repentance), tefilah (prayer), and tzedakah (charity) we can be redeemed and our world can be repaired.
Even as I鈥檒l experience a deep sense of Jewish hope and possibility during my time in shul, those feelings will be amplified even more so for me because of the visits I鈥檝e already made this fall to Hillels that are brimming with the enthusiasm, optimism, and ruach (spirit) of students and Hillel professionals.
While it can be easy to feel the weight of challenges facing Jewish students on campus, as frequently reported in the news, if you want a dose of Jewish hope, optimism, and vitality, go spend an hour at a Hillel in your area or at your alma mater. You can speak with the Shabbat chair about what they鈥檙e doing to double attendance and to support student-hosted Shabbats across campus; or the Tzedek chair about their new bridge-building partnership with a local HBCU; or the Israel Fellow about how their campus Birthright Israel bus filled up with registrations faster than a Taylor Swift concert sells out.
You can chat with the Hillel rabbi about the strong student interest in their new Jewish Learning Fellowship course 鈥 some of our latest additions include the Jewish food course 鈥淜nead to Know鈥 at Michigan Hillel, 鈥淛ewish Songs in the Key of Life鈥 at Tulane Hillel, 鈥淨ueer Talmud鈥 at Ithaca College Hillel, and 鈥淎ncient Wisdom for Modern Well-Being鈥 at Johns Hopkins Hillel. Or ask the executive director about the leadership development programs they鈥檙e implementing for both staff and students to strengthen the rabbinic and Jewish communal talent pipeline for the Jewish future.
Hope is in fact a critical part of our strategy, ethos, and optimism 黑料传送门; and in my view, an under-appreciated superpower of Jewish peoplehood. From all of us at 黑料传送门, I wish each of you and your families a good and sweet 5784 鈥 and hope and optimism for the year to come.
Shanah Tovah u鈥檓etukah,
Adam