Standing at Sinai 6 ft Apart - What Do You Hear this Year? (Really)

Tonight begins the holy day of Shavuot.  7 weeks after our annual exodus from Egypt, we stand at Sinai to receive Torah anew.
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The image I've always associated with this core collective memory is a throng of people at the base of the mountain.  Adults are shoulder to shoulder, with babies held close and children grabbing onto a parent's hand or leg.  We stand as one.

This year my mind envisions a similar but distinct scene with everyone, or at least family units, spaced 6 ft. apart.  We stand together, but also apart.

So how might we bridge that space between us?

On this holiday often celebrated with all night study sessions, it's clear we are each learning so much life wisdom right now.  An amazing amount of Torah is being revealed and received.  The teachings may not be new, but we are seeing them with new clarity and holding onto them with new conviction.

• What new things have we learned to do over the past 10+ weeks?
• What have we discovered about ourselves?
• What have we realized about our home or family life?
• What helpful advice have we actually managed to follow?
  
  

These questions are not rhetorical.  We deserve to answer them for ourselves and one another.  This time has been really hard, and we deserve to honor what we now know.

PLEASE share your response to one of the questions above - either by replying to this email or through this form.  I'll collect all the insights, and share them back.

Don't overthink.  Do it now.  Just one.  It's Shavuot.  Whether you're down the street in Larchmont, or a friend further away, share what's true for you.  This will bridge that space between us. 

This is how we stand together, and also apart.
This is how we put Jewish wisdom in dialogue with modern life.
This is how we create Sanctuary when we need it most.