May you be inscribed in the Book of Life

Marina Berkovich, JHSSWF President

Shanah Tovah and all the blessings of 5784. There is something comforting in knowing that the reading of the Torah is a constant in the yearly cycle; it has survived and will survive even the most durable of us. I am always comforted to hear Hebrew prayers even as I don’t understand words or am unable to follow the prayers as those whose Jewish education was not stolen from them as it was from me and my people by the socialists.

We sometimes refer to Torah as the authoritative books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh. The first five books, Torah, impart the early human history from the world’s creation, follow the people of the book through some of their trials and tribulations and establish specific laws. Some of those may be considered unnecessary by today’s standards, while others survived and are now the acceptable foundation of humanity, not only for Jews but for all three religions relying on the same book.

Every year, I struggle to reconcile myself to the fact that I’m unable to read the Torah as it was written, and accept the fact that, much like when women were not given the opportunity to study the holy texts, I have to rely on translations, rabbinical sermons, instructions and interpretations. I am at the synagogue too infrequently for serious study and, during my visits, I read and absorb just a few paragraphs, in awe of those who were taught from the start and know what they are reading while I try to connect the dots.

I suppose my delays are somewhat excusable by numerous plausible circumstances. Still, while I only blame myself, I have never found a guide, a teacher, I could follow — though there really can be no excuses. At the start of each new Hebrew year, I promise to try again, and then I fail to set every other task aside to diligently learn our Bible on my own. In reality, ordinary people who are able to quote and read Hebrew texts are not there for explanations to the unlearned like myself.

So, again, as I reflect on the year that’s ending and atone for my shortcomings, I realize that I may just enjoy reading the Tanakh as a historical novel with vivid characters to whom I relate or not and whom I want to emulate or not. After all, it’s a book full of stories authored by various deliverers, about our collective past that transcended eras and languages to preserve the very essence of what makes us, one and all, Jews. May we all thrive eternally.

And help us spread the word as we are planning a breakthrough — The Jewish Historical Society of SWFL will join Jewish-Russian Cultural Alliance on Oct. 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a historical first: The Day of Jewish Learning in Russian by Rabbi Gitik from Israel (at Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center).

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