BRATTLEBORO-Monday, Sept. 21 was the most solemn and rigorous Jewish holy day of the year: Yom Kippur. A Brattleboro Area Jewish Community (BAJC) member was walking through our cemetery that day. She found antisemitic graffiti - "Epstein work [sic] with Israel" - defacing the sign that clearly marked the area as a Jewish cemetery.
Our community is sharing this incident with greater Brattleboro to shed light on the fact that antisemitism exists here, as it does around the world. Brattleboro is not immune from this flavor of hate. This reality impacts our vibrant congregation every day, from the prayers we chant, to the need for an active and amazing community safety committee, to the security line item in our budget.
The irony of receiving this hate message on Yom Kippur was not lost on us. During this 25-hour holy day Jews around the world fast from food, water, and all comforts. We pray in community. We give tzedakah (financially supporting the needs of others).
And most poignantly, we complete a 40-day period of teshuvah/atonement, where we engage in the incredibly deep practice of recognizing and repairing harm and establishing systems that help us refrain from repeating missteps.
The irony deepens in that at BAJC we specifically elevated our consciousness to the highest level of care for others, calling ourselves to empathy, compassion, and partnering with those from other communities.
Within days of the incident the sign was cleaned and repaired. That Friday, we held a rededication ceremony immediately before Shabbat (Sabbath) and the holy week of Sukkot (zman simchateinu - the season of our joy). We opened with Psalms and reflections for safety and protection and closed with Psalms and reflections on joy, praise, and gratitude for our sacred places, for the ineffable and for one another.
This rapid remediation and gathering reflect BAJC's great love, care, and capacity to respond to every situation and every need. We are here for one another in times of joy, beauty, and challenge. We are resilient, capable, and committed to our faith, our community, and the holy space where our beloveds lay at rest.
If you are interested in learning more about antisemitism and perhaps attending or hosting a teaching on how to recognize and address it, reach out to Info@BAJCvermont.org.
Brattleboro Area Jewish Community/Congregation Shir HeHarim
Brattleboro
Rabbi Debra Kolodny
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