Saturday, April 9, 2022 | 2 a.m.
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Editor’s note: Rabbi Sanford Akselrad of Congregation Ner Tamid in Henderson will be the only rabbi from Nevada next week on a pre-Pesach rabbinic mission to Krakow, Poland, and the Ukrainian border. The 26 rabbis from the United States, Russia and Israel will bring nearly two tons of medicine and personal supplies for Ukrainian refugees, and more than $500,000 that was raised by them going to the war-torn region.
Akselrad delivered the following to his congregation:
In a few days I will, God willing, be flying to Ukraine.
I will be with roughly 26 colleagues, and we have our agenda pretty well fixed. Each of us has been tasked with raising money, bringing specific items and making ourselves useful for the few days we will be hosted by the Jewish Community Center in Krakow, Poland. And of course, perhaps most importantly, we are traveling there to bear witness to this human tragedy even as we do our best to provide moral support.
I have appreciated the support of everyone I have talked to: The money raised, the goods donated, and the words of encouragement, which can be summed up as “we are proud of you rabbi.”
To be honest, I am a bit nervous as from what little has been shared with me. I am about to see things that I could never have imagined. In this sense, I am walking into the unknown.
Without belittling what I and my colleagues are setting out to accomplish, I understand that for many of us, perhaps all of us, we spend a portion of our lives walking into the unknown. It starts in infancy when we learn to explore our world as everything is a “first.” It continues on with our first day of school. And fast forward to other milestones such as going off to college or entering into marriage.
Rabbi Sanford Akselrad
With each of these experiences, we do our best to understand what we are getting into, but ultimately, we must take what philosophers have called “a leap of faith.”
Each of us will find ourselves at such crossroads at one time or another in our lives. For those who are perhaps more adventurous, the leap is easier than for those whose temperament is less trusting.
Whatever our personality, though, life is meant to be lived. It is good to be cautious at times, and it is important to have a sense of faith that our lives are purposeful. It is through our ability to manage risk with a willingness to move forward in life, that we fill our lives with meaning.
I have called this moment in my life “my Hineni moment;” the moment in which I feel compelled to stand up and say “Here I Am.” We all have such moments; moments when we are called upon to make a difference. The question is whether we recognize such moments and whether we are able to overcome our fears and temper our egos to make the right decision.
Sometimes, we just won’t know until we walk the walk. Into the unknown. One step at a time.
