The Interrelated
Tu b’shevat is upon us. The 15th of Shevat is the midpoint between fall and spring. Once half the winter has passed, its strength is weakened, the cold is not as intense, and the budding process begins. It has been described as the “birthday of trees” or the “New Year for trees”, which is hilarious if you live in a climate like Ohio where trees are looking pretty sad and cold. I remember mentioning this to my husband, the biologist, a few years ago and he said the most profound yet simple statement that knocked me off my feet (not literally though. I was fine). “Whit”, he said. “Don’t forget that we live in a global community. While it's cold and lifeless where we live, Jews celebrating this holiday in other climates might have a different, more lively environment around them.” Holy cow! How could I have been so shortsighted? It’s so easy to get absorbed in what is simply around us. It’s cold around me so everywhere must be cold. My pantry is always stocked so everyone’s pantry must be stocked. I feel healthy so everyone must be healthy. Certainly, if we’re thoughtful people, we know that there’s food insecurity or suffering not only globally but in our own community, but it’s been obvious for some time now that a lot of us forgot the difference between knowing and knowing. That what affects the one in a global society will most likely affect the community – both negatively and positively (I’m looking at you, vaccines and masks) and Tu b’shevat is a wonderful reminder for us to not forget to think outside of our immediate surroundings. And how wonderful that this year’s Tu b’shevat should fall out on MLK Jr Day. For there’s no better summary for this idea of never forgetting that we are a global community, larger than just ourselves, than the following quote from Dr. King,
“It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Speaking of remembering that what affects one affects the whole, we will be following the advice of both Miami University and the CDC and shifting most of the first month of spring semester programming to a virtual model. Shabbat will be online and meals will be provided but they will either be ‘grab n’ go’ style or other at-home options that our creative Engagement team is currently developing. The building will be open though student-facing staff will be on a rotating schedule working on a hybrid virtual/in-person model.
We’ve done this before. We’ve pivoted time and time again and while virtual and grab n’ go life never even comes close to the magic of in-person experiences, we are interrelated — we are not just what we want as individuals but what we need as a community. When possible, if food is not a part of the program, we will have limited capacity programming such as our Israel Learning Fellowship, our Jewish Learning Fellowship, and Wellness Wednesdays (a partnership between Hillel at Miami and the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s Jewish Family Services) so that we can have those magical in-person moments but masking and distancing will be required. We appreciate your grace and understanding as we pivot yet again. I’m so proud of the team we’ve assembled so that we can continue to grow and pivot together.
Wishing you a peaceful Shabbat, Tu b’shevat, and MLK Jr. Day.
Whitney
