By Shelley Hubal

The challenges of our world today are numerous and, like many of you, I have been feeling enormous grief over the war in Israel and Gaza. As I reflect on the last few weeks, I thought it might be nice to share some interactions with community members who have brought me some slivers of light in an otherwise dark time:

• Lani Dunthorne brought me chocolate from her trip abroad. The chocolate was delicious and her kindness warmed my heart. 
• Wendy Wolff stopped by the Federation office recently and stayed for a quick chat. Thank you, Wendy, for sharing that you, too, are grief stricken. Knowing that I am not alone made me feel better.
• I recently ran into Phyllis Kellenberger at Aldi as she was shopping for the Temple Concord food pantry. She was incredibly kind and patient with my son. Phyllis’ demeanor made it a little easier to get through an otherwise hectic and stressful day. 
• Holding space for the bereaved at a recent shiva call. OK, this one is less about a sliver of light and more about being of service, which always brings you closer to God.
• Shmoozing with my dear friends, Betty and Howard Warner, at the Black Bears hockey game. It was a great game and they added to the fun.
• Having a nice dinner with Rabbi Rachel Esserman. There was lots of talk about books and little talk about work – just what we both needed.

You never know when or how you will have an impact on someone else. I am grateful to all the kind people in this community. They add much sweetness to a sometimes-challenging job. Wishing you all lots of love and many moments of light during these dark days.