5787 - A Golden Year

by Rabbi Ed Rosenthal, CEO & Founder, Repair the Sea

I love movies. I’m one of those people who can watch a good movie a hundred times and not get tired of it. I can’t even count how many times I’ve watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “The Shawshank Redemption.” “The Princess Bride?” How can you get tired of a perfect movie?  “Fifty First Dates?” - I’ve seen it 50 first times. One of my favorite movies is “Apollo 13.” There’s one particular scene that always gives me goosebumps…as the space capsule is preparing to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. Considering all the variables that could lead to disaster, the tension at Mission Control was palpable. The NASA Director, played by Joe Spano, says: “This could be the worst disaster NASA has ever experienced.” At which point, Gene Kranz, the lead Flight Director of the Apollo 13 Mission, played by Ed Harris, stepped up and said: “With all due respect, Sir…I believe this is going to be our finest hour.”

BAM! Mic-Drop!  This is real leadership: Even in the face of insurmountable odds, the calm, unshakeable confidence and determination that says, “With all due respect, Sir…I believe this is going to be our finest hour.” 

We Jews have just entered the New Year 5787, and while I can watch a good movie a hundred times, I can barely watch the news for five minutes:  Jews murdered in Australia. Jews murdered in England, in France, even in the United States. Synagogues attacked around the world. Israel is a pariah among the nations. Lies of genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and colonialism are accepted without question. It’s disgusting. It’s infuriating. And it’s scary.

As for the environment: Typhoons in the Pacific…Droughts and wildfires in Europe…Wildfires in Canada and California…Flooding in Africa. It feels like the world is in chaos, and the Jewish world in particular is in turmoil. Every time I turn around, it’s “we have to fight antisemitism,” “Everyone hates us,” “Climate Change is going to kill us.” “Carbon Emissions are burning up the atmosphere.” “Fossil Fuels are the root of all evil.” So, while the Jewish establishment is saying this is the darkest time for Jews since the Holocaust, and climate activists are peddling Prozac and Zoloft to deal with “Climate Anxiety,” I’m going to buck the system and say: “With all due respect…I believe this is going to be our finest hour.” 

Now, some of you may say I’m naïve, and others might say I’m putting my head in the sand, but I am neither. I am a serial optimist. I’m not a glass half empty or half full kind of person. If I see a glass filled halfway with water, I see a glass that is completely full. Half of the glass is filled with water and half is filled with air. And like air in a glass, we don’t always see the blessings and opportunities that are right before our eyes.

So why am I optimistic that this is going to be our best year ever? Because we’ve just entered the year 5787. In Hebrew, this year is recorded as תשפ"ז. The two Hebrew letters, פ and ז (which have the numerical value of 87) spell the word פז, which means “Golden.” When our kids were little, my wife and I would put them to bed, read them a story, say their prayers, and kiss them good night with the words חלומות פז (Chalomot Paz), which is the Hebrew equivalent of “Sweet Dreams” in English, except the literal translation is “Golden Dreams.”

So, while the media and social media continuously show us the hatred and the doom and gloom, in fact there is much to be positive about, and even more that we can do as individuals to ensure this will be a golden year. 

It’s been three years since the horrific October 7^th massacre, and the promise that said “We will dance again” has come true. Jews around the world danced at Simchas Torah, and filled synagogues during the High Holidays. And miracles still follow the Jewish People, as evidenced by the recent attempted terrorist attack that was thwarted aboard a FlyDubai plane by an heroic Indian pilot and courageous Israeli passengers. We can look back over the past several years and remember the pain and sorrow, but as we have entered 5787, we Jews need to look forward with a positive light. Israel and the Jewish People have made incredible contributions for the good of ALL humanity.  Now is not the time to circle the wagons and focus inward. Now we need to be visible, proud and doing as much good as possible, not just for our own community, but for everyone.  

As for the Ocean and the environment, while climate activists will tell us that the planet is going to burn up, there are still many reasons for hope. 

• The United Nations has ratified the Treaty for the High Seas, paving the way for the 30 by 30 plan to create Marine Protected Areas in 30% of the Ocean by 2030. 

• Dams have blocked rivers in Europe for over a hundred years, causing tremendous damage to fish and the aquatic ecosystems that rely on healthy rivers. This year, over 600 dams have been removed from rivers in Europe. The fish population is rebounding, and slowly the rivers are coming back to life.

• The Ocean Cleanup and the Great Bubble Barrier are two large-scale projects designed to remove plastic from the Ocean and rivers. With about 2 million tons of plastic entering the Ocean every year, the task might seem impossible, but these organizations are doing tremendous work to address it. 

• While 95% of coral in the Florida Keys is dead, and the reef (the 3^rd largest barrier reef in the world) is functionally extinct, organizations like iCARE, Mote Marine Laboratory, the Florida Aquarium and Reef Renewal are doing outstanding work to restore the coral and save the Reef. It’s hard work, and there’s a long way to go, but with dedication and persistence, these organizations are working hard to make a difference.

And there is much that each of us can do as well. We can take some very simple steps to make a difference: Stop buying single-use plastic bottles, pick up litter from the beach or in your neighborhood (it’s going to reach the water somewhere), cut back on eating fish and meat, or even bring Repair the Sea programs to your synagogue. It might not seem like a lot, but if each of us makes a consistent effort with determination and consistency, then great things can be achieved. 

There’s a story about King Solomon whose wisdom was legendary. People would come from far and wide to ask him questions and adjudicate disputes. There was a particular man who wanted to show that Solomon was not as wise as people thought. So, he caught a bird and went before the King. “Your Majesty,” the man said, “everyone says you are the wisest man who has ever lived. So, I have a question for you. I’m holding a bird in my hands behind my back. Tell me, wise King Solomon—is the bird alive or is it dead?”

The man smiled to himself, because he thought he had devised the perfect trap.

If Solomon answered, “The bird is alive,” the man would crush the bird in his hands and place its lifeless body before the king. But if Solomon answered, “The bird is dead,” the man would simply open his hands and let the bird fly away. Either way, King Solomon would be proven wrong.

Solomon looked quietly at the man. He understood the question and the choice before him.

After a moment, Solomon calmly said: “Whether the bird lives or dies is not for me to determine.” Then he looked directly at the man and said: “The bird is in your hands.”

And so it is for us. The year before us can be golden…if we choose to make it so. If, as Jews, we celebrate our tradition, our heritage, and our people; if we are open and visible and do good, not just for ourselves, but for others as well, we can make this year golden. And if we take steps to change our behavior towards the Ocean, the water, and the environment as a whole…we can make this year golden. So, whether we choose to move forward towards the Light or hide in the darkness of fear and anxiety…the choice is in our hands.