THE SACRED STRUGGLE

A thoughtful set of reflections from religious leaders and others on how Jewish history, teachings, and traditions engage with crisis, tragedy, and their fallout.

In this essay collection, carefully curated and edited by rabbis Danziger and David, an array of Jewish thinkers and spiritual leaders explores how trauma—individual and communal—interacts with Jewish culture, teaching, and belief. The October 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel are strongly present throughout in essays that highlight the pain of victimization, anger toward leadership, and a rise in antisemitism. In one essay, arguably the collection’s best, rabbi Wendy Zierler puts the tragedy into a context of classic Israeli songs, drawing parallels to the Kaddish prayer while illustrating how one has a capacity not only to mourn but “to bring people back.” Other entries address other crises, such as the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the Tree of Life and Parkland mass shootings, and the isolating agony of Covid-19; the Yom Kippur War and the Holocaust are also addressed. Editor and avid runner David recounts his first time participating in the Boston Marathon, which coincided with the horrific 2013 bombing. Just as affecting are essays of private struggle, including Danziger’s candid reflection on living with chronic cancer, and rabbi Debra R. Hachen’s account of caring for a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease while questioning whether she could meet what the role required. Although a shared faith binds these essays together, their tone shifts dramatically—some are passionate or outraged, others more measured and thoughtful, and still others take a scholarly tone. Nearly every essay is anchored by ritual or communal liturgy, which offer comfort or give shape to unresolved pain. Most resist easy answers and frame trauma not as something people “get over,” but rather “integrate…into our life view.” What emerges isn’t a theology of trauma, but a testimony to how Jewish practice, language, and leadership can respond to crises without closure. Though aimed at Jewish readers, the collection’s emotional honesty will resonate with anyone interested in how tradition can help one face what can’t necessarily be fixed.

A searching, intimate guide to how Jewish tradition holds suffering with meaning and presence.