Dearest Lab/Shul Community,

Many firsts this week. As I mark almost 16 months on the job here as Executive Director, I mark a “first” that I will never forget: the lightning speed mobilization of our spiritual leadership to create soul-fuel-stations for grief and gathering in the wake of a national tragedy, enabling us to feel safe and held – together.

As we pray for our families and friends in Pittsburgh to heal and to be supported, for our nation to live up to its mandate as a place where people of all faiths and races can live and worship without fear of violence, I, and our professional staff at Lab/Shul, are committed to our community’s physical safety – everywhere we pop up.

A few important updates I’d like to share:

1. Over the past two days I have been in contact with our security advisors at Gleis Security Consulting to re-affirm the security and safety of our community. Over the past year our staff has been trained and security measures have been upgraded at every one of our events. We are consistently committed to proactively evaluating and reviewing our policies and systems and will continue to do so, carefully keeping in mind the diverse sensitivities and needs of our community.

We have already met as a community twice this week and we will meet again this Saturday. Rest assured that we are prepared to greet one another in peace and safety and will continue to support one another with honor and love.

2. We have compiled these resources for discussing and processing this tragedy with teens and older children. We hope you find it to be helpful.

3. We invite you and your loved ones to join us THIS SATURDAY morning for Rise & Shine Shabbat at the JCC Harlem, marking the one week anniversary of the tragedy at Tree Of Life in Pittsburgh. We will dedicate our gathering to remembering those killed in Pittsburgh and Louisville and supporting one another in our grief. ALL AGES are welcome to come together with community to grieve, process, pray, heal, and rise.

U’shmor tzeiteinu u’vo’einu l’chayim ul’shalom – Guard our going out and our safe return. Give us life, and give us peace.

Sarah Sokolic
Executive Director