Sometimes, it’s hard to know where to begin after a weekend like this.

The last few days have brought unimaginable sorrow to so many across the world. The acts of violence we witnessed in Rhode Island, in Sydney, and in California have left our communities reeling.

At Brown University, two students were killed, and nine others were injured in yet another unconscionable act of gun violence in the United States. For some, this was the second school shooting they’ve experienced.

In Sydney, Australia, at a time when Jewish communities around the world remember our long tradition of resilience in the face of oppressors and antisemitism, a pair of gunmen shot and killed at least 15 people during a Hanukkah celebration.

And here in California, we awoke this morning to the shocking news of the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, whose lasting impacts on all of California and the country will not be forgotten.

In the face of such heartbreak, as we mourn these senseless acts of violence, we are called to come together, to support one another, and to take action to forge a better world for all of us.

In this holiday season, amidst senseless violence like this, it can often be hard to find things that make us hopeful.

I’ll remember Rob and Michele’s work for children in California. I’ll think about the hero who helped save lives in Sydney. And I’ll take heart in a community in Providence coming together to mourn and support.

Hope can be hard to find, but it is what I take solace in, in moments like this.

We must also take bold action to make sure students feel safe and secure at their places of learning. Action to make sure Jewish people across the world can honor our faith with dignity and pride, without fear of violent retaliation. And action in which tragedies such as those that occurred this weekend galvanize us to choose unity over division at every turn.

As we grapple with these tragedies, let us be strong and strengthen one another.

Take care,

Adam