Dear Congregation,
On June 30, 2024, our fiscal year 2023-2024 closes. This year Temple Isaiah has endured heartbreak and challenges but also has seen remarkable programs and responses to our individual and collective grief. Just three months into this fiscal year, our world changed on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists savagely murdered more than 1200 Israelis and kidnapped more than 240, keeping them hostage in Gaza. In terms of the sheer loss of life and the continuing trauma, it was the worst day in Jewish history since the Shoah. The months following the attack have shown a huge increase globally and locally in antisemitic incidents: In Los Angeles, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 503 incidents in 2023, a marked 112 percent increase from 2022’s 237 incidents…