On October 27th, my husband and I spent the day hiking Mt. Etna and touring a local winery set on the slopes of the volcano.
It was a beautiful day with blue skies and a light breeze. We felt grateful for the opportunity to be able to travel, learn and experience the world. That evening, after settling in for the night, we turned on the news to catch up with what was happening while we were away from the U.S.
We were horrified to watch the unfolding events at The Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We spent the next few hours watching the news and communicating with our family and friends back in the U.S. We learned that the brothers, Cedric and David Rosenthal, were cousins of a close childhood friend of mine, and we felt helpless as we learned about the loss for the entire Jewish community. As I sifted through emails, I began to see a string of conversations on the ECE-RJ Listserv.
One after the other, Directors were sending healing wishes and stories of how they had been touched by the events. I saw a supportive group of early childhood professionals who were there to help one another by sharing words used to communicate with the families in their communities and the steps they were taking to ensure safety for their congregations.
I realized, at that moment, what this organization is really all about. Not only are we there for one another during the daily struggles and accomplishments in the world of early childhood education, but we are there to support each other in our own personal time of need. I am proud to be a part of this amazing group of dedicated professionals who care very deeply for their colleagues and are there for each other, whenever, however, they are needed.
Jewish resources for coping: https://urj.org/blog/2018/10/27/wake-tragedy-resources-coping-after-pittsburgh-synagogue-shootings
