Yartzeit

Today marks the third year since we left.

Those days were so very painful. We learned Torah, lived it, and claimed it as an identity. I took it as one more level of knowing You. That was all I wanted and craved when I first stepped foot there. I was so thrilled to find a place that focused on worshipping You, not elevating ourselves but truly knowing You.

How that degraded over time. Not only did it degrade but I became aware of how bound I was in a very unhealthy relationship. Watching those I held in high regard act in a way that was the complete opposite of what my G-d requires, and at the expense of one whose only desire was to serve and love.

I still mourn the loss of what I had. I will always remember those people and those experiences with sadness. I will always be thankful for what I learned there and the one friend that taught me more about loving others than anyone I’ve ever known.

Blessed are You, O L-rd, my G-d, King of the Universe, the beneficent and merciful One.