Shavua Tov
As we gather beneath the open sky and the simple walls of the sukkah, we are reminded that true joy—simcha—emerges not from permanence, but from presence. Sukkot, Z’man Simchateinu, the season of our joy, invites us to embrace community, gratitude, and hope.
This year, that joy feels deeper and more heartfelt. After two long and painful years, we are witnessing moments of simcha as hostages are finally returning home. We rejoice with their families, even as we continue to hold in our hearts those who remain captive and those whose lives were taken. May the living return soon to begin their healing, and may the dead be granted proper burial.
These homecomings stir within us a profound sense of achdut—unity—that connects Jews across the world. In moments like this, we feel the unbreakable thread of Am Yisrael, the Jewish people. As Avraham Infeld reminds us, “Hope is believing that tomorrow can be better, while optimism is assuming that it will be.” This Sukkot, we hold both—hope for peace and optimism in the power of community to help us get there.
The sukkah reminds us that even fragile walls can house immense strength. What sustains us is not the wood or canvas, but the people gathered within—the community that turns vulnerability into resilience and uncertainty into joy. That is the sacred work we continue to do here at the Tucson J—building a town square of belonging, where everyone is welcome, and where Jewish life thrives through connection, creativity, and shared purpose.
In that same spirit of joy and creativity, I invite you to join me for Theatre Dybbuk-in-Residence at the Tucson J.
We are hosting two culminating performances of Dracula (Annotated)
Friday, October 24 at 2:00 PM – Get your tickets HERE
Saturday, October 25 at 7:00 PM – Get your tickets HERE
Both performances will take place at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre.
Under the direction of writer/director Aaron Henne, and accompanied by a live musical score, a company of five performers investigate the gothic characters and plot of Dracula while examining the societal forces at play in Victorian England—forces that remain deeply relevant today.
You can Learn more about the residency or watch my PODCAST with Aaron Henne. Please share this opportunity with your friends and family—this unique partnership is yet another expression of our commitment to creative, thoughtful engagement with Jewish culture and the broader human story.
As we celebrate Z’man Simchateinu, may the melodies of peace and return fill our hearts and our homes, Shir Lashalom sung by the incomparable Shiri Maimon and Edan Golan’s version of I’m Coming Home, which holds additional meaning as we await the return of our hostages in the coming days.
May these songs echo our collective yearning—for peace, for unity, for achdut, and for a world where all can dwell safely beneath a Sukkat Shalom, a shelter of peace.
Todd Rockoff
President + CEO, Tucson J
