By Cailin Acosta
SAN DIEGO – “We’ve been told that resilience is about enduring, about toughing it out. But what if resilience isn’t just about surviving, but about thriving? What if every challenge and every setback isn’t just something to overcome, but something that transforms us?” With these words, Rebbetzin Brooke Reich of Congregation Adat Yeshurun opened her class for women at the San Diego Kollel on Tuesday night, January 13.
Reich, who traveled from her Orthodox synagogue in La Jolla to the Kollel in the College area of San Diego, asked the women to reflect on a difficult moment in their lives—perhaps the death of a loved one, a failed opportunity, or the end of a friendship. In those moments, she explained, it often feels like there are only two choices: to break down or to push through. But that assumption, she challenged, misses something essential. Resilience is not about pushing through pain—it is about who we become in the process.
Resilience is not a new concept. Through the lens of Tanach and its characters, Reich explored how life’s challenges do not merely test us—they shape us. Over time, struggles can be reframed and understood in an entirely new light.
Reich began with Sarah Imeinu, whom she described as the matriarch of resilience. Sarah’s life was marked by immense trials. She left her homeland for an unknown land, endured famine, was abducted not once but twice, and suffered years of barrenness. Even after the birth of Yitzchak, she faced the painful situation involving Hagar and Yishmael, which ultimately led to their being sent away.
According to tradition, Sarah passed away upon hearing that Avraham Avinu had been commanded by Hashem to bring their only son, Yitzchak, as a sacrifice. Reich posed a powerful question: Are we to believe that Sarah lacked faith? Avraham and Yitzchak rushed willingly to fulfill Hashem’s command with devotion, yet Sarah’s response was so overwhelming that it resulted in her death.
Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro offers a different interpretation. Sarah did not die from anguish; rather, she passed away because she had fulfilled her life’s mission. She lived with complete faith and successfully raised a son who embodied those values. When Yitzchak demonstrated his willingness to give himself entirely to Hashem’s will, Sarah’s neshamah had reached its full potential. Her role was complete.
Reich next addressed the theme of emunah through the desire for children. Many commentators explain that Hashem’s delay in granting children to our foremothers was not a punishment, but a gift—a model of resilience. Life is filled with uncertainty, and we are called to be prepared for whatever comes our way.
Turning to Hashem is not merely a coping mechanism for pain, stress, or anxiety. It is a pathway for growth. The women destined to become the foremothers of the Jewish people faced infertility, yet instead of being broken by it, they drew closer to Hashem through heartfelt prayer. Their tefillot established a lasting model for generations to follow.
Reich offered a modern parallel in the story of Sapir Cohen. Six months before October 7, Cohen felt an overwhelming sense that something terrible was about to happen. Around that time, Tehillim Chapter 27 appeared on her Instagram feed and deeply resonated with her. She began reciting it daily—a psalm centered on unwavering faith in Hashem, even amid fear and abandonment.
On October 7, when terrorists stormed her home, Cohen instinctively began reciting the psalm over and over. “I was terrified,” she later shared, “but when I said this prayer, something clicked inside me. I felt peace, and I didn’t understand how I could feel it in that situation.”
Cohen was released after 55 days in captivity. Upon her return, she witnessed the immense power of tefillah and the countless Jews who prayed and performed mitzvot on her behalf and for the other hostages. Through faith-filled prayer, resilience was forged.
Reich then spoke of the resilient Jewish women who were redeemed from Egypt. When these women went to draw water from the river, Hashem performed a miracle: small fish entered their pitchers, filling them halfway with water and halfway with fish. They prepared two pots—one of hot water to bathe their exhausted husbands and another of fish to nourish them.
Even in the depths of slavery and despair, these women refused to surrender hope. Their faith and determination ensured the continuity of the Jewish people and ultimately led to redemption.
Another powerful example was Chana, whose heartfelt prayer remains a timeless model of resilience. While barren herself, she watched as her husband’s other wife, Penina, bore many children. In her anguish, Chana poured out her soul to Hashem, vowing that if she were granted a child, she would dedicate him entirely to divine service. Hashem answered her prayer, and she gave birth to Shmuel HaNavi.
Reich drew a parallel to modern-day “Chanas”—the mothers of IDF soldiers. One such mother is Jen Airely. On the 5th of Kislev, her 21-year-old son, Binyamin Airely, was killed in Gaza. Since then, Jen has inspired all of Israel through her raw, heartfelt words, expressing extraordinary strength, faith, and resilience in the face of unimaginable loss.
In closing, Reich explained that Hashem tests individuals not to break them, but to reveal His greatness for eternity. Growth through challenges does not happen automatically. Difficult moments can bring us down—but the Torah, in its wisdom, provides a path forward.
By strengthening our emunah through tefillah, acts of kindness, and constant reflection that Hashem has the best possible plan for us, we can transform hardship into growth. This, Reich emphasized, is true resilience—not merely enduring life’s challenges but growing through them.
For more information on SD Kollel in the College Area class offerings, please call 888-735-6553 (SDKOLLEL) or contact Rabbi Adam Simon on WhatsApp at 619-629-8433.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.