By Betzy Lynch in La Jolla, California
Over the past two weeks, Jews around the world have been moving through what Avraham Infeld calls the “Days of We”: Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom Ha’atzmaut.
Infeld is a leading Israeli educator and global Jewish thought leader who has helped shape modern conversations about Jewish peoplehood and identity. Infeld contrasts the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), often called the “Days of Awe,” which are designed for individual introspection, with the “Days of We,” a period of collective reflection for the entire Jewish people. As he puts it: “The Ten Days of Awe are about ‘I.’ The Nine Days of We are about ‘us.’”
The arc of the Days of We moves through three stages:
Memory: Yom HaShoah, when we remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
Sacrifice: Yom HaZikaron, when we honor those who gave their lives defending the State of Israel, victims of terror, and the ongoing sacrifices made by Israeli families so that Jews around the world can live with the knowledge that Israel exists as a refuge.
Renewal: Yom Ha’atzmaut, when we celebrate the independence of the State of Israel and recommit ourselves to building and rebuilding the Jewish homeland, not only for what it is today, but for the aspirations for what it can become.
These are not just dates on a calendar. They form a collective narrative arc.
In Jewish experience, nothing is coincidental or accidental, perhaps it is simply G-d being anonymous. As we enter the coming week of counting the Omer, we encounter the sefirah of Hod. Often translated as humility, submission, or acknowledgment, Hod contains a paradox captured by the Hebrew word davka. Davka does not translate neatly into English; it can mean “precisely” or even “counterintuitively.” Within Hod, it teaches that it is davka through humility and surrender that we arrive at splendor, radiance, and dignity.
Seen through the lens of Hod, the Days of We deepen:
Hod as Humility: Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust is not distant history; it is our history. It did not happen to “them,” but to us. Hod calls us to surrender to this truth, to recognize our vulnerability, and to dissolve the individual self into collective memory.
Hod as Submission: Yom HaZikaron, holding the memory of those who were lost is a profound responsibility. Their sacrifice is not abstract, it lives within us. Hod asks us to accept that weight and stand in recognition.
Hod as Splendor: Yom Ha’atzmaut, after all that we have endured, the ability to celebrate is itself an expression of Hod. This is not from a place of triumph or arrogance, but quiet radiance, a dignified affirmation: we are still here, we have built something, and we will carry memory forward as we continue the work of rebuilding.
As we gather on Sunday to Celebrate Israel, I hope that you will use the counting of Omer as inspiration to look back into the Days of We and forward in the days to come not just for you, but for all of us.
Netzach (Endurance)
Day 25 – Determination: What drives me forward? What motivates you?
Day 26 – Humble Endurance: Can I persist without ego? Can you try hard without needing to win?
Day 27 – Relational Commitment: Do I stay committed to people? What makes a strong friendship last?
Day 28 – Resilient Leadership: Do I model perseverance for others? Who do you look up to and why?
Hod (Humility, Submission, & Splendor)
Day 29 – Loving Humility: Can I appreciate others fully? How do we show appreciation?
Day 30 – Boundaries in Humility: Can I be humble without losing myself?
Day 31 – Balanced Humility: When should you speak up vs. stay quiet?
Day 32 – Enduring Gratitude: What am I grateful for today?
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Betzy Lynch is the chief executive officer of the Lawrence Family JCC.