Last week, I wrote about how fed up I felt in the wake of the Bondi attack and how imperative it is that leaders take the threat of antisemitism seriously. My frustration holds as we continue to see leaders dismiss antisemitism as simply “free speech” or as reasonable debate. But today, I want to linger on a more life-affirming note.

I’ve been marveling at all the stories coming out recently about people who, without hesitation, have stood up to help others. The accounts are humbling, inspiring, and serve as testaments to the good inside us. There’s Ahmed el Ahmed who singlehandedly disarmed one of the Bondi shooters and in doing so saved lives, rebuked ISIS ideology, and offered the world a stunning example of heroism. There’s Boris and Sofia Gurman who also confronted one of the Bondi gunmen, giving their lives to save others just weeks before their 35th wedding anniversary. There’s Spencer Yang, a first-year student at Brown who was shot in the leg and still managed to take care of the guy next to him, keeping him conscious until help arrived. And so many more.

I am also, like many of you, thinking about Rob Reiner. My family and I love his movies. Watching The Princess Bride as a family is a core memory for me. Rob’s films always leave me feeling better about people. He had a knack for exploring and celebrating our common instincts and potential for love, including our tendency toward empathy, in ways both subtle and heartwarming. As one commenter wrote on Stephen King’s tribute to the filmmaker, “Rob Reiner’s humanness was turned up to 11.” (If you know, you know…).

This, to me, is the whole game, to find a way to crank up our humanness as high as it will go. In this age of isolation and online rage, there will be no greater power than our ability to tap into our uniquely messy, endearing, creative, loving human traits. There is no foe too great that cannot be bested with our humanity.

In these final days of 2025, I’m holding onto this thought and looking around at all the light piercing through the darkness. We can each of us make a difference in astounding ways (to this end, there’s still time to give to Federation’s Annual Campaign!). I may not have the courage of those heroes at Bondi or the artistic skill of a filmmaker, but I love my community and look forward to serving it alongside all of you in the year ahead. As Rob Reiner might say, storming the castle to build a better future is best done together.

Shabbat Shalom and wishes for a happy, safe, and healthy new year.