There are programs that we plan that have good potential for being engaging and meaningful and often they are just that though sometimes, they are not.

The way that Temple David observed the Fourth Anniversary of the attack at Tree of Life * Or L’Simcha had all of the pieces in place.  Here was the “recipe”:

• Work with a group of invested people – we had a small but mighty working group.
• Develop your goal – we decided that we wanted a hands-on experience, as had been our mosaic, that was interfaith and included a Service of Remembrance.
• Make it personal – Rose Mallinger’s (z”l) great niece helped to shape our efforts and it became: “Dozens of Roses in Memory of One Special Rose (z”l)”
• Enact your values – knowing that hatred, antisemitism and anti-immigrant vitriol fueled the attack, we specifically wanted to show appreciation to first responders, a welcome to new immigrants and a hug to those impacted
• Enable participation – we chose to show our values through beautifully decorated boxes filled with rose-shaped cookies which used Rose and her sister Sylvia’s recipe. This is what each box said:
  This year, Temple David’s celebration of life in the aftermath of the attack at Tree of Life Or- L’Simcha on October 27, 2018 is inspired by one of the victims, Rose Mallinger (z”l)*, who is lovingly called Ro-Ro by our congregant, Rachael Farber, her grandniece.

  In Rachael’s words:
  Rose Mallinger was a sweet, loving, and caring woman whose family was everything to her.  Rose and her late husband shared a side-by-side house with her sister’s family where together they raised all of their children. A rose bush grew between the two houses.

  Rose was mercilessly murdered on October 27, 2018 at the Tree of Life Or L’Simcha while attending Sabbath services along with her daughter, Andrea as they did every Saturday.  One impetus for the attack was a recent service in honor of immigrants and refugees. Thanks to the quick and efficient response of the first responders, Andrea survived.

  Rose had quite the sweet tooth.  The symbolism of the rose cookies is both for her name and the bush outside her home.  The recipe was one shared by her and her sister.  These cookies are baked with love and appreciation for the first responders for their support and protection and to welcome immigrants and refugees.

  Today we share Rose’s sweetness with the world: a beautiful rose with no thorns.
  *z”l stands for zichrona livracha in Hebrew/may her memory be a blessing

• Find strength in our neighbors – inviting the interfaith community to bake, to decorate, pack and deliver the boxes and to sing in the choir gave us comfort and hope.
  During the week surrounding October 27^th, over 1500 cookies were delivered throughout our area.  They have long since been eaten but their impact on us, on our interfaith partners and on our corner of the world will stay with us well into the future.