This week we begin the book of Shemot or “Names.” The Torah opens by naming Jacob’s sons and their families who went down to Egypt. Before telling the story of oppression or redemption, the Torah insists on something deeply human and essential: we are named, and we are known. We are not anonymous. We are not interchangeable.

The Torah then tells us that a new king arises who “did not know Joseph.” That forgetting sets everything else in motion. When memory is lost, people become easier to overlook, misunderstand, or devalue. Our ancient oppressors, and modern antisemites, don’t look so different. Forgetting is easy; remembering is a responsibility.

That message feels especially present right now. We are living in a moment when identities are flattened, histories are questioned, and communities are spoken about without being truly known. Judaism calls upon us to remember: by naming, by telling our stories, and by staying connected to one another. We are called to remain loud and proud, keeping our names sacred, holy, and remembered.

Our strength as a people has always come from our voice and from our teachings. When we remember, we deepen understanding and strengthen connection. We remember who we are through learning, through community, and through showing up for one another in both ordinary and meaningful ways. This is how we carry Jewish life forward; not only by responding to what challenges us, but by tending carefully to who we are.

As we begin Shemot, may we recommit to being a community that knows one another by name, honors each other’s stories, and remembers what truly matters.

Shabbat Shalom.

Cantor Amy E. Levy