“To heal, we must remember. It’s hard sometimes to remember, but that’s how we heal.”

This is what President Biden said the night before his inauguration at a memorial for the 400,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19. As I listened to those words, I thought back to my study of zachor, the Hebrew word for memory. While history is important, the Jewish tradition focuses more on memory as a way to create meaning out of the important things in life, whether those things are pleasant or tragic.

We will all have painful memories from the past year, likely the most stressful and difficult most of us have ever experienced. But we can cherish good memories, as well. At JFS, we will always remember how our staff, volunteers and community stepped up with courage, commitment, and generosity to help those affected by this pandemic.

On a recent Sunday, a man arrived at our monthly curbside food drive, which we hold in partnership with the Rabbinical Association and local congregations; he was hungry and needed food. Shortly afterward, a mother of six arrived asking for help. Then another family. And another. What was intended to be a food collection event had brought out people in need, highlighting the alarming and growing food insecurity crisis throughout our community. 

As our staff and volunteers worked to offer food and assistance to these walk-up clients, other cars were arriving with donations of food, household items, and money. Many who came were first-time donors to JFS. They heard people were in need in our community and selflessly came out on a cold Sunday morning to help. Another good memory to cherish.

Memory can also make us better. As an organization, JFS is using the harsh experiences of the past year to become wiser, more resilient, and better prepared to support individuals and families struggling with the persistent economic and mental challenges surrounding the ongoing pandemic. Our mental health team has created new tools and expanded our resources for those facing increased stress or anxiety. Check them out at jfskc.org.

Many of our existing programs, especially those supporting older adults such as Help@Home, are continuously being enhanced with strict safety and social distancing procedures to minimize the risk of transmission for older adult clients already at higher risk of harm from COVID-19. We have instituted weekly COVID-19 testing for all our client-facing staff and volunteers to add an extra layer of security for  them and our clients. And we have launched completely new programs like Tech-Connect to provide tablets and training for older adults, opening up a whole new world to them while their in-person world has become so constrained.

As we move forward, we plan to increase our advocacy efforts at the local and state levels, especially  those related to the health and safety of the communities we serve. The tough memories from the past year have shown us what needs to be done.

We are inspired by the words of Amanda Gorman, the amazing Youth Poet Laureate, from the poem she read at the inauguration ceremonies for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris:

For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it,
if only we’re brave enough to be it.
- ‘The Hill We Climb’

At JFS, we witness bravery every day - in the voices of our clients, the dedication of our staff and volunteers, and the generosity of our donors. Together, we remember the loss and pain of last year and look to the light to continue to repair our world.

 Don Goldman is the executive director and CEO of Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City.  Don leads the human service organization which served more than 10,000 clients in 2020. He oversees the JFS workforce of more than 60 team members, the vast majority of whom are now working remotely.