Sobering. In a week of March Madness, Springsteen in concert and Aaron Rodgers a long way from being finished, according to Aaron Rodgers, one of the more meaningful perks of being a synagogue president, flip side of chipped paint, leaking faucets and of course sugar free desserts, happened Monday night. I was privileged to moderate a ‘community discussion’ at our temple with Eran Doron, mayor of Ramat HaNegev in Israel. Ramat HaNegev is an Israeli Regional Council comprised of 20 villages and a population of 8,000 residents. We visited that Las Vegas sister community in June and spent a wonderful and joyous night hosted by Ramat HaNegev students, teachers and residents at the local high school. That joy is no more. The high school was used as a military command center following 10/7. Now the community lives in fear and mourning. Mayor Doron was candid with the 200 or so on hand at our Temple Sinai. He said prior to October 7 Israel was so conflicted and distracted between judicial reform and internal politics they took their collective eyes off the border ball and were surprised by the attack. Hamas knew what they were doing and when to strike. Now the key word is determination, and the mayor has no doubt Israel will prevail. Any hope of a two-state solution is undoubtedly gone; Israel will do what it has always done— aggressively defend itself and its people. An eye opening, rewarding evening. Shalom.