A Chanukah Message from Brenda Gelfand

Reflecting on this past year, COVID-19 and politics have really changed the community’s unity from past years. I feel COVID-19 possibly more in a positive way regarding the community’s unity and politics definitely in a negative way.

Due to COVID -19, I have learned a lot about our community’s unity with regards to myself, family, friends and co-workers. Being a single mom living alone taught me many things about myself and others. I have learned how important it is to keep in touch and to be respectful of others. Without Zoom, life could have been so much worse this past year. Being able to see and speak to many family members, friends and co-workers who I would never have reached out to during the first couple months of quarantine, has been a life saver, especially to all who live alone. It has brought the community together with respect to helping one another, learning to live in our environment safely, and survive during an extremely hard and scary time.

Due to the 2020 elections, politics has split the community in half, which for me is extremely sad and disappointing. To see the community so divided was horrible to witness, especially for our youth! Hopefully moving forward, 2021 will bring our community back together and everyone will learn to work together despite their political beliefs.

I wish the community a very “Happy Chanukah” and hope and pray that 2021 will be a much better year filled with health, happiness and peace!

Brenda Gelfand is a senior account manager for the Atlanta Jewish Times.