The Light at the End of the 5780 Tunnel

By Mica Soffer – Publisher and Editor of COLlive.com

The Chabad Calendar, an unassuming widget on the right side of the homepage of community news service COLlive.com, has become a ubiquitous part of Lubavitch life.

The box of subtle gray, a popular feature on the website since our founding 12 years ago, belies its importance in the Chabad and Crown Heights world.

Updated by the public, it lists local events, shiurim, gatherings and the many simchas – weddings and L’Chaim engagement parties – that are held in the neighborhood.

It is checked daily by thousands who want to be reminded of which events they need to attend that day, or just to keep up with the latest happenings in an unfiltered way.

I must admit that I always took the calendar, and all its various sections, for granted.

Every day, Baruch Hashem, all sorts of events are posted through the site and sent by email, and our team quickly approves them.

And then coronavirus hit.

All of a sudden, the usually bustling calendar remained empty, sad, and forlorn, proclaiming across it, “No events today.” With shuls, schools and businesses shut, the calendar reflected reality.

During those darkest of days, when it seemed that all we were doing was reporting on closures, lockdowns, health alerts and so many deaths, the future felt bleak.

I never thought that we could work with so little sleep, dealing with a barrage of tragic news – even after I contracted COVID 19 myself. It was a few months that I will never forget – working days and nights with so many families who needed help and comfort along with our reporting, promotion of tzedaka campaigns and urgent Tehillim requests.

And one day, when the pandemic seemed to be getting worse and everything felt so dark, a notification came through – a new entry into the Chabad Calendar, which caught me by surprise and left me choked with emotion.

A young couple, who had recently gotten engaged, (or a relative or friend) had submitted their names and wedding date, to be held at Razag Hall in Crown Heights in June.

That little box with their names signaled to me the light at the end of the tunnel. While everything was so uncertain, and we had no idea when the lockdowns would be over, it was a hopeful sign of better things to come.

And while their wedding day may not have happened exactly as they planned, possibly even at a different venue or on a different date, that day in March that little announcement said, ‘life will go on. We will gather again for joyous occasions, and we will dance and be happy together.’

As we head into the new year, we say thank you to the Crown Heights and global Chabad community for trusting us to bring you the most updated and relevant news, opinions and information in these unprecedented and challenging times.

And to that engaged couple, who sent that glimmer of hope when we felt there was none – thank you. May we continue to share simches, good news and the greatest update of all – the coming of Moshiach speedily in our times.

Kesiva V’Chasima Tova and a Gut Gebentched Yar to all.