I sit in my sukkah* of shelter, surrounded by soft, fragile walls of protection
aware that too many have no walls or protection.
Just outside, in my backyard, the green grass grows from the rich dirt and the tree tops tower above
yet I—and they—know that too many are in the dark abyss of a tunnel
or an attic
or fear.
The tender draft of an almost-crisp fall day caresses my bare arms
as I am conscious that too many feel cuts and scrapes
and bullet wounds and knife wounds
and hunger
and pain penetrating their souls.
The sweet aroma of the pine trees and fresh cut lawn surround me
and I think about those who smell only dirt and feces and urine.
The gentle breeze whistles as it dances the leaves that hang onto the trees,
and those that already floated to the ground below
while too many people only hear gunshots and shouts
and warnings that they, too, will be abducted.
My warm spiced apple cider comforts me
but there is no comfort for so many, for too many.
I sit in my place of privilege, of good fortune
that I was not abducted on October 7
that I am not targeted because of my skin color
that I have a home and a yard
and the strength and space to sit and reflect.
May we all find a sukkah of peace for our bodies.
May we all find a sukkah of peace for our souls.
May we all together build a sukkah of peace for our world.
© October 2025 by Irene Stern Frielich
*A sukkah (sue-kah) is a temporary structure that many Jewish people build for this weeklong holiday of Sukkoth (sue-coat; Sukkoth is the plural of sukkah in Hebrew). The sukkah represents Gd’s presence and protection. Sukkoth is usually in October and weather in this part of the country (the Boston area) varies from cool summer to freezing. Traditionally, we spend as much time as we can in our sukkah, including meals, and some people will even sleep in their sukkah.
Photo: My sukkah in 2025.
News about Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts
I invite you to attend one of my upcoming presentations. For all these, there is no formal registration so please let me know if you plan to attend so I can provide an accurate count as requested by the hosts:
- Sunday, October 26, 2025 at 10am, Temple Tiferet Shalom, Peabody, MA
- Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 10am, Dix Hills Jewish Center, Dix Hills, NY
- Sunday, November 9, 2025 evening time TBA, Hillels of Westchester, SUNY Purchase, NY
- Monday, November 10, 2025 at 7pm, St. Joseph’s University, Patchogue, NY
- PRIVATE event, but if you are a member, please come: Friday, November 14, 2025 in the morning at the Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center, Glen Cove, NY
I’ll also be in South Florida again. If you are in the area, please contact me for registration details (and bring friends!):
- Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 9:30am in Jupiter, FL
- Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 11am in Aventura, FL
- Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 10am in Boca Raton, FL
For the full list of events please visit https://shatteredstars.org/events/ or message me.
My presentation, like my memoir, Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts, is much more than a Holocaust story. It is a powerful reminder that in the face of hatred and antisemitism, we each have a choice: to be a bystander … or to be an upstander. My father’s survival, made possible by 18 courageous people who risked everything to protect our family, shows how one act of bravery can change the course of history.
My father (via audio clips) and I, together, tell this moving story of his survival in Germany and the Netherlands.
Feel free to share this info with your friends and family. Let’s consider ways we can all make a difference in this world.
