At the conclusion of 40 days of reciting Nishmas as a group, 1,800 women joined together for an evening of inspiration, tefillah, and song

Hoping Together. The tagline of Ohel Sarala’s Journey to Amuka program pops out at me as I walk up the steps to the grand Bell Works building. They couldn’t have chosen a more apropos title, I think, as I take in the throngs of people making their way into the hall. They’re expecting 1,800 attendees, and it looks like the crowd is made up of women of all ages and backgrounds. Most are members of Ohel Sarala, an organization cofounded by Bonei Olam’s Rabbi Schlomo Bochner and Rabbi Chaim Aryeh Zev Ginzberg, in memory of Rav Ginzberg’s daughter. Ohel Sarala pairs up single women with married couples who are struggling with infertility, and has each daven for the other.

Many of the event’s attendees have spent the last 40 consecutive days reciting Nishmas and have joined together on the final day, the yartzheit of Rabi Yonasan ben Uziel who is buried in Amukah, for an evening of inspiration, tefillah, and song, to be followed by a livestream of tefillos at Amukah itself.

Inside the building it’s dark, the ballroom lit up by only the tall LED pillars dotting the room and the stage lights at the front. But there’s a palpable warmth, achdus, and energy, and I soak it all in.

One of the earlier speakers, Rabbi Gavriel Friedman, or Rav Gav as he’s popularly known, shares an idea he’d heard from one of his Israeli neighbors about parshas Shelach. “ ‘Mah habaayah im hameraglim — What was the problem with what the meraglim did?’ my neighbor asked. ‘The problem was that they didn’t look at things positively.’ What does it mean that they didn’t look at things positively? People say it all the time, ‘Don’t worry, just look at things positively…’ as if that ever helps. I mean, like, thank you so much, now everything is great. But my neighbor went on to explain that positive isn’t really an English word, it’s a Hebrew word that’s an acronym for Poh Zeh Tov. This here, right now, is good! Think to yourself, is it possible that Hashem knows more than I do? He loves me more than I could imagine, and only wants the best for me… so, if this is happening, it must be that Poh Zeh Tov, that it’s good.”

He gives a mashal of a five-year-old boy who got on a bus and stood behind the bus driver. “The boy begged him, ‘Nahag, can you please crash the bus?’ ” says Rav Gav. “Of course, the driver said no. But as the boy persisted, the driver finally asked him, ‘Why would you want me to crash the bus?’

“The boy replied, ‘Because I’ve heard so much about bus crashes, and I’ve never seen one before. I want to see what it looks like!’ How many of us have said to Hashem, ‘Please Hashem, can you just do this for me?’ And we beg and we cry… for Hashem to crash the bus. Hashem says, ‘I’m sorry, but I’m not going to do it. Even though it’s hard for you and even though you don’t get it.’ ”