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Rabbi David Wolpe tells a classic story of speaking to a group of American Jews\xa0 in Tulsa, Oklahoma at their JCC about God.\xa0 He was trying to make the case that God loves them.\xa0 But he could see that his words were not resonating.\xa0 Being the seasoned speaker that he is, he decided to take a bit of a gamble.\xa0 He stopped his prepared remarks and said:\xa0 If you think God loves you, please rise.\xa0 In the entire large amphitheater which sat hundreds of people, exactly one person stood up.\xa0 So Rabbi Wolpe tried again.\xa0 If you think God loves you, please stand up.\xa0 Nobody else got up.\xa0 Just the one man standing.\xa0 At last Rabbi Wolpe turned to that man and said, Sir, you believe that God loves you?\xa0I do indeed, he said.\xa0 What is your name?\xa0 Oral Roberts.

Oral Roberts was a Christian televangelist.\xa0 He was the only one in the Jewish Community Center that believed that God loves us. That lack of ease with God is built into our very name: Israel, the one who struggles with God.\xa0

This story happened years before October 7.\xa0 If it were hard for Jews to connect with a loving God before October 7, how much harder is it for us to believe in God\u2019s love after October 7.\xa0

As we approach the one-year anniversary of October 7, is there any God we can believe in?