This week we read in the Torah about the journeys of the Israelites in the wilderness, which have become a metaphor for the wanderings of the Jewish people throughout history. In the Torah, the Israelites find that their journeys encompass triumphs and challenges, high points and low, moments of celebration and moments of pain. In our lives, we often find that our journeys combine success and difficulty, sometimes even at the same instant. In the world around us, we are seeing upheaval and pain, from the anti-immigrant sentiment gripping Europe to the deep frustration we feel here in the U.S. at our seeming inability to come to grips with the scourge of gun violence in our communities, including right here in Philadelphia. At the same time, the beginning of summer brings us celebrations of graduations, moments of transition, bright new paths opening up to us and those we love. May we be able to hold both the joy and the challenge of these moments together. May our pain never blind us to chances to celebrate, and may our happiness never shake our resolve to work for change. And may we always feel the presence of those around us, supporting us in good times and bad, and helping us take the next step on our journeys.