Choosing Jewish Life and Joy: A Video Message from Chancellor Mike Uram

October 5, 2026

The third anniversary of October 7 comes at a time when the Jewish community continues to grapple with uncertainty and change. As Chancellor Uram celebrated Simhat Torah this year, he found himself reflecting on what the holiday teaches us about how we move forward.

Watch his reflections on Simhat Torah, October 7, and why this moment calls us to continue choosing Jewish life, again and again

“Simhat Torah reminds us that our commitment to Torah and Jewish life is not made only once,” Chancellor Uram wrote in an email to the JTS community. “It must be renewed throughout our lives. And so, too, must joy. Especially in difficult times, joy is not something we can take for granted. It is something we create through learning, community, celebration, and the daily choice to engage deeply with Jewish life.

“Choosing joy does not mean turning away from pain or forgetting what has been lost. It means affirming that our tradition is not something to preserve, but something to live, question, celebrate, and carry forward.”