A time to weep and a time to laugh

I posted last week after the pigua in Merkaz Harav that I had wanted to post some funny videos by Billy Ray Sheet telling the story of Purim. Well, I wanted to wait for the shiva to be over and although life is certainly not back to normal for the wounded and families of the victims, as Kohelet says, to everything there is a season, and the season of Adar is for happiness.
The Ballad of Purim chapters 1-2

The Ballad of Purim chapters 3-4

The Ballad of Purim chapters 5-6

The Ballad of Purim chapters 7-10

Intersecting worlds

Since I am going to school for a degree in library and information science, I read many blogs related to libraries and web 2.0, along with all the other blogs in my blogroll. Sometimes, out of nowhere, your disparate worlds seem to collide. The American Library Association posted about the massacre of the eight students at Merkaz Harav in Yerushalyaim because the attack took place in the library. Eight Students Killed at Jerusalem Religious School Library is a factual accounting of the events, no politicizing in any way.
I like the fact that perhaps people who aren't aware of what happenned are exposed to it. Will it change the way they think or feel? I don't know but at least they are reading about it.
In February the ALA posted about the arrest of Hamas suspects in the destruction of the library in Gaza.

Mishenichnas Adar...משנכנס אדר

For weeks, I've known what I was going to post for Rosh Chodesh Adar. Ever since Billy Ray Sheet left a message on my blog that he prepared 4 videos telling the story of Megillat Esther and I watched them and laughed and laughed, I just waited for Rosh Chodesh Adar to post them . After all, when Adar comes joy is increased - משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה.
And then, I saw the news that 2 terrorists entered Yeshivat Merkaz Harav in Yerushalayim, killed 8 students, and wounded 10 others. Seven of the dead are teenagers, ranging in age from 15-19; the oldest casualty was 26. Suddenly, I don't feel like laughing anymore.
For most of us, life will go on as usual. We'll rant for a while, complain about the uselessness of the government, shed a tear at the heartbreaking pictures of funerals and choke up when we hear the hespedim. But eventually we'll continue to live our lives because what else can we do? Life goes on. Except for those 8 families. And ten others in limbo.
I feel like anything I say will be trite but I just felt the need to reach out.
May we know better days than these.