Take bold steps to repair the world
By Cantor Sheri Allen
Co-creator, Makom Shelanu Congregation, Fort Worth
What a year this has been. The war in Israel and Gaza rages on, the fate of the hostages is uncertain, our democracy is on shaky ground, basic truths are constantly being twisted and questioned and violent rhetoric has become almost commonplace. In the midst of constant chaos, how can we enter these Days of Awe with a renewed sense of purpose and hope for a future that seems, at the moment, so precarious?
And yet, the Yamim Noraim mercifully give us the chance to pause and reset, to envision a world where peace is possible — a world in which that vision is accompanied by action. Let us welcome the new year by challenging ourselves to engage in respectful dialogue with those with whom we might disagree, standing up publicly for those whose voices are being silenced, opening our hearts to acknowledge the suffering of all those who have lost their loved ones and their homes through no fault of their own and supporting peace initiatives that uphold the dignity and flourishing of all people.
And in this new year, let us vote our values into being. Our tradition demands nothing less, as Midrash Tanhuma, Mishpatim 2:1 states, “If a person of learning participates in public affairs and serves as judge or arbiter, that person gives stability to the land…. But if a person sits in their home and says to themselves, ‘What have the affairs of society to do with me?… Why should I trouble myself with the people’s voices of protest? Let my soul dwell in peace!’ — if one does this, they overthrow the world.”
This year, let us resolve to take bold, brave steps to not only repair our relationships, but the world itself.
L’Shanah Tovah.
It’s time to give
By Rabbi Andrew Bloom
Congregation Ahavath Sholom
A philosopher once asked Rabbi Gamliel, “Your Torah commands constant charity without fear of financial strain. Isn’t it natural to worry about the future?” Rabbi Gamliel responded, “Would you lend to a stranger?” The philosopher replied, “I’d fear losing the money.” “What if the borrower offered reliable guarantors?” Rabbi Gamliel continued. “Then I’d agree,” the philosopher said. “And if the head of the government were the guarantor?” “I’d lend without hesitation,” the philosopher affirmed. Rabbi Gamliel explained, “When you give charity, you are, in essence, lending to God, as it says in Proverbs 19:17, ‘One who gives to the poor lends to God, who will repay in full.’ God, the most trustworthy of guarantors, will return what you give.”
As Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approach, we reflect on how we can help others. Jewish tradition teaches us that self-redemption comes first, enabling us to assist others. During Elul, we prepare for teshuvah — repentance. According to Maimonides, teshuvah involves recognizing our sins, feeling regret, resolving not to repeat them and ultimately proving our commitment.
Once we have prepared, it’s time to give. There are various levels of tzedakah, but the goal is both personal and communal improvement. May this season inspire us to better ourselves and the world around us.
Shanah Tovah and G’mar Hatimah Tovah.
Shalom U’bracha.
Loss and hope
By Rabbi Holly Levin Cohn
Chaplain/bereavement coordinator, The Legacy at Home Hospice, part of The Legacy Senior Communities
This year I have felt the weight of communal grief and loss for people I don’t even know who live in the country I love. Those murdered Oct. 7; those taken hostage; those who risk their lives as IDF soldiers; those who have had to vacate their homes; and those living in fear because of the violence and danger that abounds in the region.
This loss imposed on the people of Israel and Jews around the world because of the warfare that Hamas and Hezbollah engage in using their own people as human shields breaks me. My heart is torn for all civilian casualties. I think of our young people who are experiencing an increase in antisemitism at school resulting in broken friendships and pain — another loss.
A loss of any kind brings a multitude of emotions, but hope is generated when we can articulate our thoughts and feelings to another person. I feel weighed down; however, I also feel bonded to the Jewish community and feel we have come together. Even if our politics don’t match, I feel we can build bridges acting like Hillel and Shamai, who challenged each other but always for the sake of heaven.
As bereavement coordinator for The Legacy at Home (Hospice), which is part of The Legacy Senior Communities, I know what it means to “Grow Through Grief.” I am proud to offer opportunities for people to express their grief. I also have observed the sadness associated with the losses mentioned above leading to compounded grief for so many.
My prayer is that in the next year peace will be felt, and love flourish. May we find a way to minimize the hole in our heart. May we find companionship while relating to others, breathing in hope and tranquility. Am Yisrael Chai!
Forward or backward?
By Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis
Congregation Kol Ami
The Reform prayer book Siddur Mishkan T’filah contains the following poem:
This is an hour of change.
Within it we stand uncertain on the border of light.
Shall we draw back or cross over?
Where shall our hearts turn?
Shall we draw back, my brother, my sister, or cross over?
This is an hour of change, and within it, we stand quietly on the border of light.
What lies before us?
Shall we draw back, my brother, my sister, or cross over? (Leah Goldberg, adapted)
This poem seems so apt at this time of year. Elul, and with it the coming of the New Year, reminds us of the possibility of change and how we, as free people, have the choice which way to go — forward or backward.
This year in particular we are reminded of our obligations as Jews. On Rosh Hashanah we welcomed the Jewish year 5785. This means we have opportunity to move forward or backward — or both, I suppose, for change rarely happens in a straight line and rarely do we always move forward. Often it’s a little forward, a little backward and a bit sideways — but this year in particular, after a year of war, the direction we choose in this year is particularly fraught and consequential. The choice is ours to move forward or backward. Will we move forward toward peace, healing and a better future, or backward? The hour is upon us.
Combating antisemitism during the High Holidays
By Rabbi Shaya Fox
CEO, DATA-Dallas Area Torah Association
There are so many influential Jewish people and organizations that are pouring heart, soul, tears and a lot of resources into directly fighting antisemitism. It is certainly important work that must be commended and supported; however, our sole focus as Jews can’t become fighting antisemitism. We must have a dual approach of properly defending ourselves from the haters while simultaneously, and even more importantly, strengthening ourselves as Jews. While combating antisemitism is crucial for ensuring the safety and rights of Jewish communities, it is a reactive approach, centered on defending against external threats. Judaism, however, is a rich and vibrant tradition with a history, knowledge and spiritual practice that predates and transcends antisemitism.
For many, fighting Jewish hate has become their “Jewish observance.” Relying solely on fighting antisemitism to shape Jewish identity risks defining Jewish life by its adversaries, rather than its own values and beliefs. We are so much richer than a religion that fights haters.
Engagement with Jewish observance — whether through prayer, Torah study, holiday celebrations or acts of charity — provides a more holistic and enduring foundation for Jewish continuity, especially in the face of all the adversity. This positive connection to our heritage fosters a sense of purpose, pride and belonging which will in turn be the greatest shield for the Jewish people to fend off antisemitism, both on a practical level and on a spiritual level. As we approach the High Holidays, the time of great spiritual introspection, let’s view our spiritual growth as a critical part of the battle to combat antisemitism.
‘Tox-sins’
By Rabbi Cantor Judy Greenfeld
Congregation Beth Israel
The High Holy Days time is a time of reflection and restoration. We spend contemplative time viewing ourselves in relation to people, places and experiences where our traditional language is that of sin. Some of us are comfortable with this language of sin, punishment and fear. I am not. I would like to share what works for me; my prayer is that it is helpful and offers a new perspective. Instead of thinking of the good/bad nature of sin, perhaps we should think of sins as “tox-sins,”as poisonous behavior and thinking that keeps us imprisoned. This idea encourages me to take better care of myself and not feel bad about myself. Seeing “tox-sins” as negative factors that make me sick is a powerful tool that motivates change. One of my favorite teachings from the great Talmudist Rabbi Yossi says that Adonai says to the Jewish people, “My children, open for me an opening of teshuvah the size of the point of a needle and I’ll open for you doorways which are large enough that wagons can enter.”I love this because it sets us up for success, that little steps count.
L’Shanah Tovah.
We can choose
By Rabbi Baruch Hecht
Founder, Chabad of University Park/Highland Park
This time of year always brings with it an energy of anticipation and excitement; another year is around the corner. It also brings a feeling of uncertainty, not knowing what this new year will bring. While we cannot control what will happen, we can choose how we will respond and it what way we would like to lead our lives. The call of the shofar, the prayers of Yom Kippur, help us make the right choice, the choice to deepen our connection with our soul.
May this year bring us much health, wealth, happiness and joy. May we and all of our communities be blessed with a happy, healthy, sweet new year.
Shanah Tovah!
Let’s cross the finish line together
By Rabbi Seymour Rossel
Retired director, Department of Education, Union for Reform Judaism; past dean, School of Education,
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York
During one Special Olympics, nine runners lined up on the field for a race. At the signal, eight set off running. But one 8-year-old stumbled, falling at the start-line. Around the field, onlookers released a collective gasp. But something miraculous took place that day. The eight sprinters, one and all, turned and ran back to the fallen runner. They helped her stand and all nine joined hands and walked as one. When they crossed the finish line together, the startled crowd jumped to its feet and applauded the finest race they had ever witnessed.
We pray as one in our congregations, yet there may be among us those who have stumbled in some way or another during the year. You or I may even be the one who has taken that fall. Yet, our prayers, our confessions and our repentance are like that Special Olympics race. Our job is not to finish with glory — to be the most righteous among the worshippers — but to finish with everybody. As we are reminded in the Talmud (Shavuot 39a), “All Jews are responsible for one another.”
May we be worthy in this holy season to cross the finish line together. And may our days ahead be filled with sweetness and light, with Torah and good deeds.
G’mar Chatimah Tovah!
A time for fear, a time for joy
By Rabbi Feivel Rubinstein
Director of Jewish Life and Learning, Ann & Nate Levine Academy
The 10 days beginning at Rosh HaShanah and ending at Yom Kippur are known as the “aseret yemei teshuvah” or “10 days of repentance.” In even a good year, this can be a stressful time if taken seriously. Especially in a year like this one, with so much pain in Israel, antisemitism on the rise and uncertainty for the future of the Jewish people — it can be terrifying to sit with the concept of divine judgment. If you are like many, there may have even been days over the course of the past year in which nothing else was on your mind. And yet, there is a deeper lesson to be learned in the judgment of these days.
Despite calling Yom Kippur the “Day of Atonement,” our sages did not see this day as a day of fear or suffering. Quite the opposite! In Mishnah Taanit 4:8, the sages teach “There were no days of joy in Israel greater than the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur.” Yom Kippur once served as a day of dancing, celebration and even matchmaking. But how can this be?
The 10 days not only call for self-reflection, but also teach that there is a time for fear and a time for joy. The sages understood that while there is a need for self-reflection, it cannot come at the expense of living life. At some point we must realize that another year has begun with a year’s worth of opportunities for a better tomorrow.
This year, as you and your family celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I encourage you to not only focus on the struggles of the past year, but also to focus deeply on the possibilities that lie in the year ahead. Shanah tovah u-g’mar hatimah tovah!
The words we say to others
By Rabbi Sydni Adler Rubinstein
Rabbi of Congregation Beth Torah, an inclusive, participatory, Conservative synagogue in Richardson
On Rosh Hashanah and especially on Yom Kippur, we say a whole lot of words about where we have missed the mark in the past year regarding the words that we say to others: With the speaking of the mouth, with the bad tongue (gossip), with the conversation of our lips,etc. What better time to work on how we speak than on the High Holidays themselves!
As we whisper with our neighbors during services, when we hear news that is either false, exaggerated or not ours to repeat, we stop those words in their tracks. With the hours we spend in services over the High Holidays, each time we open our mouths and question whether the words we are about to say are worthwhile or even true, we have a whole lot of time to consider how we might reframe our words with more compassion. Beyond providing us a space for prayer and ritual, our synagogue building provides us a space to practice being the selves we promise God we will try to be in the coming year.
In an interpretation of a verse we recite over and over throughout the High Holidays, the Talmud (Shabbat 133b) teaches:
“To walk in all God’s ways” (Deuteronomy 11:22). These are the ways of the Holy One: “gracious and compassionate; patient; abounding in kindness and faithfulness; assuring love for a thousand generations; forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin; and granting pardon…” (Exodus 34:6). Just as God is gracious and compassionate, you too must be gracious and compassionate.
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we have the great opportunity to reach toward our embodiment of God’s ways, not just in our words of prayer and our ritual actions, but in our words of relationship with those with whom we share our synagogue space.
Our mitzvot help bring peace
By Aharon Simon
Head of school, Cheder Lubavitch of Dallas
As we welcome the new Jewish year, it is a time of reflection and action, especially regarding the importance of a solid Jewish education (chinuch) for our children. A strong chinuch provides not only knowledge but also the values and principles that guide our children through life, connecting them to our beautiful and rich faith.
Raising children with a deep sense of emunah, mitzvot and Torah study is essential for building the next generation of proud, committed Jews. In times of peace and challenge, this foundation becomes especially crucial.
As we face difficult times with the ongoing conflict in Israel, the Rebbe reminded us that we each have a part to play. While we may not be on the front lines, we contribute to the strength and protection of our brothers and sisters in Israel by learning Torah and performing mitzvot. Our spiritual actions — teaching our children, lighting Shabbat candles, giving tzedakah — help bring light and peace to the world.
Let us enter this new year with renewed dedication to Jewish education and our role in supporting Israel through acts of Torah and mitzvot.
Wishes for blessings in the new year
By Rabbi Zecharia Sionit
Founder and spiritual leader, Sephardic Torah Center of Dallas
Leshanah tovah, mevorechet umetuka tikatevu vetehamenu (May you be written and sealed for a good, blessed and sweet new year).
On behalf of myself, my family and Sephardic Torah Center, I would like to wish a most blessed year 5785 to the greater Dallas Jewish community and the entirety of Am Yisrael. May the new year indeed be a year of immense health, prosperity, growth and peace for our nation and the entire world, and may we all have the merit of greeting Mashiah Tzidkenu in this very year, Amen.
As we recite in the beautiful liturgy of Rosh Hashanah: “Tichleh shanah vekilleloteha, tahel shanah uvirchoteha.” May the old year and its curses end; may the new year and its blessings begin, Amen.
