Jews around the
world gathered with families and friends at sundown last night to welcome in
the year 5779. Rosh Hashanah begins with the call of the shofar at a synagogue
service, and continues with a meal that traditionally includes a round challah
(symbolizing the circle of life) and apples dipped in honey (for a sweet year).
(I love the way
food is fully integrated into religious observation. And now I know why Whole
Foods was giving out samples of both plain and raisin challah. Delish.)
It also marks
the ten Days of Awe, when Jews reflect upon the past year and consider what
they might have done better. The Days end with Yom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement, when Jews acknowledge the wrongs of the previous year and ask
forgiveness—from both the person(s) they’ve wronged and from God.
As I’ve written before,
I think it’s a custom that pretty much everyone could benefit from. Most
Christians pay lip service (literally) to the notion of atonement when they
recite that passage of the Lord’s Prayer that goes, “forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.” But there are a shedload of
Christians who run through that whole prayer without giving it much thought.
That may be true
of Jews at the High Holy Days, too. But I think that taking entire days out of
your life and devoting them to thoughts of enumerating your transgressions and
asking forgiveness (as well as accepting others’ apologies) tends to focus the
mind.
At any rate, I’m
grateful for all my Jewish friends and their families, and I wish them all
(whether in Herndon, Chicago or on a cruise around Cuba) L'Shanah Tovah.
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