Jews around the world gathered with families and friends at sundown yesterday to welcome in the year 5786. 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).
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. They also run through their lives the same way.
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.
A lot has happened in this world since the start of year
5785. Much of it appalling. Let’s all of us—Jew and gentile alike—see if
we can’t do better this time around. I wish all my Jewish friends (whether
in Herndon, New York or on a cruise somewhere in the world) L'Shanah Tovah.
©2025 Bas Bleu
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