Getting To, Through, and the Most Out Of, Tishrei

From the Rabbi, September 2002

Astoundingly, the Yamim Noraim ("awesome/terrible days", a.k.a. High Holy Days) are almost upon us again. Soon we'll be gathered in prayer and fellowship, in fear and trembling, in introspection and self-betterment. Every Tishrei is cause for "alarm," which is precisely what the shofar symbolizes: a piercing wake-up call reminding us to do what we must. Yet this year, alarms of various sorts are on everyone's mind.

Much will be said at services these Yamim Noraim about 9/11 falling among our Holy Days. Last Rosh Hashanah we were stunned, devastated, grieving -- this year too we will mourn and memorialize. Come to services ready to feel and to think, to share with and offer support to others, to reflect newly on that which has now become old. Come ready to count the many blessings in our lives that still stand, even as we remember those which--and those who--have fallen.

As it's been a tough last year for us as Americans, so for us as Jews. This is the third Rosh Hashanah in a row when hamatzav --"the situation" in Israel-- weighs heavily upon us. Here, too, we gather to mourn and to support; here, too, we hope to learn, from the insights of our tradition and from each other, how we might find our way together through these challenging times.

"Fear and trembling" is no longer a cliche or a book title; it describes our own sense of vulnerability. 9/11/01 brought that home to us in new ways, and there's been plenty since as well. Let me say this outright: Yes, it's scary to gather in a roomful of Jews and their friends at a visible time in public place! This year more than ever, perhaps, Jewish history is real in our hearts.

So when you come on the Holy Days "or any day" know that we're taking all reasonable security precautions (and just as at airports, be ready to be inconvenienced somewhat by them!). Don't forget nametags along with your machzorim?. Know that we're looking out for each other, even as the police and others are looking out for us. Know that anything could happen anywhere, anytime -- at Wootton HS, just as at home or on the road or at the office. And know that by gathering together in song and prayer and praise, even in the face of fear and trembling, we ensure our own victory over terror.

And ... let us not be so focused on the uniqueness of these Holy Days that their larger meaning is lost! So as Tishrei draws near, remember:

• Be prepared -- These holidays auto-atone only for sins against God, but we should now be actively seeking forgiveness from the people we've wronged.
• Come early -- the most musical part is over already by 10:30, as is the Unetaneh Tokef.
• Stay late -- musaf is the best part! (Way better than sermons, in my estimation -- so why leave between them?!)
• Be courteous -- ushers and check-in people are volunteers, enforcing a handful of rules for the common good. Please respect both the rules and their volunteer enforcers.
• Be open -- you never know what line from the liturgy, or word from the bimah, or measure of music will move you. Let the Spirit flow?
• Be present -- both in the physical sense of joining the community, and in the emotional sense of letting yourself take in the experience. They only come once a year; let's make the most of it!
• Be recidivistic -- remember that Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah are just weeks away, and a year of Jewish living and learning begins now. It's a package deal, you know . . .

See you at Wootton ... Shanah Tovah U'm'tukah (a good and sweet year); Gemar Chatimah Tovah (may the final inscription be a good one)!

Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb