Today I've been reminded of this holiday three years ago. A friend (still a new friend at the time) was going through a break up, and I was introducing her to my Jewish traditions, starting with Rosh Hashanah. As it does this year, Rosh Hashanah fell about a month into the school year, and as my friend saw it, offered her an opportunity to start over. This is what I love about the timing of Rosh Hashanah: when you don't get things right at the start of the school year, you get to start over again just a month (ish) later. And, you get ten days to consider what hasn't made the school year what you wanted it to be, and you get to start over.
Though the Jewish calendar isn't meant to make transitions into school years easier, I've always found it helpful. Perhaps even more so this year as I begin to try and imagine my life outside of the academic calendar, though I don't believe that's possible. Also, it gives me an opportunity to reflect: this time last year I was... This time next year I will be... And both of those are hard. Both sentences end in ellipses for a reason. Needless to say, I've always found Rosh Hashanah helpful.
This year I'm giving greater thought to Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. Each year I try and think of my sins of the past year, and think of ways to change or to apologize, and most years I come up empty. Or I feel like I have no ability to change. But this year I'm taking advantage of Yom Kippur, take my ten days to reflect on my life and how I interact with those in my various communities. I'm giving it greater thought this year.
Course, it could just be that I really want my name written in the book of life for the next year. Or, maybe I really want my apples and honey.
Shana tovah.
love,
hannah
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