D'var Torah

Friends,

I am so pleased that in our rotation of writing for our Shabbat eLetter, my turn has come up on this week of Rosh Hashanah. Since I know that in a short time, all of us will be immersed in the themes of the New Year, I write from a more personal perspective today.

Right now, sitting next to me on my desk is a schedule for this week. Two pieces of paper taped together with entries including my cooking plans, a haircut, and meetings with the cantor to say Shana Tova. Let’s just say that this is a pretty busy week. I know you are engaged in your preparation and organization. School activities are all geared up, work has suddenly become busy, organizations have resumed their meetings. Here we are again – the slower pace of summer is behind us, and we return to a fuller, more demanding, and hectic time.

As hard as it is to have one more thing on our plates, the New Year inserts itself just at the right time. It invites us to press “pause” for a few moments and reconnect with our values, beliefs, and traditions, as well as our more personal intentions and aspirations. The High Holy Days give us the chance to fill ourselves with meaning as we return to the central and often demanding activities of our lives.

Looking at the spreadsheet beside me right now, I realize I haven’t set aside time for my own personal preparation -- some time to sit with my thoughts about this past year and my hopes for what might come next year. I must make time and space for this. I know that the holidays will have much more meaning, will be more impactful, if I have taken the time to think about my life, my relationships, my work, my worries, and my prayers.

So now, I’m changing my schedule. In whatever way might work for you, I encourage you to do the same — that is, to change your schedule and make time to embrace the uplifting and challenging themes of our New Year.

Kevin joins me in wishing our entire Temple family a “Shana Tova.” May we make time and space to ensure that the New Year will be sweet, joyful, meaningful, impactful, healthy, and happy.

Rabbi Amy Schwartzman