Ten Days of Return
09/20/2023 09:52:15 AM
Shana Tova! I hope this note finds you having had a wonderful Rosh Hashanah. It was fabulous to see so many of you (both at TRS and at some of our services in other locations in Northern Virginia!), and we’re really looking forward to seeing you again this weekend for Yom Kippur.
The period of time we’re in in the Jewish calendar right now, spanning from the beginning of Rosh Hashanah to the end of Yom Kippur, is called “Eser Yamei Teshuva,” the “Ten Days of Repentance” or “Ten Days of Return.” During these days, we are called to continue to take stock of our lives, and continue mending and strengthening our relationships. For some of us this might mean reaching out to friends and family, or taking some time to journal, or walk in nature, or otherwise reflect on the year behind us and the year to come. For others of us, “repentance” or “return” might feel a little more complex this year, for any number of reasons. Wherever you are in your journey, I hope these days are marked by moments of personal meaning and connection.
On a personal note, this High Holy Day season, I find myself reflecting on what it means to be about 15 months into my time with the TRS community. Over and over again on Rosh Hashanah, it was moving to look out into the rooms (and tents, and soccer fields …) we were gathered in and see so many familiar faces, as well as the faces of so many others I am still looking forward to meeting. A year ago, I did not know most of you. Now, many of us have traveled together, learned together, prayed together, mourned and celebrated together — our lives are beginning to intertwine. I am so grateful for this, and also so excited for the opportunity to continue to build and deepen relationships in the year ahead.
As we move through the Ten Days, away from Rosh Hashanah and towards Yom Kippur, may this be for all of us a week of connecting, a week of reflecting, and a week of growth. It is so meaningful to be in community with all of you — and I’m so excited to see where we go next.
Rabbi Alexandra Stein