Joliet Jewish Congregation
Shalom!
Happy summer! I hope you’ve been enjoying the warmer weather and change of pace during the past few months. We are about a month away from the High Holy Days, which begin with Rosh Hashanah eve on Sept. 22!
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​We are moving forward to the full circle of apples and the sweetness of honey; to the gates opening; and to the question of whether we will be written in the Book of Life, to live another year. This period of time is called “The Days of Awe,” and involves the image of G-d, the ruler, sitting on high, judging the quality of our lives this past year. Did we live wisely and well, with love and goodness?
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The High Holiday prayer, “B’rosh Hashanah” dramatically asks, “Who will die, and how?” The prayer, “Ut’shuvah,” answers that with repentance, prayer and good deeds, we can ensure that we are written in the Book of Life and will survive for another year. The melodies that we sing with these words are enduring. We yearn to return to our G-d and to our best selves.
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There are multiple musical settings that wordlessly express the meanings of these prayers. They can help us pray. Some of them are the traditional melodies we use weekly during Shabbos, and some of them we hear and join in on only during our yearly High Holiday services.
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What will we do this year? What will we undertake, and how persistent will we be in attempting to achieve it? We have an opportunity to begin anew, to move forward, as we hopefully are written in the Book of Life for another year.
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Sunday School starts at the beginning of September. It’s exciting to look forward! On the High Holidays, we’ll have Children’s Services, to help families participate and learn about Rosh Hashanah (literally “head” or rosh of the year) and Yom Kippur (meaning “day” or yom of Atonement). The gates will close at the end of Yom Kippur, along with the Book. “Ut’shuvah” we appeal, provide us with a course of action to live our lives more fully.
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Blink and you will miss it: the three words and ways to do good, to bring us back and help us move forward, so that our names can join those of many others in the Book, for one more year of life on this earth. How and where will you travel?
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L'shanah tovah tikateivu — "May you be inscribed for the year!"
L'shalom!
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Cantor Jessica