Shana tova! I can still
say that until Hoshana Rabba, which is the official end of the penitential
season (unless you’re Chasidic and extend it until the last day of Chanukah). May you have a happy, healthy, sweet, successful,
and peaceful year ahead.
I just returned from “A Witness to Peace: A Multi-Religious
Gathering with Pope Francis” at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. It was an impressive gathering of religious
leaders from many different faiths. The
rabbi and cantor of Park Avenue Synagogue participated in the program, which
included a moving El Maleh Rachamim prayer in memory of those killed on 9/11. (I had great seats as you can see from the
pictures below.)
Pope Francis did not
make any bold pronouncements. He just
simply encouraged everyone to join together to work and pray for peace. That’s it.
It was a quiet yet powerful experience of many different people from
different religions who normally have plenty of disagreements coming together
in that room for one moment committed to one goal.
On the subway ride back uptown, I was standing next to someone
holding the program of the event. We
each noticed where we were both coming from, and we started sharing reactions
to the experience. We agreed that it was
a wonderful moment of unity. We both wondered why it could seem so simple
in that room at that moment. but that the feeling can’t last.
Maybe by acknowledging this feeling, we can work to make the
feeling last.
People ask me if I am glad that High Holidays are over. I understand the question. This is the season when rabbis work the
hardest, the pressure is highest, and often feels the craziest. At the same time, I often reply that I wish
the High Holidays would last all year. This
is the time of year when Jews are most interested in what I have to say! I wish I could reel them in like this year
round.
There is another reason I am not glad the holidays are over. I miss that special "High Holiday feeling" when it's gone.
While breaking the fast after Yom Kippur, I caught myself
thinking: “One hour ago, I was leading the Neilah service for 350 people. We were all praying and singing together, and
the room was rocking with spiritual feeling, positive energy, and good
feeling. Now, I am chewing on a bagel…”
Now, I know it can’t be Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur all year
round. Even I could not handle it. But there needs to be a way to capture some
of that passion and commitment and harness it to last all year long. I think the answer is the holiday of
Sukkot. To give you just a little something
to think about, it includes all sorts of religious symbols, and messages, and
observances, and sermon topics. It
allows us to lower the intensity a bit while still being very significantly
engaged in Jewish living for another 9 days.
I love this time of the year.
I am looking forward to what’s left of the holiday season and to trying
to keep a little bit of the High Holidays with me for the rest of the
year. Which aspects of the High Holidays do you want to hold on to?
Let’s make the feelings last.
