Preparing for the secular New Year is wildly different than preparing for the Jewish New Year — even down to the time of year!
Rosh Hashanah occurs when the summer months wane and give way to the crispness of autumn. We find some relief from the heat, and head into the new season with our souls renewed.
Secular New Year, on the other hand, comes at the darkest point of the year. The days get shorter and the nights grow darker, and it seems the slog of winter will never end.
December is one of those months that reminds us of the power of nature’s hold on our lives.
The temperature gets colder, and the days get shorter. And who knows if we’ll get rain or snow? All these changes can lead to a bit of grumpiness.
Yet December is also a season of light. Hanukkah will soon be upon us.
Our recently concluded Thanksgiving holiday gave me the opportunity to enjoy the company of my siblings, whom I don’t get to see that often. For me, the holiday means comfort and joy and, of course, gratitude.
Even if we’re yearning for faraway family or experiencing a general hassle at perpetually busy grocery stores, we can take the opportunity during this season to reflect. As Jews, we can look to our own traditions and texts to illuminate these themes of thanks-giving.
So much of our liturgy is based around gratitude, thanking G-d, the Divine Force, or the Universe for what we have.
In preparation for Maxine Schnitzer’s funeral, I had the opportunity to speak with Sam, her husband of 66 years.
I heard how the two met and other interesting facts about Maxine’s life, including her tenure as Sisterhood president.
Listening to Sam, I got to thinking. How many of us have passed on our stories to children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and other members of our families?