Jewish high holy days a time for introspection

By Sue Nowicki
snowicki@modbee.com

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The 10 days between Rosh Hashana, which begins at sundown Friday, and Yom Kippur, which ends with a final blow on the shofar (ram's horn) Sept. 28, are the holiest in the Jewish calendar.

It's a time of introspection and making amends for the things you've done wrong in the past year to others and to God, ending with a 25-hour period of fasting from everything, including water, and a communal service to seek forgiveness from God.

Rosh Hashana, which marks the Jewish new year, will usher in year 5770 on the Jewish calendar. But it's not a day of celebration like secular new year's parties.

High holy day services at Congregation Beth Shalom

"Traditionally, (the 10 days) are considered the time when humans are judged and their future is sort of decided, even though we don't believe in fate as such," said rabbi Larry Moldo of Congregation Beth Shalom. "We do believe that how you've acted is a pretty good indication on how you will act unless you change your ways."

In the month leading up to Rosh Hashana, congregants look at their lives and seek to right any wrongs. For example, Moldo said, if someone shoplifted an item, that item must be returned with an apology and perhaps an extra amount of money to replace the interest on the money the owner would have

received if it hadn't been stolen. Or if a child breaks a lamp, he or she would admit having broken it and arrange to pay for fixing or replacing it.

Of course, the wrongs may go deeper than that. But the end result is the same:

"It a desire of reattaching to God, the God who remembers things and who reveals bits and pieces of God's self, because otherwise, we could never do this anyway," Moldo said.

Rosh Hashana begins Friday at sundown with a service and continues with additional services Saturday and Sept. 20. Saturday's morning services last about 3½ hours and include extra prayers and a guest cantor who adds musical embellishments.

The shofar, which typically is blown on the first full day of the holiday, will be blown during services Sept. 20 because the first day this year falls on the Jewish sabbath.

Another custom, marked on Sept. 20, "is taking some bread crumbs to some running water and symbolically shoving any sin or wrongdoing that you've forgotten about into the bread and tossing the crumbs on the water, and asking God to take away all sense of wrongdoing around us and starting with a clean slate," Moldo said.

The rest of the "10 days of awe," as it is sometimes called, are filled with normal activities, Moldo said, with the addition of introspection until Sept. 27 at sundown, which begins the opening service for Yom Kippur.

"On that day, the focus is on making ourselves as much like the angels as possible," Moldo said. "Afflicting our souls is what we're commanded to do. We refrain from various forms of enjoyment. We spend a lot more time in services. We have a lot of statements over and over again of 'we sinned,' and it lists a bunch of them.

"Metaphorically, the book is closed and the gate is closing (for another year). The decree has been issued. You're trying to go in there and make sure everything positive has been said and you've really taken to heart everything."

Services are held throughout the morning and early afternoon Sept. 28, and conclude at 7:30 p.m. with one last long blast of the shofar. Participants then will have a light meal; Moldo said some congregants will eat in their homes, while others will stay at CBS for a communal meal.

For himself, Moldo said he likes to read the biblical book of Psalms through about five times in preparation for the spiritual holiday.

"Doing that recommits me a lot spiritually," he said.

As rabbi, he said, his goal is "to make the event as meaningful and moving for everyone else as possible. What you hope happens through the course of the services is that there's a reconnect with the divine and a reconnect with the divine in other people. And that the spirituality in the religion has an effect in people's lives."

Bee staff writer Sue Nowicki can be reached at 578-2012 or snowicki@modbee.com.