From Student Rabbi Yael Tischler

Last High Holy Days, it seemed our refrain was, “It has been a difficult year.” This year, as I look back on 5785, we have moved beyond “difficult,” to a place in which tragedy and upheaval all feel terribly expected. Part of our normal. I have had moments of profound grief this year, but I’ve also felt myself moving towards a dangerous level of acceptance, numbness, even ennui. It is in this context that my colleagues and I chose this year’s High= Holy Days’ theme: Rekindling. Revival. Renewal.

Rekindling. “The candle of the Divine is the soul of the human being” (Proverbs 20:27). If we feel our candles flickering, let us join together to rekindle them. Let us nourish the fire of our souls through song, prayer, learning, introspection and community. Together, we can bring more light into this world.

Revival. “To revive the spirit of those brought low and to revive the heart of those who have been crushed” (Isaiah 57:15). If the past year has dampened our spirits or crushed our hearts, let us open ourselves to the possibility of revival. In connection with the Divine and with sacred community, let us revive ourselves in body, mind and spirit.

Renewal. “Create a clear heart for me, O Divine; renew within me a steadfast spirit” (Psalms 51:12). On the High Holy Days, we begin again, renewing ourselves as the year renews itself. Alongside one another, we can clear our hearts and strengthen our spirits, stepping into the New Year with a sense of hope and possibility.

May we rekindle, revive and renew ourselves and one another, so we can see beyond the World That Is to the World That Could Be. And may it be a good and sweet New Year.