A Yearly Wake Up Call

Friday, September 22nd | 7 Tishri 5784

Shana Tova!

The High Holidays have hit differently this year. For the first time since high school, my schedule allowed me the opportunity to go back to Charleston for Rosh Hashanah. I was so excited to go back to the synagogue community I know and love, and actually have a chance to welcome in 5784 with my family. However, I imagined that the synagogue community would be exactly the same as how I left it. Silly me! Of course things are different - it’s been 9 years! While things were different - new rental space, no youth service to lead, the familiar faces not in attendance, the difference wasn’t all bad. The different parts were important - I guess the place you grew up in isn’t supposed to stay the same for 9 years. It’s not like I’ve stayed the same over a 9 year time period. That would probably be weird if I did..!!

As many of you know, on Rosh Hashanah we blow the shofar, a somewhat haunting, yet peaceful wake up call. A call meant to remind us to remain present in our lives. To activate our ability to mindfully and meaningfully interact with our everyday lives. Not a simple task, if I’m being honest. This trip home was my own wake up call to being more present to the lives of people around me. To actively practice t’shuvah, returning to oneself. I guess there was no better way to practice than to return back home to the place that has shaped the person I am today, why I do what I do, and who I choose to surround myself with.

The time in-between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur invites us to reflect on of moments we might have missed the mark, whether that be between you and you, or you and a friend, a family member, or a loved one. This is the time where you can give yourself permission to let it go, throw it into the ocean (in bread form), and forgive.

This Shabbat, give yourself permission to let go, to do the work of t’shuvah, and to really let yourself hear the sounds of the shofar, waking you up to be especially mindful, present, and ready for what’s to come in 5784.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ethically,

Emily