Bringing in the New Year
Jacksonville, FL – As we rapidly approach the High Holidays, it seems an opportune time to reflect upon the past year and take a moment to anticipate our hopes for the upcoming one. For some, this is a spiritual journey of self-reflection, for others an emotional one, and for many, maybe a little of both. Often, for many Jews the High Holidays represent that time of year of “supposed
to’s” – what we should be doing to acknowledge our religion. We should be going to services, we should be fasting on Yom Kippur, etc. The guilt (or keen awareness) seems quite prevalent during this time of year, especially amongst non-religious Jews. After all, it is these holidays that are known for bringing many people out for their annual public and religious appearance.
So this then brings up the question: What are we doing during the rest of the year? How are we honoring our faith and religion? We can ask ourselves, what does being Jewish mean to me? And, what does it mean for me within my community? We already know that we each acknowledge Judaism a little differently. Whether it’s religious, cultural or social, each is equally important to our own sense of identity. We feel the pressures (internal, familial and societal) to engage and connect. And for many, this can happen quite naturally. We are lucky living within this particular community having so many options for involvement to ‘be’ Jewish. With our many active organizations – synagogues, schools and community programs, there are plenty of choices to participate in through work, play or volunteering. Does this make it easier? For most, I believe it does. For others, perhaps there may be an unconscious sense of taking things for granted; a sense of being too used to having resources at our fingertips.
I was recently moved after hearing about my hometown in the Midwest, a small Jewish community of less than 200 members, that recently raised over $1 million to build a new synagogue. Like any small city, it is filled with various levels of wealth and socio-economic statuses. But mostly, it is simply a middle-class, college town. The fact that so many people came together to contribute, and did so willingly with such commitment, is a testament to the strength of that community. A nice reminder that it really is about the individuals that make it up.
We, of course, have similar individuals residing here. So as we enter into this new year, let’s think about our ‘wants’ and explore how we define our Jewish selves on both an internal level (self and family) and external one (community). What difference are you going to make this year? What positive impact will you have? As Rabbi Hillel once quoted: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, who am I for? And if not now, when?”
L’Shana Tova to each of you for a healthy, happy and productive new year.
Rachel Weinstein, LMHC
Manager of Clinical Services
Dupont Counseling Group, a JFCS program
