KA CC Archive August 2023

A few days ago during Kol Yeladim Hebrew School, I was chatting with some of the kids. We were talking about how the upcoming holiday season really means that we won’t have a chance for me to meet with their class much, since so many of the school days land on Sundays or because we are using those days as family programs: Labor Day, Reverse Tashlich, Rosh Hashanah, Erev Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah. That’s six Sundays in a row of no “official” Hebrew School. I pointed out that really that schedule could be read as “No School: Mitzvah Day, Junior Congregation, Kol Nidre and Junior Congregation the next day, Kol Yeladim Sukkot Celebration, Kol Yeladim Simchat Torah Celebration. PLUS there are extra days of Junior Congregation on the days where there’s also a holiday on Saturday (Rosh Hashanah, the first day of Sukkot, and Shmini Atzeret). Plus we have Pizza in the Hut and a Family Shabbat Service during this time, so there are plenty of opportunities for Jewish learning even if your specific class isn’t together and I’m not able to come for Sunday morning learning with you.” 

The student’s response was “That’s…a lot. Why are there so many holidays? It’s so hard to be Jewish in the fall.”

Well, yes and no. There are a lot of holidays. We read about them in the Torah. We’re given dates of the month on which we have these holidays, we’re given instructions on how to observe them, and the purposes of them. We’re told on which days we can work, which days are like Shabbat, and which days we need to bring sacrifices (and what kind!). Today those sacrifices are mentioned in our prayers, we don’t actually bring them. It seems like a lot of work because we have to prepare for them (do a lot of learning and self-reflection, cook before each holiday, make sure our best clothes are ready to go, build a sukkah, purchase lulav and etrog). Plus there are other more modern (and by modern I mean everything post-biblical) additions and traditions – Torah reading, break-fast, more prayers, handing out gifts of apples and honey, giving donations, decorating the sukkah, planning parties and events, and so on. 

It seems like a lot. And it really is a lot put into a short span of time. And I think it is a great way to start our year. It is a chance, after a summer of being away, whether because school was out or we were on vacation or we were at the beach or there just wasn’t much going on, to come back together. For our biblical ancestors, they were probably away harvesting fields and such. They were also busy during the summer. God also tells us to get together with our families, spend time together. Enjoy celebratory meals together. It wasn’t easy to travel until relatively recent history. If someone went somewhere away from their home for the holidays, they were probably going to be there for a while. At least a month or a season. It almost makes sense to have them all squished into one time period!

These holidays are a way to mark the passage of time, to take time to reflect on our past year, our actions, our relationship with God and those around us, and to set goals for where we want to see ourselves when we arrive at this time next year. To be with our families and celebrate our Judaism. To celebrate our harvest. Okay, not our actual harvest (unless you are into gardening!), but our metaphorical harvest. The ways in which you’ve grown, or your family has grown, the ways in which you’ve reaped because you were mindful or kind or caring. The benefits you received from sowing your Jewish seeds and expanding the strength of your Jewish roots.

This is what makes the whole next month and a half worth the “hard work.” I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing about your bounty. Your reflections. May it be a High Holy Day season of great reflection and celebration.

Shana Tova!