Time of Reflection

As many of you know, I grew up in a small community on the northwest side of Chicago.  I attended a small parochial school (Lutheran) where all my friends were just like me; WASPS.  After graduating grade school, I moved to a small suburb, minutes from where I grew up, to live in a neighborhood and attend a high school that was predominantly Italian American (with a peppering of Polish), and where everyone was Catholic.  I proceeded to further my education by attending Dominican University (private, Catholic college), where I lived for 4 years while completing my studies.  While not everyone at DU was Catholic, those who weren't were Lutheran like me.  So, when I started dating the loving husband and learned that much of his family celebrates the Jewish faith, I became extremely interested in learning what I could.  Over the years, I have learned a lot and have found many wonderful things to appreciate about the faith...one especially meaningful time called Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the lunar calendar year, and is therefore called the “head” (Rosh) or beginning of the Year (Hashanah).  Rosh Hashanah literally means “Head of the Year” in Hebrew and is the most celebrated holiday in the Jewish faith.  I remember one Thanksgiving, a few years back, Mike's Aunt Anita telling me how she used to prepare for Rosh Hashanah for days leading up to it and have all the family to celebrate with tables upon tables of food...much in the same way Christians prepare for Christmas (which is centered around Jesus' birth) and celebrate in big ways, the High Holy days of Rosh Hoshanah (followed by Yom Kippur) falls in the month of Tishrei, which is believed to be the month in which God created the world. Hence, another way to think about Rosh Hashanah is as the birthday of the world.


One lesson I especially find beautiful in this celebration is that on this day Jews take the time to examine their lives and repent for any wrongs they have committed during the previous year. They're encouraged to make amends with anyone they have wronged and to make plans for improving during the coming year. In this way, Rosh Hashanah is all about making peace in the community and striving to be a better person.  The thought behind this is that you want to have a year filled with great blessings and happiness by taking the opportunity, through thought and action, to draw all of the energy that will reveal itself later. Everything done on the days of Rosh Hashanah (this Thursday and Friday) is meant to assist in planting the right and best seeds for the blessings wanted and needed in the coming year.

Whether Lutheran, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist or even Atheist, we can all benefit from living an examined life; by righting any wrongs done and by striving to be better people.  I know this past year has been an especially testing one, and I have learned more in this year then I think I have in my lifetime.  I want to take these lessons learned, my thoughts on what I've done and can do in the year to come, and use that positive energy in ways that will manifest as blessings and happiness in the year ahead.

Shanah Tova.