A Rosh Hashanah Message for Our Community
Tonight is Rosh Hashanah. As we stand on the precipice of this new year, we want to take a moment to reflect just how far we've come as a community.
Tonight is Rosh Hashanah.
As we stand on the precipice of this new year, we want to take a moment to reflect just how far we've come as a community.
Within this past year, we introduced our new name—Tzibur!—and an accompanying website, introduced new initiatives like Hanukkah Across Harlem and an Ulpan for Hebrew language learning, ran 3 cohorts of our Harlem Service Corps Black-Jewish bridge building cohort, gathered families as part of Shalom Harlem, welcomed aboard a Leadership Committee and a professional staff team, and so much more.
We've made so many new friends, trained more eyeballs on Jewish life in Harlem than ever before, and re-energized our commitment to this community and to all of you.
When we step back to reflect on all we have collectively accomplished in the year 5786, the pace of growth and change feels simply staggering.
When we became parents, someone wiser than us told us, "The days are long, but the years are short." I appreciate that sentiment now more than ever before. It's been a year full of many long days, but wow, what a short year it's been.
I want to invite you to pause for a moment before jumping into 5787 to take stock of how we approach the sometimes head-spinning rapidity of change we often encounter from one year to the next.
Rosh Hashanah brings a season of newness and change for us all. The name of the holiday itself hints at this identity of change — the word שנה (shanah, year) shares a root with the word שינוי (shinui, change).
Our Rosh Hashanah is not truly complete if we do not adopt a posture of receptiveness and openness to change, coupled with an awareness and acceptance of the inherent necessity and inevitability of change.
In the coming year, may we all merit making impactful changes, nimble adjustments, and ego-free alterations to better serve ourselves, our communities, our families, and Hashem.
Shanah Tova u'Metukah! Wishing you a sweet, happy, and healthy new year - from our family to yours.
Rabbi Dimitry and Erica
