Dear CBO Family,
So much has changed since we began the year 5780 and spoke the words:
“On Rosh Hashanah, it is inscribed, and on Yom Kippur, it is sealed - how many shall pass away and how many shall be born, who shall live and who shall die, who in good time, and who by an untimely death...”
The fabric of life was shaken by a plague the likes we have not seen in 100 years. Our resources, our resilience, and our ability to heal have all been tested. While time never stands still and every Rosh Hashanah we are confronted with who is no longer standing with us in shul because of death, illness, or life circumstances, this year the sheer number of losses is inconceivable.
Over 197,000 people have died in the US alone from COVID-19, as well as those who lost their lives and livelihoods because of natural disasters and complications from not being able to get the care they needed. We have suffered physically, emotionally, and financially. As we conclude one year and begin another, we turn to our sacred, time tested tradition, to the spiritual and to the historical, to carry us through as it has done for our ancestors for thousands of years, from the time of Abraham.
The way the Jewish people face their realities is by making time to look at them rather than hide from them, to see them for what they are without allowing them to consume us, like the Burning Bush, on fire, but not destroyed. Saturated all day long from news and dizzying directions on other days, on Rosh Hashanah, while upholding the necessary preparations for in-person and virtual connection, we get the chance to stand in one place and steep ourselves in wisdom, eternal truths, and guidance.
The melodies and words carry us beyond this one moment and allow us to connect with a past that has seen its own plagues, tragedies, and disasters and it also gives us the fortitude to imagine a future beyond our current climate. Let’s pray for a year of health, growth, and healing, and may our prayers move us to take actions and make decisions that affect that change.
May the High Holidays steady you and bring you strength. May this be a sweet and healthy New Year and let us get through it together as one community.
Shana tova umetukah,
Rabbi Bernstein
Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism