September 2021
Dear Chevre,
Jewish communities around the world are on the threshold of the New Year, gathered at the Gates of Awe, preparing for a time of introspection, reckoning and celebration. This year our theme in Leyv Ha-Ir~Heart of the City is Return Again! Isn't that what this season is about? Returning to who we want to be, what we want to be and where we want to be. Returning to our holy rites, but with another year behind us and spiritual renewal ahead of us beckoning.
So in this season, I want to ask each of you an essential question: What do you love? It might be easier to answer who do you love? But I am asking us to gaze beyond the precious people in our lives to other values we hold dear. Do you love peace? Democracy? Judaism? Art? Life? Who are you, what are you here on earth for, where will you connect in this New Year?
Sometimes the answers to these questions are not an overwhelming epiphany, like a shofar blast. If you were expecting that kind of knowledge or revelation you might feel panic, as in "I have no idea!" Sometimes the answers come in the "small, still voice" of on-going reflection, of emerging clarity.
In this New Year, we will engage in our community, as we always do, about the big questions, including "What do you love?" We will show up for each other at times of joy and at times of hardship. For now, I wish each one of you and your loved ones a meaningful and enriching journey into the New Year. I hope to see you in the Zoom room!
With much love,
Rabbi Julie
