By: Jillian Feiger
Director of Teen and Israel Engagement
As we approach the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, we remember that the new year is not just about eating apples and honey but a time for reflection, renewal, and hope.
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we read the Torah Parsha Genesis 21. This Parsha recounts the story of the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah. The story of Isaac’s birth highlights the themes of hope and the fulfillment of promises. It reminds us that even in times of doubt or difficulty, there is potential for new beginnings and positive change. This reading encourages us to approach the new year with optimism and faith for the future, which seems more difficult each day.
As we gather with friends and family to celebrate the year 5785, our reflections and celebrations will be poignant as we also remember the events of October 7th and the 360 days since. It is fitting that the one-year anniversary of October 7th falls just a few days after Rosh Hashanah, a holiday inherent to renewing hope and building new beginnings in times of doubt or difficulty. I never dreamed that I would experience something like the past year, and I never thought that we would welcome this Rosh Hashanah while there are still hostages, still reservists being called up, still hundreds of rockets, still protests on college campuses, and still a rise in antisemitism around the world.
Reflecting on my own experiences from the past year— a collective of almost two months in Israel and working in 16 public high schools across Colorado—gives me hope for the new year. While it is challenging and I struggle to balance the harsh realities of the world and find hope for the future, I look to the Jewish teens and Israelis in our community. I have experienced firsthand the strength, perseverance, and resilience of the Israeli people and the Colorado Jewish community. Even though we are in difficult and unknown times, we can and must have hope for the future.
As you come together with your family and friends this Rosh Hashanah, remember the past year, reflect on it, and think about the new year with hope and renewal as we are taught. Don’t forget to also enjoy the sweetness of apples and honey.
Shana Tovah.
Please email Jillian Feiger at jfeiger@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.