Rosh Hashanah Reflections by Rabbi Charley Baginsky
Soon, on Rosh Hashanah, the sound of the shofar will be heard.
It is a time to celebrate and gather together, but also a time to pray and to give thanks.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support. Thanks to you, more than a hundred children had the time of their lives at Kadimah this summer, where they also strengthened their Liberal Jewish identity and learnt to put Jewish values in practice. The joy on their faces was such a wonderful sight when I visited camp, and I knew that it was all happening thanks to your support.
On Rosh Hashanah, we look back to our past, to draw inspiration and to learn from the wisdom of our heritage - both the Judaism of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel and Leah, and the heritage of the wonderful people who have shaped Liberal Judaism in the last 120 years.
But we also look to our future, hoping for renewed spiritual strength and striving to stay committed to our values. We know that our actions today will affect our children, our children’s children, and, indeed, the future of the world. When we align our way of life with our Jewish values, we are helping to create a world that is both humane and sacred. We are fighting the darkness of the world with the light of our actions.
As the High Holidays begin, we look back on all the moments during the past year that give us reason for hope. Synagogue volunteers getting together to host homeless shelters, synagogues hosting refugee community mornings, more participants than ever to our lay leadership programmes, which shows how committed our members are to their communities and to each other. An ever-increasing number of people attending our classes and events, and a lot of demand for our youth programming.
As a community, we’ve responded to this past year’s challenges by focusing on what really matters: kindness, justice, community and education.
This last year was a difficult one for many of us. Many of our friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbours continue to struggle in the wake of difficult health and economic challenges. More children and adolescents than ever are suffering from anxiety and other mental health issues. Further afield, we also think of all those who face the uncertainties and danger of war, especially as winter is approaching.
As Pirkei Avot teaches us, we are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are we free to desist from it. You have already helped us achieve so much but we are aware that the work is not complete and that this coming year we must come together to continue it, and to make sure that more people are able to come to us to find the home to their Jewish story. In that spirit, I wish you and your families a happy, healthy and sweet new year.