I might be a few days late on this one, but shana tova! For the first time in my whole life, I spent Rosh Hashana away from home- yes, even throughout four years of college I managed to find my way back home for the holidays. Lucky for me, the alternative this year was to spend it in Jerusalem where I celebrated the holiday in-full. I stayed at the Heritage House hostel for a mere forty shekels (about $10), with a friend I lived with in my summer program last year in Jerusalem. We sought out a family to spend the first dinner with and we have a close friend with whom we spent the first lunch. We were helped by the Jeff Seidel center to be set up for second night dinner with a host at the King David Hotel (yes, the King David hotel) and with the Rabbi who led Rosh Hashana services for second day lunch, who also happened to be one of my teachers through the MEOR program. If I had to characterize the whole experience in three words they would be (reigning in order of importance, of course): food, food, and food.
What I really mean is food for the body, soul, and mind. Yes, there was a constant stream of traditional Jewish food throughout the entire holiday, where lunches ended at 5 and dinners start at 7. Challah, apples and honey, pomegranate seeds, dates, beets, cabbage, and fish head topped the first course with a sedar-esque vibe followed by chicken, beef, soups, salads, potatoes, vegetables, and more. But, I also kept the chag this year and did not use any electricity, doing my best to disconnect and also make this holiday as meaningful and spiritual as possible. I went to services at the Aish HaTorah building, of which I am well acquainted thanks to several Jewel classes last summer, and had a clear shot of the Kotel through the window throughout the service. One of the Rabbi's also offered an alternative class which delved into the meaning behind Rosh Hashana as the holiday of תרועה (tru-ah), and the significance of blowing of the shofar to welcome our "King." Rosh Hashana, although never mentioned by this name in the Torah, is also symbolic of the New Year for the Jewish Calendar.
For me, this means a time to reflect on the past year- events, decisions, actions, attitude- and reassess my hopes for the new year. And I'm talking about more than that diet I've said I'll be starting for as long as I can remember. If you've been reading my past blog posts, then you're probably rolling your eyes about the redundancy of this theme. But, it's just so fitting that Rosh Hashana falls during this crossroads in my life, that I can't ignore the parallels and can't help but relate them back to myself. The 10 days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are supposed to set the tone for the rest of the year, so I wish for all of you to have meaningful week and that we find purpose in our lives. I am heading back to Jerusalem on Monday for Yom Kippur, and I don't think I've ever been so excited for a fasting holiday :)
What I really mean is food for the body, soul, and mind. Yes, there was a constant stream of traditional Jewish food throughout the entire holiday, where lunches ended at 5 and dinners start at 7. Challah, apples and honey, pomegranate seeds, dates, beets, cabbage, and fish head topped the first course with a sedar-esque vibe followed by chicken, beef, soups, salads, potatoes, vegetables, and more. But, I also kept the chag this year and did not use any electricity, doing my best to disconnect and also make this holiday as meaningful and spiritual as possible. I went to services at the Aish HaTorah building, of which I am well acquainted thanks to several Jewel classes last summer, and had a clear shot of the Kotel through the window throughout the service. One of the Rabbi's also offered an alternative class which delved into the meaning behind Rosh Hashana as the holiday of תרועה (tru-ah), and the significance of blowing of the shofar to welcome our "King." Rosh Hashana, although never mentioned by this name in the Torah, is also symbolic of the New Year for the Jewish Calendar.
For me, this means a time to reflect on the past year- events, decisions, actions, attitude- and reassess my hopes for the new year. And I'm talking about more than that diet I've said I'll be starting for as long as I can remember. If you've been reading my past blog posts, then you're probably rolling your eyes about the redundancy of this theme. But, it's just so fitting that Rosh Hashana falls during this crossroads in my life, that I can't ignore the parallels and can't help but relate them back to myself. The 10 days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are supposed to set the tone for the rest of the year, so I wish for all of you to have meaningful week and that we find purpose in our lives. I am heading back to Jerusalem on Monday for Yom Kippur, and I don't think I've ever been so excited for a fasting holiday :)