Rosh Hashanah

It’s Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year).  The Hebrew calendar is about a month out of kilter with our own and has its own month and year.

This causes me particular anguish as the dates of my beloved parents’ death are not the same in both calendars.

In the Jewish religion it’s customary to honour the dead on their anniversary of dying called Yahrzeit (‘time of the year’) and my brother sends me a note on the day this falls in our calendar with a request fora 24 hour candle to be lit. This means I bereave twice.

I am in no sense an observant Jew.

I cannot remember the last  time I was in a synagogue and although I belong to one in the city where I settled I pay my dues and do not attend a  service.

I do recall from my Barmitzvah teacher that Rosh Hashanah is not regarded as important as the Sabbath and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in 10 days’ time, the most important of all.

Nonetheless a lot of Jews would normally attend the religious services of Rosh Hashanah and Yom  Kippur but Covid regulations will restrict them.

The Rabbi of my synagogue delivers a food  parcel every Friday to my home for Sabbath.  I am immensely impressed by his kindness and sense of community.

Yesterday he delivered parcel for the New Year. This contained an apple and honey to symbolise a sweet and happy year and some honey cake which my mother would bake.

There was an accompanying message but this was not easy to follow as some was in Hebrew.

He has also taken to Zoom in a big way delivering weekly talks on the Torah. My brother sent out a message to friends and family in which he said of the times

“The Politicians vacillate and the GPs can’t vaccinate” which I thought rather clever.

Rosh Hashanah resonates with me for one moving prayer:

“who shall live and who shall die ?” (in the forthcoming year)

Some 49 years ago I received a call in the morning before attending synagogue with my parents informing me that a  girl to whom I was attached had passed away suddenly.

This made that prayer all the more searing.  On our new year I always make a prediction on who will pass in the forthcoming year. The Rabbi  in commenting on the prayer took another line. He said we should concentrate on the living.

This could not be more relevant for the times.