Rabbi's Weekly Email

September 2, 2021/25 Elul 5781

auditorium at Ethical Culture in person, or via livestream, I encourage you to make time to prepare your space to welcome the new year. Ask yourself some questions: Where will I gather my things for prayer? What will help make my experience feel sacred and spiritual? How will I remember what I need? What will connect me to my memories and open me to the new year?

For those gathering in person, you might set out your mask, proof of vaccination and house keys in advance along with High Holy Day cards that connect you with years past. For those joining us from home, decide where you'll build your High Holy Day prayer space. Will it be where you've been praying all year? Will you construct a new area for the new year? I encourage everyone to think about what you will wear. What is comfortable? What feels festive or reminiscent of past new years? Many greet the new year wearing white (especially on this tail end of Labor Day!). Some wear a new item or article of clothing on the second day of Rosh Hashanah in order to say sheheheyanu/the blessing for reaching that day. 

How will you remain engaged? Wherever you gather, remember that Machzor Lev Shalem is designed to empower each of us to immerse ourselves in the liturgy and engage with the themes of the High Holy Days. The right-hand margin provides commentary and context along with history of the liturgy and explanatory comments. The left-hand margin offers readings, meditations and reflections with a diversity of view. Delve in. Put yourself in conversation with the text.

Our services from Ethical Culture will be offered by livestream. No need to manipulate the sound and screen from home, just settle in and (re)connect with the melodies and davenning. For those gathering in person, remember that everyone is in different places on the risk curve physically, emotionally and spiritually. Be gentle with one another. Be gentle with yourselves. Leave space between and among you (The Talmud reminds us that we each have dalet amot/a certain amount of personal space surrounding us). Wear your mask properly, at all times. For our Erev Rosh Hashanah service, only on zoom, remember to mute the microphone on your devices to optimize sound and hold the sacred nature of community. 

Thanks to our membership committee, we'll have bottles of honey available outside Ethical Culture to take home and welcome a sweet year. We'll have these with us as well at the various outdoor gatherings for shofar blowing and tashlich. Review our website and various High Holy Day emails for dates/times/locations. 

The new year 5782 calls us to bring blessing to the world. Taking time to create a mikdash m'at/mini sanctuary and prayer space at home and within yourself will add sanctity to your celebration and foster the energy we need for the year ahead. May we meet together to welcome the new year this Monday, September 6 at 6 pm in our virtual sanctuary via zoom and throughout the holy days that draw us into the new year. Together, we will choose life, as this week's parasha Nitzavim calls us to do. May the life we inherit and the life we choose in the new year be for good. If you need support following the storm, let us know.

l'Shana Tovah,
rg