Rabbi Jamie’s Corner
October 2024
We’re happy to share these thoughts on current events from Rabbi Jamie Hyams (our Development Director).
We’re living in tumultuous times. With the upcoming election, Israel at war, and the rise of antisemitism worldwide, our world feels unstable. Change is on the horizon, and we don’t know whether it will be positive or negative.
Interestingly, this period of change is reflected in the current Jewish calendar. As I write this on October 7, the holiday of Rosh Hashanah has passed and Yom Kippur is only days away. For many Jews, the two holidays bookend a process of personal introspection and communal atonement. We take stock of the past year and the missteps we made, and we resolve that if the same circumstances were to occur again, we would try to behave differently.
The actions we take to make things better give us agency to bring about a new year that charts a different course. As much as is humanly possible, we are at the helm of our future as we enter the new year. Although there’s much that we can’t control or foresee, the process remains filled with hope — for us as individuals and as a Jewish people — even in these difficult times.
“On Rosh Hashanah it is written, on Yom Kippur, it is sealed.” Tradition teaches that at this time of year, the metaphoric gates of heaven swing open to our prayers on Rosh Hashanah, and on Yom Kippur, they swing shut. The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a time of introspection and consideration of the practical steps needed to make life different.
During the ten days between the holidays, we have the opportunity to influence the course of events for the next year through tzedakah, tefillah and teshuvah (righteous acts, prayer, and repentance). We have the opportunity to make amends, to consider and change our behaviors. And the key is to act. It’s not enough to feel the desire to do things differently, we need to take action to turn our intentions into reality.
And though times feel particularly dark this year, some of the changes brought on by world events are powerful and positive. The New York Times reported on how Jews have responded to the rise in antisemitism on college campuses and elsewhere since October 7.
“There’s been a great not only trauma, but reawakening,” said Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City. “Those who are distanced are coming back.”
The New York Times article describes the ways that many are reengaging with Jewish spaces such as synagogues, day schools and summer camps. A significant proportion of Jews are participating in Jewish life more than they did before October 7. They are thinking more seriously about their identity — what it means to be Jewish and how they want to show up as Jews — than they were.
As the world becomes more complex, what is heartening for me is that rather than choosing to distance themselves from their heritage, many people are choosing to deepen their connection to the Jewish community.
As we approach Yom Kippur, I am in awe of the power of this day. What other day reaches into our souls and our consciences like this, calling us individually and collectively to stand as a community and be held accountable for the past year, and to act to make things different?
When the “gates of heaven” swing shut on Saturday evening, may all who observe the holiday have given thought to the year that is beginning. And may each of us be ready to commit ourselves to the ways that we can to bring about a future filled with justice and hope, friends, family, and community.
G’mar hatimah tova, may you be sealed for a good year.
~ Rabbi Jamie
P.S. If your High Holidays reflections have led you to reconsider your future in ways that involve financial needs, Hebrew Free Loan is here to help. If you’re thinking about going back to school, buying a house, having a child, or paying off debts, our interest-free loans can ease the way. We also offer Israeli Assistance loans to Jewish residents of Northern California who are assisting family and friends with humanitarian needs caused by the war in Israel.
P.P.S. Feel free to reach out to me directly at jamie@hflasf.org if you would like to talk about any of the ideas discussed here.
