By Andrea Kranitz, Madrikha candidate
High Holiday traditions – what are yours? Was it a brisket dinner before services? Or no dinner because you wouldn’t be able to get to services in enough time to get a good seat. Maybe you lit candles, maybe not. Did your mom buy you new clothes for the holiday that ended up being too hot because the holidays were early and it was still 80 degrees outside? Did you take part in a Tashlich ceremony to cast off sins? Did you hear the blast of the shofar?
I grew up Reform and we went to Temple for Rosh Hashanah services, both Erev and morning. Same for Yom Kippur – Kol Nidre and morning services. We never attended memorial services and I’m not sure why, other than we just didn’t. There was always break-the-fast, and I actually fasted for most of my life, starting at age 11 or 12. I did it because it felt like I was part of something bigger than me. Over the years, my practices and traditions for these holidays have evolved. I still participate in services, but not as many. I no longer fast because it doesn’t serve any purpose for enhancing my ability to reflect.
Regardless of my practices over the years, the meaning behind them has remained consistent – an attachment to my Jewish history, culture and way of life and the desire to be in community with like-minded people. It took me until my early thirties to discover Humanistic Judaism, where I instantly found a home- and am now studying to become a Madrikha, a certified community leader.
So, what is our tradition? Maybe it is change, adaptability, growth and evolution.
During Jewish history spanning thousands of years, from the biblical period through modernity, change has been a constant, and greatly influenced by the communities and cultures within which the Jews lived at the time; adopting and weaving regional traditions into already established Jewish ones. We, as part of the Humanistic Jewish community are continuing to do the same.
The Bible doesn’t mention Rosh Hashanah but says in Leviticus 23:24, “In the seventh month (Tishrei), on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blasts of trumpets, a holy convocation.” This was also known as Yom Teruah in Hebrew. In the Second Temple period the concept of a “new year” comes about and is formalized in the Mishnah and was probably influenced by the Babylonian calendar. Although the biblical text represents Rosh Hashanah as a ritual, it does not state the purpose. Over a period of about 1,000 years, the rabbis developed this into what we know now as Rosh Hashanah. They renamed the day from one of action - Yom Teruah (Day of Shouting) to one of calendric significance - Rosh Hashanah (head of the year). The rabbis essentially took an unexplained ritual command to blow the shofar, and layered on theological meaning.
The Bible commands a day of rest, a trumpet blast, a holy convocation and specific offerings for the day, but does not mention judgement or God – there is no theology involved – until post-biblical, Rabbinic Judaism creates a universal framework for divine judgement, human accountability and spiritual renewal after the destruction of the Temple and develops God’s role as:
Judge (opening the book of life),
King (sovereign over creation).
Rememberer (God remembering the merits of the patriarchs, the covenant and individual),
The One Who Hears the Shofar (the shofar takes on theological meaning)
So, the BIG question is why, as Humanists, would we celebrate a holiday that in its modern version, extols the virtues of God? How can we celebrate and still call ourselves Humanistic? And, as Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Jews may claim, if you’re not religious, you have no right to celebrate, or you aren’t really Jewish.
I am sure many of us have been asked these questions - I know I have. And as someone who grew up Reform, I had to ask myself those same questions. Luckily, Rabbi Sherwin Wine, when he founded Humanistic Judaism had thoughts about that!
To summarize, he says that the traditional Jewish texts cannot and should not serve as the ideological foundation for Humanistic Judaism – they are historical, not authoritative, yet we can value it from an historical perspective and we have a right to that history.
He goes on to say that Jewish identity is ethnic, not ideological, and that you don’t need to believe in the traditional Jewish texts to be authentically Jewish.
Over centuries, Jews have adapted and changed to accommodate their time and their place. We are doing what our predecessors did as we embrace our philosophy that we are a human-centered Jewish community that relies on human reason, experience and personal responsibility, shaping our own ethical decisions without looking to an external, supernatural or divine authority.
We can take the history, symbols and our own experiences of this holiday and create a meaningful space to feel connected to ourselves, to one another and to our Jewish identity.
Looking at the rituals associated with Rosh Hashanah, we can identify the underlying universal concepts and create meaning from them using actions and language that are in harmony with our beliefs.
Tashlich – the ritual casting off of one’s sins in a plea for God’s mercy
While we are not looking for a magic wand to erase any misdeeds, this ritual might help us reflect on our own behavior and symbolically refresh our frame of mind.
Blowing of the Shofar – has layers of meaning including the proclamation of God as King, echoing the covenant between God and Abraham and Messianic redemption
That’s pretty loaded. How about a call to listen – to our inner selves, to those around us and to our world at large? An ancient sound that connects us to our history and maybe to our own memories of family and community and wakes us up from complacency.
Apples and Honey – a medieval Ashkenazi custom traced back to around the 12th century, signifying a wish for a sweet new year. This is an easy one that we can still relate to.
The Book of Life – L’Shanah tovah tikatevu – may you be inscribed for a good year. This is the idea that God reviews our deeds from the past year and decides our fate for the next year – whether we live or die. The verdict is written on Rosh Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur, so the 10 days between are meant for repentance and prayer, in order to influence a favorable judgement.
That doesn’t align well with our Humanistic, self-determining, personally responsible philosophy, does it? Instead, we view the Book of Life as a metaphor that symbolizes an accounting of our choices and actions.
So… what are we doing?
We are reflecting,
We are adapting,
We are growing,
We are renewing.
The concept of a fresh start to a new year need not involve supernatural influences. It’s about what we do, our actions and how we stay true to our values.
This past year, Or Adam has been through significant changes - in venue and in leadership.
It is rare to be able to keep everything the same amidst a significant shift in reality. In fact, change requires the willingness and ability to adapt and grow. We accommodated, we adjusted and we moved with the flow of change in order to sustain our community. We are renewing our energy, programming and our outlook as we approach our 40th birthday.
We can celebrate and recall our past, the various places, people, activities and stories that built our 40 year history while looking forward to new possibilities and the future to come.
May this year be one of health, hope and the prospect of good things to come.
L’Shana tova u’metukah – wishing you a sweet New Year.