Have a Wonderful, Healthy, Joyful 5779

Cross-posted on A Jewish Grandmother

For those of you waiting for my annual Fruit Head to greet the New Jewish Year, here he/she is! A few decades ago, during my quarter century, yes, 25 years, as a vegetarian, I adapted our Rosh Hashana table to the reality that nobody in the family wanted to eat a fish head, or even look at one. So, since then I've decorated a fruit, usually an apple, in honor of the New Jewish Year.

I bless you with a year of comfortable companionship. May you never be alone.

The 5779 Fruit Head is joined by a רימון rimon, pomegranate, one of the fruits which has much spiritual significance in Judaism, read 9 Jewish Things About Pomegranates.

One of the principles of Judaism is that Gd is all over, not just in the synagogue, not just when you're praying or remembering Him. Judaism is a "full-time" religion, and we don't need an intermediary to pray to Gd. Gd also sees us all the time, what we do and what we think. We can't hide from Gd.

At the same time, Judaism is divided between the קודש וחול Kodesh v'Chol, the Holy/Gd and Ordinary People/things/everyday. That's why in Judaism it's not considered enough to just pray to Gd, even saying all the words ourselves, it's preferable to pray with a proper minyan, ten men prayer group, with a leader.

Judaism isn't a solitary religion; it's a community. We need other people, other Jews. We need family, even when the family isn't all biologically and legally related. We need the support of other people, and we must help and support in turn. Yes, there is a time when we give and when we receive. That concept is repeated in the book of קהלת Kohelet, Ecclesiastes.

Last week when I led our pre-High Holiday book club discussion on  קהלת Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, I asked if anyone knew why the writer, the son of King David, generally believed to be King Solomon, gave himself the name קהלת Kohelet. We couldn't think of a reason.

Maybe we're supposed to see ourselves as part of a long, complex Jewish History of Jewish People. There are repetitive cycles and lessons to be learned, and that is what King Solomon who is described in the Tanach/Bible as very wise is trying to tell us in קהלת Kohelet, Ecclesiastes. We are a very unique community קהל Kahal from the same linguistic root as קהלת Kohelet.

To survive we need both ordinary people and Gd. Even when things look bad, they are just part of the normal cycle, and we mustn't allow ourselves to wallow in depression. Reach out to others, humans and Gd. Don't be alone.

שנה טובה ומתוקה

גמר חתימה טובה

January 1st is Not My "New Year"

Honestly, I could never quite figure out or identify with the custom of drinking to a stupor to "celebrate" the change in number of the January First "New Year." Even though I like the taste of some wines, beers and cocktails, my socializing isn't around drinking them. It was never our thing.

Also, as I was reaching the age when drinking is more accepted and legally permitted in New York, way back when, I was also getting more involved and attracted to Jewish Life.

My husband and I married pretty young, and then two months later we were off on a boat to Israel. In 1970, such goyishe customs as December 31 as "New Year's Eve" was hard to come by, and we weren't looking for it. American holidays like Thanksgiving and New Year's on January first were totally off of our radar and calendars. We became totally immersed in the Jewish Calendar, holidays and Israeli special days. And to be perfectly frank, not only didn't we miss the American ones, we totally forgot they existed. The only reminders were the increase in tourists and visitors during those times, since family and friends could more easily take a vacation abroad.

Here in Israel celebrating Jewish Holidays is very easy. They are the national holidays when offices, businesses, stores etc are all closed. Torah observant Jews don't have to use up all of their permitted days off on the holidays and annoy their bosses by requesting to leave work early on holiday eves.

The Jewish New Year is Rosh Hashanah, and it's a two day holiday, three if you include the fact that it begins before nightfall the day before. Only workers in emergency services, like police, military and hospitals have to work, because saving a life overrides everything in Judaism.

We pray to Gd on Rosh Hashanah, and the prayers include the blowing of the shofar, a sound that wakes up our soul.

We eat four festive meals over Rosh Hashanah, two evening meals and two late lunches. The object isn't to drink, even though there is usually wine on the table. We celebrate and ask Gd for a wonderful new year full of blessings, health and joyous occasions. We ask Gd to defeat our enemies and make us strong. We ask Gd to make us a "head" not a "tail," which is why many people have the "head of a fish" or some kosher animal on the table. I've been making a "fruit head" for many years.

Every year for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, I make a "fruit head" for a healthy wonderful year for family and loved ones.

The only thing I wish for every year when it hits the first of January is that I'll remember to put down the correct year number when filling out forms and writing checks. I must admit that remembering to write "2017" has been an effort all year long, so remembering "2018" will be an even greater challenge. May that be my greatest difficulty. What's yours? And if you do celebrate January 1st as your New Year, may it be a good one.

Leadership-- Be a Head not a Tail

There are all sorts of traditions when it comes to the "head" placed on the Rosh Hashannah Table. Some people use a fish head, others a sheep's and others a different animal.

As an unrepentant out of the box thinker, I prefer something more creative.

My children grew up seeing a different head every year, since each year has its own challenges and raw materials.

There are no set answers to life's problems, so I suggest that you take a fresh look at things to be a true head, not a tail.