Rabbi Alissa Forrest’s column from the September 2007 Ruach
As I prepare for my first High Holy Days as a rabbi, I have been thinking about what it means to wish someone shanah tovah, a good year. Saying shanah tovah is more than wishing someone “good year” or “happy new year.” The Hebrew word shanah is translated as year, but its origin conveys a deeper meaning. The Hebrew root shin, nun, hey, from which shanah is derived, can mean “to change.” Furthermore, the root can also mean “to repeat.” For example, the fifth book of the Torah is often called Mishneh Torah, the repetition of the Torah, because Deuteronomy repeats what previously happened in the Torah. Bringing these ideas together, Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins explains, “a shanah tovah, a good year, is a year of l’shanot, of change, of doing things differently and better. And it also denotes a year of repetition, of relearning all the old lessons that our tradition of truth and wisdom has been teaching us for many centuries.”
As I prepare for 5768, I look forward to all the changes that will take place at Temple Isaiah in the coming year – from creating new programs such as a family retreat, to establishing new and stronger connections with our youth and young families. But I am also excited to carry forth the values and traditions of Temple Isaiah – a community that is open and supportive
of each other’s needs and differences; whose members are committed to lifelong Jewish learning, tzedakah, social action, and social justice; whose worship experiences deepen one’s relationship with God; a community that supports and encourages innovation and creativity.
May this shanah be a good year, one that both carries forth the traditions of Temple Isaiah and embraces new initiatives designed to strengthen our community.
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