L'Shanah Tovah!

Today is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. We celebrate by sitting in synagogue for hours on end, praying that G-d inscribe us and our families in the Book of Life for another year. When you think about it, it's pretty heavy spiritual baggage that your fate for the next twelve months is preliminarily determined today and then officially sealed on Yom Kippur, next Monday. But many of our rituals, even when removed from the spiritual context, are quite fulfilling.

For example, on this holiday we eat apples and a special round challah, the circularity of which represents the cycle of the Jewish year and of life in general. We dip the apples and challah in honey in the hope for a sweet new year. Perhaps my favorite ritual, though, is the opportunity that Rosh Hashanah affords to make amends with those you have wronged over the past year. Furthermore, if someone approachs you seeking to make amends, you are required to forgive them. The New Year starts with a clean slate. Even if you are a complete Jewish humanist with no belief in the Almighty, following through with the non-worship-based Rosh Hashanah rituals ensures that you won't stay mad at someone for more than a year. We're a culture that relies heavily on community for support and our rituals ensure that members of that community are always able to stick together and overcome any misdeeds.

I wish all of you, Jewish or otherwise, a Shanah Tovah -- a sweet New Year. And if I have wronged any of you over the past year, please let me know so that we can set things straight.