HIGH HOLY DAYS
Morrie, Eleanor & Gary Schwartz
and the staff of
MORRIE'S
Service Center, Inc.
24848 Southfield Rd., Southfield
corner 10 Mile
557-1747
Wish All Their
Relatives, Friends
& Customers
A Happy, Healthy
NEW YEAR
Jewish Calendar
Continued from preceding page
The months of the year are
usually designated by ordinal
numbers in the Bible and
calculated by the reign of
Kings, major historical events
or events of nature. Since the
first century, however, the
Jewish calendar has
employed the now traditional
names of Tishri, Heshvan,
Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, Adar,
Nisan, Iyyar, Sivan, Tammuz,
Av and Elul.
The tradition of counting
years since the creation of the
world had its roots in early
Talmudic times. In the eighth
century the Christians began
to date their documents using
Rosh Hashanah: A
Time To Take Stock
DVORA WAYSMAN
Special to The Jewish News
0
"Mirr THE GliAPTERS IN
THE BMA OF YOUR LIFE
BE FILthED WITH 4111AUPH
AND HAPPINESS IN
WOMB BF PEAEE "
Wishing The Best
For The Coming Year
45 C
-
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25, 1987
the now familiar A.D. (Anno
Domini, the year of the Lord).
It is at this same time that
the Jews begin to date their
documents "since the
creation of the world?' Jewish
texts often use such
designations as B.C.E., s
(Before the Common Era) or
C.E. in order to avoid any
reference to Christianity.
Although it is difficult for
most of us to imagine that the
world is only 5748 years old,
the date which changes with
each new Rosh Hashanah
provides us with some idea of
the vast framework of Jewish
history.
nce a year, most busi-
nesses prepare a bal-
ance sheet. They
make a profit and loss ac-
count, do a stocktaking and
estimate what kind of a finan-
cial year it has been. Then
they examine the weaknesses
and try to make projections so
that the coming year will be
more profitable.
We are given the same
opportunity. Every year, dur-
ing the Hebrew month of
Elul, Jews begin a period of
spiritual stocktaking. It is a
time for examining the state
of our soul, and of "return-
ing" or making "teshuvah."
Even before Rosh Hashanah,
devout Jews begin saying
special penitential prayers
called "Selihot." This year,
Rosh Hashanah begins at
sundown, Wed., Sept. 23.
Although Rosh Hashanah
is the Jewish New Year,- it is
very different from the gen-
tile new year which is marked
by parties and merrymaking,
although new year reso-
lutions are common to both.
Rosh Hashanah is an ambiva-
lent holiday — in one respect
it's very solemn and in
another it's festive "Yom
Harat Olam" — the birthday
of the world. The ten days
that begin with Rosh
Hashanah and end with Yom
Kippur, the Day of Atone-
ment, mark a concentrated
period of introspection when
we are meant to ask forgive-
ness of anyone we may have
hurt during the year in order
to be permitted to ask pardon
for sins against God.
Many Jews who do not at-
tend synagogue throughout
the year make an exception
on Rosh Hashanah and Yom
Kippur. For many, the
.
dramatic blast of the shofar
stirs memories of childhood
and beloved parents or grand-
parents to whom heritage and
tradition were important.
They participate in the oral
confession of transgressions
which are recited in unison
and somehow feel cleansed at
the awe-inspiring ritual.
For me, Rosh Hashanah is
a very special festival, more
so since I came to live in
Israel. The holiness and puri-
ty of the day seem to envelope
all of Jerusalem. There is
almost no traffic on the roads,
so that the usual noises of the
city are muted. People walk
solemnly to synagogue wear-
ing new clothes in honor of
the day.
But the physical aspects of
the holiday are dwarfed by
the spiritual significance.
I find Rosh Hashanah a won-
derfully optimistic festival.
We give expression to our be-
lief that God exists; that
things do not happen by mere
chance but are part of a
Divine plan. And, no matter
how morally lax we may have
been in the past, we are given
another chance to improve
ourselves through acts of
repentence, prayer and good
works. At a time when pes-
simism and despair seem to
reign throughout much of the
world, it is very comforting to
be given this opportunity to
wipe the slate clean and
begin anew.
So, like Jews everywhere,
we pray. We draw together as
families. We eat apples dipped
in honey for a sweet new year.
The extra dimension felt in
Israel is that we are living in
our own land. We are all one
people, a family sharing a
common destiny. No matter
how polarized our society may
be, we know that what will be
a good year for one will be