OPINION
WATCH
The Spirituality
Of Rosh Hashanah
VISIT
The judgment on Rosh Hashanah
s Jan. 1 approaches, it is
can be compared to a company that
common to hear about
ceases operations for a few days on the
individual New Year's reso-
anniversary of its opening to take
lutions. We know the usual
inventory. It makes sense to take time
ones: "I'm going to start an exercise
once a year to analyze the past year's
program," "I'm going to lose 10
sales so adjustments can be made for
pounds" and so on. Why do
the coming year.
we associate a resolution to
In the same sense, God is
start a good habit with the
judging us to determine
New Year?
what the new year will hold
It seems That when a fresh,
for us. Will we have a year
new opportunity comes our
of health and prosperity or
way, it is human nature to
will we have a year of diffi-
give it our best in the hope
culty? This judgment is a
that once off to the right
judgment for the future just
start, the rest will follow.
as an inventory is. However,
Thus, a new year or a new
the information used to
RABBI
notebook, the first page is
determine the result of this
AVRAHAM
always our neatest work.
judgment
is how we did last
COHEN
For a Jewish person, a res-
year.
Special to
olution on Rosh Hashanah
What role did we play in
The Jewish News
to be a better Jew, to improve
the achievement of God's
oneself or to take on a new
goal in creating the world?
mitzvah is deeply rooted in our tradi-
Based on our past performance, are we
tion. The rationale behind it touches
worthy of a year of health and pros-
the very essence of Rosh Hashanah
perity? When subjected to the scrutiny
and penetrates to the root of what it
of the Master of the universe, these
means to be Jewish.
issues decide.
Unlike Jan. 1, an arbitrary date for
There is one great comfort, though.
the start of the secular year, Rosh
God wants to give us only the best of
Hashanah represents the day the
everything. It is important that we
world was created. God had a goal
take a positive step in the right direc-
and purpose for creating the world.
tion. This provides the Almighty with
Therefore, it is appropriate that on
an indication from us that we are
that day He judged the world, to
ready to play a role in His master
assess how it is doing relative to that
plan. With this, ,Ele will grant us every
goal.
blessing we need to realize that goal.
Avraham Cohen is a rabbi at Yeshiva
This is the secret of a New Year's
Beth Yehudah in Southfield.
resolution. This small step of accept-
A
ing to do something better conveys
exactly that message. "I have turned
over a new leaf; I am not the same
person who did all those things last
year, and I stand ready to take my
place in Your plan for the coming
year."
A positive
step in the
right direction.
This concept of growth and change
is the very essence of being a Jew, for
the goal of Torah and mitzvot is to
make us better human beings. With
every mitzvah that we do, we become
closer to God and thus more holy.
Philosophers say the distance from
0 to 1 is greater than the distance
between any other two numbers
because from nothing to something is
the greatest change that can be.
King David compared the soul of a
Jew to the flame of a candle. Just as a
flame always turns upwards, so, too,
the Jewish soul is always turning
upwards to its Maker to strive for
greater heights.
As Rosh Hashanah approaches, let
us use this opportunity to take a small
step on that road that will place us in
harmony with God's reason for cre-
ation. Having done that, we can be
sure that God will grant us a new year
of health, prosperity and happiness. ❑
from page 37
Requests to visit smaller
cemeteries during Kever Avot
will be honored where possi-
ble. "For example, one of the
volunteers who's going to the
Smith Street Cemetery in
Detroit's Poletown neighbor-
hood anyway that day indicat-
ed he would be glad to take
along an older adult who
wants to go there," Techner
said.
If successful, organizers plan
to make Kever Avot an annual
experience over the High Holy
Days. As Techner put it:
"There's nothing negative about
it. It's just a nice project. We're
not selling anything. It's a
haimish thing to do."
There's no shortage of vol-
unteers, Tisdale says proudly
about the congregation of
3,200 member families he has
been associated with for 25
years. "I've always said Temple
Israel is a place where, if you
dream, you can do it," the for-
mer Temple president said.
The bedrock of our commu-
nity, the elderly not only
should be cared for and given
respect, but also revered in def-
erence to how they've helped
enriched our lives. From my
vantage point, uplifting pro-
grams like Kever Avot help
illustrate such reverence. ❑
To leave a voice mail mes-
sage, please call Robert Sklar
at (248) 354-6060, ext. 258.
LETTERS
Each single strand placed by hand,
One that had faith in us and took a
stand.
Each had a different kind of gratitude,
One which was seen in multitude.
As one struggles to succeed,
He knows not what will proceed.
We worked as one for team reliance,
Which left only hope and confidence.
Which one day will carry us on.
Elina Krasnopolsky
Rochester, NY
We came uniformed in color,
That which stood out in power.
The dark to represent the torturing,
struggling past,
And the bright, for today, our freedom at
last.
We, the Maccabi, stand up for youth:
The ones before who stood up for truth.
The willing now
That stand up and bow.
And for the future young to come,
9/18
1998
38 Detroit Jewish News
Emily Korotkin with JCC Maccabi
Games houseguest Elina Krasnopolsky.
Participation
Was Satisfying
The JCC Maccabi Games were a huge
undertaking on the part of the metro
Detroit Jewish community and,
despite some unavoidable oversights,
the many wonderful people who took
part in this mammoth event deserve a
resounding kol hakavod.
Our family is an example of the
shared effort that marked this event,
with me being a surrogate mother to
Tatyana . (born in Kiev) and Natalya
(born in Minsk); my husband,
Shelly, driving them early each
morning on the way to the hospital
to their bus and also volunteering as
a doctor to the athletes, as did my
son, Udi, a pediatrician. Udi's wife,
Debi, was in charge of Zoo Night,
as well as sightseeing, which includ-
ed the streets and cafes of Birming-
ham.
However, our lovely girls gained
something else, which doesn't relate to
athletic achievement (Natalya won five
medals in table tennis) — an enhanced
sense of their Jewish identity.
Both were little exposed to Jewish
life before now Our Friday night din-
ner at home and Shabbat service at
Shaarey Zedek B'nai Israel Center
were unforgettable.
When Tatyana called me the
evening of her departure from her
home in Brooklyn, she thanked me
for what we did for them, as well as
"teaching us so much about being
Jewish."
Rachel Kapen
West Bloomfield
LETTERS
on page 40