Opinion Editorials are posted and archived on JNonline.us . George Cantor's Reality Check column will return next week Editorial Power Of Hope A 'though autumn has barely begun, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, already seems enveloped by the fog and shadows that mark the height of the fall season. The presidential campaign has left many Jewish voters vaguely dissatisfied with the choice of candidates. An election that once seemed to hold promises of a fresh begin- ning has slowly settled down to the familiar muck and mire of the past. Israel's majority party Kadima, is choos- ing its third leader in three years. That new leader, Tzipi Livni, also has promised a break from the politics of the recent past that forced Ehud Olmert to resign. Whoever succeeds Olmert will be con- fronted with an increasingly belligerent Iran, which seems to be drawing doser to a newly assertive Russia. The sickening slide on Wall Street and the crisis in the mortgage market has stunned millions of people who believed their future was secure beyond question. The auto industry, for so many years the bellwether of American prosperity, has taken a series of massive hits. On its 100th anniver- sary, General Motors, once the largest corpo- ration in America, was assailed with doubts about its very survival. Along with Ford and Chrysler, GM had to ask for a government bailout. So the way ahead seems unclear in this season of mists. But all of these negatives overlook one important fact. To be an American and a Jew at this point of history is to be part of two of the most resilient peoples on the planet. Americans still believe at the core of their being that everything is going to come out all right. It is part of the national identity. Things may look bleak for a while, but the sun will come out tomorrow. While we may wonder what the future holds, we still face it with an incurable sense of optimism. Meanwhile, millions more from around the world are clamoring at the gates to share our experience, and there is no great rush for the exits. This also is the most prosperous and secure Jewish community existing anywhere. While our history may lead us to expect the worst, the Jewish people have never lost the ability to hope. It has sustained us through the millennia. So if a new year demands a theme, maybe hope is the most appropriate for 5769. Hope that a new president will actually DryBonesBlog.com deliver on promises for change and remain firmly committed to Israel. Hope that Israel can reconstruct its politi- cal system and produce a leader who will know how to balance confrontation and accommodation with its enemies. Hope that the worst of the mortgage melt- down is behind us and a chastened financial community will behave more responsibly. Hope that new technologies will bring about a renaissance in the automotive indus- try and help rid us of our dependence on imported oil. Is that too much to hope for? Maybe it's only a start. ❑ Feeling Like An Outsider A t the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services of most congre- gations, the participants seem to be well-dressed and well-connected. Especially when the congregants are singing or speaking in unison, it looks as though the gathered multitude is joined together as one. But looks can be deceiving. As a psychologist who for many years has counseled thousands of Jews of all ages before and after the High Holidays, I've found that these Days of Awe tend to bring up a fascinating variety of compli- cated and important emotions, such as: • A sense of loss that someone you sat with previously is no longer there. It might be a loved one who died, or a former spouse or lover who's now become distant, or a family member who no lon- ger wants to be part of this congregational gathering. •A sense of insecurity that your life isn't progressing as you hoped it would. Whether you've had financial setbacks, romantic disappointments or physical setbacks, you might be feeling at the High . Holidays that you've fallen off the path you had hoped would be a smoother ride. • Comparison thoughts to someone who seems to have it all together. Surrounded by the larger community at the High Holiday services often means running into your impeccably groomed friend or relative who always makes the rest of us feel one-down. Or someone whose well-behaved and brilliant kids make you feel self-conscious about your own com- plicated children. Or someone who easily found a great partner in life even while you remain alone and searching. • Mixed feelings about being in a for- mal synagogue service. Especially for the many Jews who rarely attend Shabbat ser- vices during the rest of the year, there is a feeling of outsiderness and discomfort as a result of being outnumbered by people who seem to know the prayers, rituals and melodies with so much familiarity. In fact, I've heard from many "twice-a-year Jews" that they spend a sizeable portion of the High Holiday services won- dering if the rabbi, the cantor and the frequent temple- goers might be judging them for being so estranged from the community much of the year. • The essential Jewishness of these mixed feelings. Even though many people feel self-conscious or "insufficiently holy" as a result of having some of the ambivalent feelings described above, in fact Jewish tradition (especially at the High Holidays) honors and welcomes these essential human struggles. Even our name as a people, "Yisra-El," literally means "the people who wrestle with the Ultimate One." Also, in the Talmud (Berachot 34b), it says that the holiest place is reserved for those who are somewhat broken or who sometimes miss the mark, and that only the person who is struggling with human imperfections can stand in the holiest place of importance where the completely righ- teous person is not privileged to stand. So this year at the High Holidays, be aware that Jewish tradition (and most psychotherapists) suggest you bring your imperfections, your ambivalence, your comparisons and your sense of loss or brokenness to stand fully present in the company of others who are also human, imperfect and seeking to grow. You might focus on the fact that nearly every soul in the room is longing to connect with a deeper sense of meaning, connection, repair and a love that transcends all limits. To help you (or a hesitant family mem- ber or friend) to deepen one's personal experience of the High Holiday services, here are three quick things you can do whenever you are feeling alienated, self- conscious, distracted, bored or like a flawed outsider at this year's gatherings: • Find a word or phrase in the holiday prayer book that lifts you up, moves you, angers you, offends you, comforts you, confuses you or makes you curious and reflective. For at least a minute or two, let this phrase or word Feeling like on page A74 September 25 a 2008 A67