Rosh Hashanah
1
1
I
Campfires,
Meditation And
Mountain Trails
May the coming year be filled
with health, happiness and prosperity
for all our family and friends.
Alternative High Holiday celebrations
in the great outdoors.
Dr. Jeffrey and Laurie Fischgrund
Michelle, Marcy, Mark
Andrew and Melanie
Debra Rubin
JTA
experience of his friend, Amy Tobin.
"The years that I sat in synagogue, I
didn't get much out of it," said Tobin,
who has written a musical that inter-
hroughout the day they
preted the story of Lilith and a rock
dropped slips of paper into
opera on the Book of Esther. "When
the beehive-shaped basket
I'm sitting there, I'm not interacting
— snippets on which they had written
with the ritual, or the traditions or the
the sins for which they were seeking
text:'
forgiveness.
Yet she loves the High Holidays.
At nightfall, the group of about 15
"I love that there's this intense sense
people sat in a circle reading aloud the
of intention and renewal. And you're
sins and then tossing the papers into
always in a different place: said the
the campfire.
Oakland resident.
This wasn't the typical recitation of
But a half-dozen years ago, Tobin
Al Cheit, the confession of sins read
and her friend Devra Aarons decided
on Yom Kippur, but for these Jews it
to spend Rosh Hashanah in the woods.
marked the end of a Day of Atonement "We brought books and a blanket and
spent in a woodland park in Oakland,
some snacks: Tobin recalled, alternat-
Calif.
ing among reading, writing and talk-
"There was a real sense of recogni-
ing.
tion of a lot of things people were ask-
"There's something really nurturing
ing forgiveness for: said Ari Kelman of about being outside: she said. "I think
Palo Alto, Calif., one of the day's orga-
the place is not even as important as
nizers. "All the things were individual,
the idea of giving ourselves the time
but there was a sense of collective rec-
and space to do what we need to do,
ognition for the sins during the course
both interactive and reflective'
of the year:'
Spending time outside became a
While millions of Jews worldwide
tradition for her and Aarons. Other
spend Rosh Hashanah and Yom
friends, including Kelman, soon joined
Kippur in synagogue sanctuar-
them.
ies, school auditoriums and other
Kelman "has drawn on sections of
formal settings, some Jews find
the service, more so than I probably
alternative ways to observe the High
would," Tobin said. "For me, I'm more
Holidays. That often means praying,
interested in the spirit of the season
meditating and reflecting while out-
than I am in the specific prayers that
doors.
are part of the service!'
Kelman, 41, has done just that for
Rabbi Mike Comins also looks for
the past few years, coordinating with
the spirit of the service — and typi-
friends he describes as having strong
cally does it alone.
Jewish backgrounds.
Comins runs Torah Trek, the Center
"We were looking for something that for Jewish Wilderness Spirituality,
didn't feel like an endurance sport but
a group that holds Jewish-content
was actually comfortable, and allowed
retreats and programs outdoors. While
us to interact witt. peoi 'e we like and
his organization doesn't hold programs
hit the parts of the servke that meant
for the High Holidays, Comins, 55,
something for u-s: said Kelman, a pro-
takes to a mountain trail on the second
fessor of education and Jewish studies
day of Rosh Hashanah.
at Stanford University.
"The reason I don't go out on the
He says the service has consisted of
first day of Rosh Hashanah and on
selected traditional prayers from the
Yom Kippur is I very much believe
machzor, or holiday prayer book, study in being part of the community. I
sessions on the Torah portion in lieu
wouldn't want to choose one or the
of a formal Torah reading and "texts
other: he said.
that ran the gamut from philosophy to
But the Los Angeles-based rabbi
poetry to Bible."
says, "I connect to God best in nature,
Kelman says he was inspired by the
so to go celebrate Rosh Hashanah,
T
May the New Year
bring to all our friends
and family
health, joy, prosperity and
everything good in life.
May the New Year
bring to all our friends
and family
health, joy, prosperity and
everything good in life.
Rosh Hashanah
2012
5773
The Schneiders
Judi, Joe & Brandon
Brett, Patty Moon,
Caidey & Zack
Arryn, Bryan, Ethan & Avery
Molly, Brad, D.J. & Anna
76 September 13 • 2012
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r.