Celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur shows thousands of Jews gathered at a lake in Uman, Ukraine, for the Tashlich service. “On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, in the afternoon, we have a spe- cial service to cast away our sins,” Heiligman writes. “It is called Tashlich, which means to send away. We try to go to a river, or another body of water. We turn our pockets inside out, as if emptying out all our sins. Or we throw pieces of bread into the water — the piec- es of bread represent our sins.” Heiligman, who was raised in a Jewish family in Allentown, Pa., agreed to write 10 volumes in the National Geographic series because she thought the books could be a way for children to become leaders who understand that diversity is part of our culture and that every culture deserves respect. “The High Holidays are a time for reflection, a time for new begin- nings, a time to look inward and ask yourself how can I be a bet- ter person, how can I be the best person that I can be,” Heiligman says. “I think children can relate to this. Jews pray in hopes of becom- ing better people, and I hope adults can relate to that, too. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur give us a time to do that, to really sit and think.” Each of the volumes in the series is written with input from a con- sultant. Rabbi Shira Stern, direc- tor of the Center for Pastoral Care and Counseling in Marlboro, N.J., was an adviser for Celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Stern’s introduction places the High Holidays into wider histori- cal and cultural context for parents and teachers. Referring to Elul, the Hebrew month of preparation pre- ceding Rosh Hashanah, Stern notes, “‘Elul’ is an acrostic for the Hebrew phrase, Ani L’dodi, V’dodi Li, which means ‘I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.’ This is a metaphor for our relationship with God. But it’s not a romantic relationship; it’s a bond between parent and child.” Especially for young children, Stern writes, “God ‘the parent’ is a natural concept. We want to feel so close to God that God will forgive us for the wrongs we have done. To inspire ourselves, we mark each day by blowing the shofar and include special prayers that begin the repenting process. “We have come full circle in the Jewish year,” Stern concludes. “And we are spiritually ready to begin again.” * Dr. Lucy H. Shields Henney, DVM and the Doctors & Staff of Oakland Veterinary Referral Services and the 24 Hour Oakland Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Facility wish you & yours L’Shanah Tovah! 1400 Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 248-334-6877 Overwhelmed by caring for an aging family member? Pam Feinberg-Rivkin RN, BSN, CCM, CRRN, ABDA Interventionist Founder & CEO We Can Help JLGGFIKFLI :FDDLE@KP# J?FGN@K?FLI 8;M