44 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2019 

continued from page 42

Rosh Hashanah

from Sunday school or day 
school? It’
s time to unearth 
those boxes filled with clay 
honey pots, handcrafted 
Happy New Year cards and 
paper apple mobiles. Bonus 
if you can excavate the 
childhood Rosh Hashanah 
relics from your own youth. 
And if kids never made them 
— or you tossed them years 
ago — you can always make 
new Rosh Hashanah crafts, 
like a honey jar or shofar. 
Cluster these items in a 
special museum-style display 
for all to enjoy. Heart strings 
will be tugged, guaranteed.

THROW A BIRTHDAY PARTY 
FOR THE WORLD
Rosh Hashanah is not just a 
Jewish holiday — according 
to the Talmud, it is the 
birthday of humankind 
and the world. Considering 
that the universe is a pretty 
significant creation, some 
special treats to commemorate 
this day hardly seem like too 
much effort. Whether you 
celebrate with a spherical 
cake frosted to look like 
planet Earth or a candle on a 
single cupcake, or even just a 
Happy Birthday banner, let 
it spark a conversation about 
what each individual’
s part 
can be in making the world 
a better place — the ultimate 
birthday gift.

MAKE A ROSH 
HASHANAH TABLESCAPE
If you are overwhelmed 
thinking about setting 
an elaborate table for the 
holiday, just remember that 
you are going to want to eat 
at some point, so it might 
as well be at a striking and 
impactfully set table. But that 
doesn’
t mean an overwrought 
one. Small touches can go a 
long way, like an apple-print 
tablecloth; a few carefully 

placed honey or bee-
themed items; a decorative 
tray filled with apples and 
pomegranates; a shofar as 
centerpiece. Tip: Use your 
imagination, not Google.

SPARK MEANINGFUL 
CONVERSATION WITH 
REFLECTION CARDS
Rosh Hashanah is a mini 
workout for the soul, so 
you should probably break 
an existential sweat self-
reflecting, soul-searching 
and resolution-making. Like 
any good workout, it will 
transform, strengthen and 
fortify you for navigating 
your daily life in the year to 
come.
Write some open-ended 
questions on cardstock 
and arrange them on your 
table for your family or 
friends to select and answer 
aloud. Some examples: 
What were your biggest 
mistakes over the last year? 
Greatest achievements? What 
brought you the most joy? 
Which moments felt deeply 
meaningful? What have you 
resolved to do differently next 
year?
What you write is up 
to you — just make sure 
that each question can be 
answered by a responder of 
any age, and keep in mind 
that Rosh Hashanah is not 
just about looking backward 
but is an opportunity to look 
forward as well.
I hope you will use one 
or all these ideas to set 
the stage for a sweet and 
meaningful New Year. And, 
full disclosure: While they 
are undoubtedly fun, none 
of these ideas will absolutely 
guarantee that you will be 
written in the Book of Life 
— but they may get you 
featured in Martha Stewart 
Living. 

L’Shana Tova Tikatevu

 48009

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Kenneth M. 
Bernard, CFA 
President