4 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2024 J N I ’ve always loved fall. Where many see spring as the season of rebirth, to me, fall is the time of year that brings new beginnings, new possibilities, new hope. As the summer heat breaks and gives way to cooler days, changing colors, a return to school, football games and apple cider, the prospect for growth and renewal feels endless. Fall also brings a time of personal growth, as it generally occurs during Elul, the last month of the Hebrew cal- endar leading into the High Holidays. According to the website My Jewish Learning, “Elul is traditionally a time of introspection and personal stock-taking, known in Hebrew as cheshbon hanefesh — literally ‘an accounting of the soul. ’ This process is conducted in preparation for Rosh Hashanah when, Jewish tra- dition teaches, all of humanity is called to account and a Divine judgment is issued. ” Coincidentally, September is also the month of my birth, so I have both a per- sonal and spiritual reason to take a deep look inward. This week, I celebrated my 50th birthday. 50! Given I am still about 30 in my brain, I’m still coming to terms with that number. Yet, while I enter the season — and my next year of life — with my usual sense of optimism, this year feels vastly different. How could it not? The last year has changed our Jewish community in unfathomable ways. As next week we mark one year since the horrors of Oct. 7, 2023, we reflect on a year defined by profound challenges, fears and grief. Our homeland is being crippled by war against an enemy that will not back down. Thousands of our people, civilian and soldier alike, have been killed or injured on or since that fateful day. Across the border, many of our hostages are still in captivity while Gazans caught in the middle of the con- flict are being racked by a devastating humanitarian crisis. A tremendous rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment around the world has given way to a sense of fear and anger, not to mention betrayal, at those who have not supported us as we believe they should. Our kids don’t feel safe on their college campuses. Even within our own community, there are polarizing differences of opinion on a wide variety of topics that feel irreconcil- able — a chasm that may only widen as we approach our November election. Although we continue to live our everyday lives, and there are moments of joy amidst the pain, there is nonetheless a sense of heaviness that permeates the air. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is the time I spend out in the community, attending events and getting to know the diverse mix that makes up the Metro Detroit Jewish population. By asking questions and truly listening to the answers, I get to know people on a deeper level. And if I have learned any- thing in the last year, it is this: Despite all the heavy sentiment, despite our vast dif- ferences, there is an overwhelming sense that the ties that bind this community are stronger than those that divide. The vigils, the marches, the special services, the visiting speakers and the missions to Israel have all been opportunities for us to get together, bear witness and feel all the feelings as a collective. For me, that has been extremely heartening. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we be on the same team. That doesn’t mean we vote for the same candidate or even cheer for the same football team. But when push comes to shove, we support and stand up for one another, regardless of our disagreements. That is what it means to be a community. Having reflected on all of this, I realize I’m very blessed to be turning 50. I’m in good health, besides an ache here and a pain there. I am lucky to have an amazing brother, an incredible partner, and a loving and supportive group of friends all over the world. I love my job, which allows me, with my talented team, to keep the Detroit Jewish community connected, educated and informed, and in that community, I feel embraced in return. It’s this feeling of community, and the strength of spirit it fosters, that Rosh Hashanah encourages us to celebrate. Let us continue to draw courage from these unbreakable bonds. May our unity and love guide us through these trying times, and may the coming year be filled with resilience, hope and renewed pur- pose. Shanah Tovah. PURELY COMMENTARY from the executive director A Season of Rebirth Marni Raitt A close friend of mine, who serves as a Jewish chaplain in South Florida, recently shared with me the following interac- tion he had with a senior patient in a memory care facility: “Rabbi: ‘Hi, my name is Moshe, nice to meet you! What is your name?” Patient: “Um, Um… I don’t remember… ” Ten minutes later … Rabbi: “Shema Yisroel. ” Patient: “ A-donai E-loheinu. ’’ Upon hearing this story, I began thinking about the depth of the Jewish soul and its eternal connection with G-d. Regardless of the physical circum- stances of the Jew, one’s Jewish identity will ultimately rise to the surface. As we embark upon the Hebrew year of 5785 since the Creation, we can- not underestimate the importance of reflecting upon the past year and forg- ing ahead with renewed and resolute perspective on life as a Jew. If we can apply one biblical verse to this past year’s experience for the Jewish people, I would suggest the following verse in the context of Balaam’s proph- ecies regarding the Jewish people: It is a nation that will dwell alone. Has there been a period in this generation when we, the collective Jewish people, felt more “alone” than during this past year? However, when examining the abovementioned verse, it becomes clear that this prophecy is not intended to inform the Jewish people about its liability, rather it is to be understood as an asset for our survival. It should not be hard to recognize that throughout Jewish history, our key to survival as a nation was not that which is com- monly the key for other nations, such as a common language, culture or geo- graphical location. The one factor that was always present (on some level) was the devotion to Hashem and His Torah, the connection to our Jewish soul. This has provided us with the meaning and purpose necessary to have the strength to withstand the many persecutions and tribulations our people have suffered. This is also what continues to make us unique, different and “alone” in the family of nations. This Rosh Hashanah is our opportu- nity to reacknowledge the key to Jewish survival and embrace our “aloneness” as an asset and connection to the ultimate decider of personal and world events, G-d Almighty. Wishing you and yours a happy and sweet new year with much revealed blessings of health, security and nachas! Mendel Polter is the rabbi at the Woodward Avenue Shul in Royal Oak. Rabbi Mendel Polter essay Embracing our ‘Aloneness’ L’Shana Tova 5785 WE GRIND