Shavua Tov
We find ourselves in the holiest stretch of our year, the Days of Awe, that sacred space between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The Days of Awe are not simply days on the calendar, they are days that we are reminded of how brief life is, and how immense its possibilities can be.
Rosh Hashanah asked us to listen to the sound of the shofar the cry that comes before words. It is the voice of the soul calling us back to who we are and to what we are summoned to be. Yom Kippur asks us to take that cry and turn it into a life of responsibility, integrity, and hope.
Between these two great days, we are commanded to undertake heshbon hanefeshthe work of self-examination, the courage to ask: Have we been true to our highest values? Have we honored the divine image in others? Have we, in our leadership and in our lives, helped to mend the world that is so often broken?
As Pirkei Avot teaches (4:1):
“Who is wise? One who learns from everyone.”
True wisdom is not found in standing apart, but in standing together. It is discovered in the humility to listen, the courage to learn, and the willingness to see in every person a teacher. This is the heart of community, and the heart of this sacred season.
To count our days is to recognize that each one is a gift. To gain wisdom is to live them in such a way that others are lifted, community is strengthened, and God’s presence is made a little more visible in the world.
So let me say, from my heart: if at any time in the past year I have failed, if my words or actions have caused hurt, I ask forgiveness. And I commit that in the year ahead, both I and the Tucson J will strive to be true to our calling to serve this community with faithfulness, to be an authentic partner, and to create a place of belonging and meaning for all.
The Hebrew prayer Avinu Malkeinu, this version with Barbara Streisand, gives us words when our own falter: “Our Father, our King, inscribe us for a good life.” And the folk song Turn, Turn, Turn with Judy Collins and Pete Seager, echoing Kohelet, reminds us that there is a season for everything: a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to tear down and a time to build. This is our time to build.
May 5786 be a year in which our community stands tall as a voice of hope, compassion, and renewal. May we be worthy of the trust of those who came before us, and may we hand on something greater to those who will follow.
G’mar Chatima Tova – may you be sealed in the Book of Life
Cochenu b’Achduteynu | כחינו באחדותינו | Our strength is in our unity.
Am Yisrael Chai | עם ישראל חי
Bring them Home Now I מחזירים אותם הביתה עכשיו
Todd Rockoff
President + CEO, Tucson J
