Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on September 23, 2020

Unlike the secular New Year, the Jewish New Year, celebrated this weekend, concentrates on repentance, rather than joyous abandon. For the first time I can remember, I will not be in synagogue for the Jewish New year communal repentance being another victim of COVID-19. I am crestfallen that I will not spend time with my community acknowledging that we are all human and can all do better. Nevertheless, COVID-19 has helped me better understand the ancient rituals of the Jewish New Year. In the past, I repeated the words recited by Jews for thousands of years without necessarily feeling a personal connection born of deep understanding. This year will be different.

The central prayer recited by Jews all over the world on the Jewish New Year, which dates from the eighth century, notes that we will all be judged on this day and then notes that on this day it is decided who shall live and who shall die. Furthermore, today is decreed how we will die including by plague who shall be tormented, who wealthy and who exalted. Growing up in the later 20th century in America, I did not really think about all the horrible and horribly unfair ways people died and continue to die throughout the world. Violence and plague have ravished this earth my entire life, but always somewhere else. This year the Jewish New Year occurs during a plague in America of almost biblical proportions with close to 200,000 dead already. Furthermore, we are once again reminded of those in our society who do not experience the promise of America in the same way that I have been so fortunate to live. Despite the American idea, we still live in a world where our potentialities in life are greatly influenced by our race, the wealth of our parents and even our ZIP code.

Fortunately, a 1,300-year-old prayer reminds us also about what we can do in the face of a seemingly hostile and unfair world. We state that the harsh decree can be annulled by personal change, acts of charity and prayer. This ancient wisdom speaks to me today like it never did. I must be the change by first asking for forgiveness for the ways I have contributed to, or benefited from the injustice and suffering around me, whether consciously or unconsciously. However, I cannot just acknowledge these injustices, I need to take affirmative actions to make the world better, more fair and help my fellow humans. If I take these steps, then with a little divine intervention (luck, if you prefer), my world will be better and I will be better. Importantly, however, it all depends on me.

Whether you are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, atheist or follow some other belief system, I wish you all a healthy, prosperous and happy year Jewish, secular or otherwise. Just remember, as we learn from an ancient prayer, change starts within someone else does not impose it on us.

Eastman is the senior vice president and general counsel of RigNet Inc. He is also a trustee of Houston Grand Opera and serves on the advisory board of Holocaust Museum Houston.

See more here:

Opinion: For the first time I can remember, I will not be in synagogue for the Jewish New year - Houston Chronicle

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