Dear TEE community,
This year, as we gather for the Days of Awe, it seems important to acknowledge the wisdom of our ancestors who understood that resilience comes, not from avoiding times of difficulty, but from meeting them with thoughtfulness and community engagement. They faced persecution and displacement, yet continued to build, to learn, to hope, and to contribute to the world’s healing. The same spiritual tools that guided previous generations remain available to us: the discipline of honest self-examination, the courage to acknowledge our mistakes and make amends, and the conviction that change is always possible.
These holy days gift us with sacred time to pause, to examine our lives with honesty and compassion, and to realign our actions with our deepest values. The Hebrew word teshuvah means return—a turning that brings us back to our truest selves and beliefs. As we confront our own uncertainties—personal and collective—we draw strength from this legacy. In the silence between the notes of the shofar, we find space for reflection. In our communal prayers, we remember that we are not alone in our struggles. In the rhythm of these ancient observances, we discover that taking time to reflect is not a luxury, but a necessity—one that our tradition wisely built into the very structure of our calendar.
May this season of reflection strengthen our resolve, deepen our compassion, and renew our commitment to building a more just and peaceful world.
Shanah tovah u’metukah—may the year ahead be one of goodness and sweetness.
Rabbi Drorah Setel