We are moving into that part of the Jewish calendar where the dates are definitely closer than they appear. Many people think that the High Holy Days are only three days – the two days of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and then one day (thankfully) of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement with its daylong fasting and synagogue attendance, even for many people who don’t do much else with their Jewish heritage.
The Season of Repentance, as it is also known, actually lasts a month, or even seven weeks depending on where you start counting it. After Yom Kippur we have Sukkot, in which we build little huts on our balconies or in our yards and live in them for seven or eight days, depending on where we are. Then we have the mysterious Eighth Day of Assembly, which in the medieval times also developed its sidekick of Simchat Torah, the Rejoicing of the Torah, because that is when we finish reading the annual Torah cycle, with the death of Moses, and start again with the account of Creation.
It’s a crazy busy time for those of us who take it seriously – imagine a month of Christmas, and you might get some idea of the intensity. I will therefore be putting this blog on hiatus until that mythical, mystical time known in Israel as “acharei hachagim”, after the holidays. Look for me again in your inbox on October 24th, and have a wonderful holiday season if you celebrate!
Wishing you a sweet, healthy and prosperous New Year, and may we all be inscribed in the Book of Life.