What makes the “New” Year new? (January 2015 KOL)
Shehecheyanu! Thank You, God, for enabling us to live to 2015!
I love the fact that we get two New Year celebrations. Rosh Hashanah will always be the more meaningful for me, spiritually and personally. I feel the Jewish New Year, filled with introspection and healing, offers a far more psychologically sound New Year experience. There is time for self and community; there is time for joy and atonement; there are opportunities for giving generously and for planning on how we will make the world a better place; and there is so much time for family and friends. It is, for me, the best of all possible new year experiences, even with seven sermons to write this past year.
As we embark on a new secular year, I always find that I am seeking some kind of spiritual opportunity to evaluate how far I have come since Rosh Hashanah. I owe you all so much thanks. I am able to handle this year, because of your kindness and understanding about my schedule and limitations. You have made it easy to keep loving and giving. I am also grateful to my friend Rabbi Gold, our staff, our leadership, and our members who step up to care and cover while I am away, so that I can also have some personal time this year.
This January, I am focusing my spiritual search on the question I listed as the title of my article, What makes the “New” Year new? As a congregation about to embark on a search for a new rabbi, we might have the answer quickly. We will be sharing the wonders of TBS with a new generation of rabbis, hoping that one will want to be a part of this amazing community.
But, as individuals, so many times we get stuck in the “same old, same old” of our daily lives. “New” is more than the adjective to describe the Chanukah gift or post Chanukah purchase. According to the dictionary, “new” means:
1 not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time:
• not previously used or owned.
• of recent origin or arrival.
• (of food or drink) freshly or recently produced.
• (of vegetables) dug or harvested early in the season:new potatoes.
2 already existing but seen, experienced, or acquired recently or now for the first time.
• [ predic. ] (new to) unfamiliar or strange to (someone):a way of living that was new to me.
• [ predic. ] (new to/at) (of a person) inexperienced at or unaccustomed to doing (something):I’m quite new to gardening.
• different from a recent previous one:I have a new assistant|this would be her new home.
• in addition to another or others already existing:recruiting new pilots overseas.
• (in place names) discovered or founded later than and named after:New York.
3 just beginning or beginning anew and regarded as better than what went before:starting a new life|the new South Africa.
• (of a person) reinvigorated or restored.
• superseding another or others of the same kind, and advanced in method or theory.
• reviving another or others of the same kind: the New Bohemians.
What does “new” mean for you? And how does your interpretation of the word make this year “new?” For 2015, I am going to continue a process that I began this summer that is consistent with definitions #2 and #3. So often we see things through the lens of previous encounters or experiences, and that is often called wisdom. But, to see or experience through “new eyes,” to reinvigorate one’s attitude or perspective to be open to new possibilities and new opportunities, is another thing entirely. I marvel at some of our members who are reinventing themselves, embarking on new career paths or relationships, and renewing their Jewish commitments to live, pray, and study with regularity. It is this kind of newnessthat refreshes and restores, energizes and invigorates. This is what I will be focusing on in the New Year.
There is a Hebrew proverb: “There is nothing new under the sun.” Perhaps. But, there is plenty that can be new under the moon, the stars, and even one’s own roof, if you are open to the possibility of seeing with new eyes, and listening in new ways.
May this new year offer each one of us the opportunity to experience the wonder of life, relationships, and spiritual journeys we have yet to take. May this new year find you embracing the old, even as you find ways to innovate and renew. May our tradition of 5775 still have new paths for you to travel and new meaning for your life. And may we share the old and the new together, as individuals and as part of this sacred community.
Shanah Tovah!
Rabbi Amy R. Perlin, D.D.