Friday, February 6, 2014
FTL #5 -High Holy Days - February 2014
1) "Rounding" out the New Year
We often think of the High Holy Days, and specifically
Rosh Hashanah, as the Jewish New Year. On Rosh Hashanah we eat a special round challah, instead of a braided one. In Time Square, on December 31, a huge round
object is dropped to signify the secular new year.
What do you suppose these two new years symbols (the Time Square
Ball and the Rosh Hashanah round challah) represent? Do they symbolize the same
or different things?
Be creative and think of things they have in common and things
that are different. Best answers receive a special posting.
2) Three Things to Do
During the High Holy Days we recite the following verse found in the special prayer book called the machzor:
"On Rosh Hashanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed...But repentance (teshuva), prayer (tefillah), and charitable deeds (tzedakah) can annul the severity of the decree."
Steps to Follow for this Exercise:
-Read the verse out loud and see if you everyone understand what it means.
-What are the 3 things it says we can do to "soften" the decree?
-What other things can we do in our daily lives to try to be better and make better decisions?
-Watch these two videos. The first is a semi-animated Shel Silverstein poem about a king who loved peanut butter sandwiches. The second is about a king who loved a flawless crystal ball. Which king to you think may have eventually done some repentance, prayer, or charitable deeds next time they run into a problem? Why?
3) How much do you know? Take this brief Rosh Hashanah quiz perfect for all ages.
4). Songs to Sing
With all this talk about teshuva and fasting and saying sorry we have definitely missed out on a huge part of the Jewish new year. Although I don't know of any ball droppings, it is certainly a festive season. We enjoy being with family a friends. We celebrate with delicious food, apple picking, and beautify songs. And although the High Holy Days are a long way off, it's never to soon to think about the blessing of a new year.
-As a family, come up with one sweet recipe (with apples and/or honey) that you will plan to make next Rosh Hashanah. Send the recipe to me bethany.friedlander@micahdenver.org and I will compile them and send them out in time for Rosh Hashanah in the fall.
-Watch this fun and meaningful Rosh Hashanah song and video made by an amazing Colorado folk musician Julie Geller (and see her singing live across the street from Trader Joe's on opening day).
Or this one from Israel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlcxEDy-lr0