Dear member of the Congregation Sinai family, 

When I lived in Jerusalem, I got to attend many Seders, hosted by families with far flung roots, like Morocco, 

Yemen, Russia or the United States. No matter the ethnic flavor, we always would conclude the Haggadah, “Next Year in Jerusalem.” I found this curious. Why say next year in Jerusalem if we are already here? 

The answer is that two millennia ago, the first rabbis taught that there were not one but two Jerusalems: first, the city and its Temple destroyed by the Romans in the year 79 C.E. which the rabbis called the “earthly Jerusalem,” and a second, the “heavenly Jerusalem”, the vision of a spectacularly rebuilt Jerusalem, returned to its former glory, an image that re-mained, for now, in the heavens above. 

Put simply, the difference between the earthly and heavenly Jerusalems is the 

difference between the world as it is – broken – and the world as it could someday be – improved and perfected - if we work together in partnership with each other and with God to bring it about. 

This past year, the distance between the earthly and heavenly Jerusalems grew. Competing visions for Israel’s future led unprecedented numbers to demonstrate in the streets. Russia and Ukraine continue to fight for control of Ukrainian territory. In America, too, political divides have deepened, with each side viewing the other as enemies. 

Even so, our purpose during these High Holy Days is not to singlehandedly change the world. Like the elder who reflects, “when I was young, I wanted to change the world; when I grew older I wanted to change my family; now I’d be happy to change something about myself,” we direct our efforts inward. At this season, we review the past year and conduct a self-evaluation. We know who we can be, at our best; and we also recall how often we missed the mark during the last twelve months. 

We might assume such a review would leave us burdened by our human frailty. Paradoxically, the process of Heshbon HaNefesh (soul accounting) can leave us refreshed and encouraged, committed to getting back on the path we know we should be on. 

Once, a member of a family dealing with a difficult death asked me for advice. “Be kind to each other,” I replied. Indeed, our capacity for kindness should be employed especially at this season: being kind enough to forgive those who have hurt us; 

being kind enough to forgive ourselves for our shortcomings even as we commit to do better in the year ahead. 

May the year 5784 be filled with peace, health, contentment, and many, many blessings, 

Rabbi David Cohen 

Experience the Holy Days 5783 In-person OR Livestream. The safety of our Sinai community is paramount. Should the public health situation change, please look to your Enews for all up-to-date High Holy Day information—including Youth Programming and Livestream Access.