Rosh Hashona: reflections on “a sweet and meaningful year”

Sunset tonight (11^th September) marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashona).  Traditionally we wish our family and friends, our community  “ a sweet and meaningful year”.  The two days taken to mark this beginning of the Jewish calendar is a time for a reflection and leads in 10 days’ time to the Day of Atonement, the most important and also most sombre day of the year when observant Jews eat and drink nothing for 25 hours and spend much of that time in synagogue atoning for our sins.

As we start the year 5787, what are we to reflect on?  That it falls this year on 11th September in the Gregorian calendar reminds us that this marks 25 years since the terror attack on New York and Washington and 53 years since the violent coup  brought down a democratically elected progressive government in Chile leading to death and torture followed by 40 years of dictatorship.

As one of many Jewish groups around the world committed to justice for Palestinians we reflect on the impact of the massive and consistent mobilisation for justice and against Israel’s genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid as we begin to make some political inroads. We can acknowledge the limited sanctions announced by the UK  and several other governments on September 8th; the fact that Palestine is “on the ballot” in many countries and that several pro Israel politicians’ in the USA have lost their bids to be candidates, often to explicitly pro Palestinian, Democratic Socialists.

However, we also reflect on the reality that, for example, desperate conditions persist in Gaza, with airstrikes continuing, almost no rebuilding, food and medicine still restricted and almost all the two million people still there crammed into just 30% of what was already one of the most crowded places on earth; that the people in Gaza are mainly trying to live in tents with yet another winter approaching. We reflect on the reality of Palestinians’ daily life in the West Bank and the fact that settler – which is at the very least  State supported – violence and ethnic cleansing continues apace.

When we say “L’Shana Tova” (a sweet and meaningful year) we mean this for everyone: for Palestinians, for Jews, for refugees and asylum seekers, for Black, Brown and  Muslim communities who, in far too many places, must find new courage just to leave their homes as the far right are growing in numbers and increasingly confident in making threats, and carrying out attacks. We note that attacks have now extended to the amazing volunteers in the Royal National Lifeboat Institute who rescue anyone who is in trouble in the sea; that individuals are being targeted by the “patriotic” far right. And we reflect on the reality of antisemitism, not least the murderous attacks on Heaton Park Synagogue and the Chanukah event on Bondi Beach within the last year; but we reflect also on the perfidy of the Jewish Establishment who cry out “unfair” and “antisemitism” at even the most modest actions against Israel’s undeniable war crimes.

There is much more to deplore or even to be driven to despair over in this country and far too many others such as in  Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Myanmar, the USA.

But we do not have the luxury of despair.

It is important for us all to take this short time away from “doing” and make time for reflection, for thinking and then to re-commit to building the movement, to strengthening and standing with those who oppose oppression, who are working for, and not against, justice, equality and peace – even when we disagree over some things.

We not only believe that change is necessary but that change is possible and working for that is the most meaningful thing we can do and the best hope for that sweetness of life we all long for.

L’Shana Tova