Shanah Tovah: The Tradition of a New Beginning

Sunset of September 25th, 2012 will mark Yom Kippur, the beginning of the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jewish population.  This “Day of Atonement”, carries essential themes of atonement and repentance. Often spending most of the day in synagogue services, Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days, which began with Rosh Hashanah at sunset this past Sunday, September 16th, 2012.

Rosh Hashanah, which literally translates to, "head of the year", is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of autumns High Holy Days, also known asthe "Days of Awe".  Rosh Hashanah is celebrated on the first two days of Tishrei, the seventh month ofthe Hebrew calendar.It is described in the Torah as “Yom Teru'ah”, a day of sounding the shofar, which is traditionally made of a ram’s horn. Rosh Hashanah customs include sounding the shofar and eating symbolic foods such as apples dipped in honey.

Yom Kippur is the tenth day of the month of Tishrei. According to Jewish tradition, G-d inscribes each person's fate for the coming year into the Bookof Life on Rosh Hashanah, and waits until Yom Kippur to "seal" theverdict. During the Days of Awe, the Jewish community tries to amend his or her behaviour and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against G-d (bein adam leMakom) and against other human beings (bein adam lechavero). The evening and day ofYom Kippur are set aside for public and private petitions, and confessions of guilt (Vidui). At the end of Yom Kippur, one considers oneself absolved by G-d.

The Yom Kippur prayer service includes several unique aspects. One is the actual number of prayer services. Unlike a regular day, which has three prayer services, or a Shabbat or Yom Tov, which have four prayer services, Yom Kippurhas five prayer services: Ma'ariv, the evening prayer; Shacharit, the morning prayer; Mussaf, the additional prayer; Mincha, the afternoon prayer; and Ne'ilah, the closing prayer. The prayer services also include a public confession of sins (Vidui) and a unique prayer dedicated to the special Yom Kippur avodah (service) of the Kohen Gadol in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

As Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. Additionally, Jews refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. The Talmud also specifies additional restrictions that are less well-known: washing and bathing, anointing one's body (with cosmetics, deodorants, etc.), wearing leather shoes (Orthodox Jews routinely wear canvas sneakers under their dressclothes on Yom Kippur), and engaging in sexual relations are all prohibited onYom Kippur.

As always, any of these restrictions can be lifted where a threat to life or health is involved. In fact, children under the age of nine and women in childbirth (from the time labour begins until three days after birth) are not permitted to fast, even if they want to. Older children and women from the third to the seventh day after childbirth are permitted to fast, but are permitted to break the fast if they feel the need to do so. People with other illnesses should consult a physician and a rabbi for advice.

It is customary to wear white on Yom Kippur, which symbolizes purity and callsto mind the promise that one’s sins should be wiped away.  Some that follow the Jewish faith also believe that humans are compared to angels on this day. It is customary to not wear gold jewellery as gold serves as a reminder of sins associated with the golden calf, a story passed down among the Jewish community.

While the day of Yom Kippur is the most solemn of the year, an undertone of joy suffuses it. It’s a joy that revels in the spirituality of the day, which expresses the confidence that G-d will accept repentance, forgive sins, and seal a verdict for a year of life, health and happiness. The closing Neilah service climaxes in the resounding cries of "Hear OIsrael... G-d is one."   There is then an eruption of song and dance, followed by a single blast of the shofar. The service is capped with the traditional proclamation: “Next year in Jerusalem." which is then followed by a festive after-fast meal, turning the evening after Yom Kippur into its own festival.

Shanah Tovah (“a good year”) to all of Global Learning’s Jewish family, friends, neighbors and colleagues!

“Peace, peace to the far and to the near! “  - Isaiah 57.19

Where Are You Leading Us?

As a society, we have developed the practice of choosing leaders to maintain what we hope will be high-quality efficiency in our workplaces and our communities. The goal of any leader should not only be to always maintain productivity, but to also continuously strive to seek it.  

When political leaders utilize social platforms that seek to remove rights from law-abiding  individuals, I must question: how is this efficient or productive? 

Last Tuesday, the province of Quebec elected Pauline Marois of the Parti Quebecois as the first female premier in its history. My “fellow Canadian female leadership” hat is tipped to her for such an achievement. However, Ms. Marois’ position on diversity has certainly given me pause for concern, as she has wandered into my professional arena.

Marois balanced her victory on a platform that sought - and could potentially succeed in - removing all religious references and attire from all provincial institutions. This would include turbans, head scarves, and even yarmulkes. Excluded from the list of religious symbols: the crucifix, as one hangs at the National Assembly and has been deemed of historical significance.

I’m a big fan of empathy and the act of envisioning the experience of others. 

Imagine this, if you will:

It’s your first day of work with the province of Quebec,where you will answer phone calls from the public at the Attorney General’s office. Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a young man clothed with a turban. He treats you with respect and does everything he can to make sure you feel comfortable on your first day. He even makes it his job to introduce you to the rest of the team. Not once does he ever say anything religious, let alone regarding his own faith. 

Does this man’s turban or actions in any way, shape or form:

• prohibit you from doing your job?
• prohibit you from freely expressing yourself?
• place you in any danger?

The answer is no.

Why would a leader such as Pauline Marois seek to oppress personal identities for political gain? 

What is the point?

The only point to invoke such laws is to make those who are uncomfortable with difference feel more comfortable.  

This is unproductive and inefficient.

Our global history is fraught with examples, teaching us that oppression will only lead us, at best, to short-lived functionality.  There will always be a break in the system caused by the mental strain of resentment. These cracks inevitably carry with them a firestorm of financial loss and extreme emotional damage.

We cannot, however, sit back and only shake our fists at the leaders we have elected to follow. 

As constituents of any society we must look at these situations with deep understanding. The more people choose to align themselves with any leader, the louder that leader’s voice becomes.  

What does this mean? If you choose to follow, promote, vote for a leader who is actively seeking to deny equal rights to any law-abiding individual, you are choosing to promote oppression. 

This is your right. But what will this do for the future of your community? What lesson will younger generations learn from such actions?

Say you were invited to three parties on the same evening. Each party has a very specific set of criteria required to attend it.

With your physical, mental and fiscal well being in mind, which party would you choose?

The party where:

• You are welcome as you are, but all that is expected of you is that you abide by the law.  
• You are welcome, but only if you alter yourself to be similar to everyone else and, if you don’t, it’s against the law.
• You are not welcome at all. Just being you is against the law.

I firmly stand for you and your right as an individual to follow whichever leader - and attend whichever party - you feel makes the most sense to your life’s journey.  But you must always recognize the proven dangers when following a leader that seeks to oppress law-abiding citizens.

Leadership on the grounds of oppression will inevitably result in an outcome that contains fear, tension, and distress.

I ask again: how is promoting the oppression of law-abiding constituents’ efficient leadership? 

The answer is and will always be: it’s not.

“He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.” -Thomas Paine