Traditions for a sweet and happy New Year
By Marley Comito
My school friends always wonder why I make my New Year’s resolutions in September instead of January. Resolutions in September might be a strange concept to grasp at first to many, but that’s always been the norm in my house. Picture it now—the outdoor colors changing, leaves falling, temperature dropping—changes are happening all around us, whether in our environment or our personal lives. Fall marks the beginning of a new school year, the beginning of a new season, and the beginning of a new Jewish year.
On our secular new year, we make resolutions to brace and better ourselves for the year ahead of us. Though it isn’t necessarily a priority of Rosh Hashanah to set these intense, formidable resolutions like millions of others do routinely in January, I like to embrace this time as a period of personal reflection, growth, and understanding. Since Rosh Hashanah always falls towards the beginning of a new academic year, I enjoy reflecting on the holiday and contemplating what kind of student I want to be in the upcoming year.
A strategy I like to use is the power of visualization. I visualize myself interacting with my teachers and peers at school—what kind of learner can I be? How can I grow to be a better student and friend? What goals should I set and prioritize for maintaining good grades and a healthy lifestyle? Anybody can repeat and recreate this mindset. Think to yourself: What kind of parent do I want to be? What kind of employee? Coworker? Friend? Visualize yourself in your ideal setting, and consider all of the many new positive outcomes as a result of adopting this mindset.
Making your New Year’s resolutions in September is not only a personal preference. It is known in the Parsha that this time is unique for our community to embrace. The Ten Days of Repentance begin at Rosh Hashanah and end with the conclusion of Yom Kippur. Throughout these days, we practice Teshuvah, which is repenting and improving ourselves in anticipation before Yom Kippur. During this time, Hashem is with us more than usual, dwelling among us and watching us strive towards positive improvement and personal forgiveness in our lives. Here we throw away our sins, making the most out of this time to reflect on the previous year. We work on turning our mistakes into lessons in asking for forgiveness from not only Hashem but from ourselves.
An annual tradition my family enjoys during The Ten Days of Repentance is bringing a loaf of bread to this mini dock in the middle of the woods on Cedar Lake. That sounds a little bit strange, I know! Let me explain. Each of us takes turns ripping off a small piece of bread, which represents one of our sins from the previous year, and we throw that piece into the water to symbolize cleansing and releasing ourselves of the burden that sin brought us. The loaf of bread is often gone by the time we finish (oops!) and we walk home reflecting on our experience and talking about how to prevent some of our sins and mistakes from repeating this year. Each year, I always remember the physical feeling of relief and weight being lifted from my chest on that walk home. This tradition is so meaningful to me because it gives physicality to the role of self-forgiveness and release during the process of transition into a new year.
So making New Year’s resolutions in September isn’t as bizarre as it initially seems. If you think about it, everything changes on Rosh Hashanah: The shape of challah, the foods you eat, our environment, your academic year grade, the transition of summer to school—it’s a natural time in the world to think about resolutions! This time is meant to be reflective, so it’s the perfect time to make personal changes as well. In retrospect, there is so much less pressure to make your resolutions and changes now rather than in our secular new year. It may even seem to come more natural to you as this time should feel special and personalized to each of our Jewish identities. Our time is right now.
May this year bring you and your loved ones health, safety, and happiness.
Shanah Tovah.
