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As we approach the one-year mark of the October 7th terrorist attack on Israel and its aftermath—an ongoing and devastating war in Gaza, an increase in antisemitism around the world, and deep divisions within Jewish communities—we are reminded of how much has been shaken or broken: our relationships with family and friends, our affiliations with groups and organizations, even our sense of who we are and where we belong.
How can we possibly recover from the unsettling disorientation we’ve experienced and the tragic losses we’ve endured and witnessed?
The High Holidays are defined by the concept of teshuva, a spiritual process in which we identify all the ways we’ve become lost and commit to finding a way back to ourselves. More than ever, this year we need the forced reflection of this season to help us make sense of where we’ve been, where we are, and where we may be headed.
This upcoming year is an inflection point—for Jews, for America, and for the world. Our individual actions feel simultaneously consequential and inconsequential. We know something needs to change, but exactly what that change is and what, exactly, we should be doing, is unclear. We’re standing at a precarious and uncertain fork in the road. Which direction is teshuva pointing us toward?
In his writings on the laws of teshuva (3:4), Maimonides teaches that during the High Holiday season, we must feel that even one action we take could shift the balance of the entire world and bring about full redemption. While we may not affect change on that scale, our choices do matter. During the High Holidays, we’ll reflect on the consequences of our choices from the past year, and we’ll open ourselves to a shift in mindset and behavior that can reverberate out.