Rosh Hashanah @ MindSay

I learned something new today :) Even though I'm a day late Happy Rosh Hashanah. Any resolustions?

tomorrow at sundown the Jewish New Year begins. 5769 is the year and these weeks are my favorite in the whole year. Non Jews know about new year's and maybe the day  of atonement? But do they understand what it means? Lesson number one:


The Jewish year is based on the moon and the first month is Tishrei. Each month begins with the new moon ( rosh chodesh) and each day begins at sundown as there was darkness before there was light. So Jews all over the world will go to synagogue at sundown in their time zones and do closely the same ritual all over the world no matter what kind of Judaism they practice. New Years is often celebrated  for two days because of the poor communications in ancient times. that way no one could miss out and use the excuse they did not hear. 

Traditional foods are apples  honey and round challah rather than the typical braided ones. and yes one spends a good part of the day in temple. or in the lobby gossiping.  A very nice custom is tashlich on the afternoon of Rosh (new) HaShanah( The year) in which one throws away ones sins in a body of living water ( it moves and has fish  so swimming pools are out)  Traditional jews use bread crumbs. Jim and I use torn up rice paper. we write the actions we regret and in tend to avoid in the coming year and then say some blessings at the river and toss the torn up paper into the water ( rice paper will dissolve).

Then on the tenth of Tishrei we begin the observance of the day of atonement (Yom Kippur) with a beautiful and somber service called Kol Nidre. Kol Nidre means "all vows" and is an ancient Aramaic prayer. It is sung or maybe played on a violin and then the entire congregation issues a group confession that exonerates them from religious edicts made under pressure ( as in forced conversions in the 1400's) 

Certainly catholic confession  evolved from these customs but one is not "off the hook" unless one actually turns from action and makes a change in their lives (I mention this as I had a catholic boyfriend in HS... we would have sex, he would go to confession,. say some hail marys and then later in the week we'd have some more sex. I never understood it. If sex was a need for confessional act  he shudda stopped ...no? ) but I digress.

then after YK comes a few days to prepare for Sukkot - the Fall harvest festival on which Thanksgiving and The Christian Tabernacles is based. I will no doubt be  featuring my sukkah here so I will stop with the lecture. but then two holidays that some Jews who are not very observant hardly know. Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzerat. More on those  later.

For now... have a  sweet new year. eat some apples in honey. say some blessings and make some New Year Resolutions of some weight and then KEEP THEM.............  It's so Jewish.

To all my Jewish Mindsay peeps - L'Shanah Tovah Tikateivu -- Have a happy, healthy and sweet new year.

And now -- an obligatory YouTube video:

... Vancouver,BC, that is. For a "gig" -- to be guest cantor at a synagogue for Rosh Hashanah-- the Jewish New Year.

Now -- I just have to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. And then get there and rehearse with the choir.

The money wasn't the ideal amount for which I had hoped, but it's still generous.

the biggest thing is that it will be quite far away from my family -- and for a week.  And with the time difference, I'll be calling Av at around 4:30 - 5:00 to say good night.

Great White North -- here I come!  See you in 5768!

So much has gone on the past week or so! As most of you know from Shiny I've been down in Florida with Av visiting my folks. Shines kicked butt leading services for Rosh Hashana, and I am - as I type - anxiously awaiting his return and the call that his flight landed safely.

Some pre-trip issues and anxieties flew down with me, and have (or will be soon) resolved.

But the one thing I know people want to know about was "How was Disney World???" We had a great time. We stayed at the Contemporary and Av loved watching the monorail go through and around the hotel. Our room had a killer view of the Magic Kingdom. We arrived with the car literally covered in lovebugs (it was quite disgusting - like black snow). We hit Disney-MGM studios as soon as we arrived and the look on Av's face when he saw Bear in the Big Blue House and all his friends in person on stage was just priceless.

The next day we started with a character breakfast. My dad was thrilled at meeting the characters. Avi not so much. When Goofy came over, Av slid under the table and hid. At the Magic Kingdom, we actually got there to see the fanfare and hoo-hah that the do to open the park in the morning - I didn't even know they did that. For Av it was all about trains and things that move. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority (twice), The Indy Speedway (twice - "Mommy! I'm driving on the Beltway!"), Jungle Cruise, and countless rides on the steam engine train that loops around the park. No character greets, so that was good.

The parks were not that crowded and we didn't have to wait in line for a single ride (or if we did it was for one cycle). FastPass was even shut down for most every ride as well. If a sign said "10 minute wait" for the standby line, usually that just meant how long it would take to get from the entrance, through all the curvy twistys barriers and the pre-show. For each parade we walked right up 10 minutes before and found a primo spot up front. Av parked in his stroller with a frozen snack and we were right on. Of course literally seconds after the parade passed us by in the Magic Kingdom, the sky opened up and we got drenched for about 5 minutes before it stopped again. fun!

But the best part of the day? Snuggling in bed with Av after the end of a long day, watching Cinderella's castle change colors, and then watching the Magic Kindgom fireworks from inside our room, in bed in jammies - with him falling asleep happy thinking that Cinderella did that whole show just for us.

Pictures coming when I can download them, Shiny just called - his flight landed safely and he's on his way home.  To the M.O.T. - Gmar Chatimah Tovah and may you have an easy fast.