Parshat Nitzavim/Rosh Hashanah

On Rosh Hashanah before the sounding of the shofar, we sing the words from Psalm 118: “Min ha-meitzar karati yah, anani va-merhav yah — From the narrow place I called to God, who answered me with expansiveness.” Rabbi Binyamin of Zalocze noted that, in the sounding of the shofar, our breath follows the same path. It begins at the narrow end of the shofar, a place of tightness and constriction, and emerges at the wide end, a place of openness and expansiveness.

Much of the time, we live our lives with a constricted sense of what is possible. We move within the narrow limits set by choices that we made long ago, or by circumstances that we never chose at all. Real change, teshuvah, begins with the realization that we have more freedom than we thought, that we need not remain trapped by the status quo. In the act of teshuvah, we move from narrowness to expansiveness, as our breath moves through the shofar. Also like that breath, teshuvah gives voice to our deepest longings and aspirations. In seizing our freedom, we unlock our hearts. We find our truest self-expression.

• The New Shul’s Shabbat services are from 6 to 7 pm on Fridays, and from 9 am to noon on Saturdays. In accordance with the latest Covid guidance from the CDC, we require all those over the age of 2 to wear a mask while in our building (kiddush, for now, is take-out only).
• The kiddush this Shabbat, September 4, is sponsored by Michael and Jennie Kronenfeld in honor of their 51st wedding anniversary.
• Childcare is available on Shabbat mornings from 10 am to noon.
• Rosh Hashanah begins next Monday evening, September 6. Complete information on our services for the Days of Awe is available here. Please note that, due to Covid, we are asking everyone to pre-register this year so that we can know how many people to expect. You can pre-register here.