High Holidays

For those of you who may not know, we are currently in the midst of the Jewish High Holiday season, including Rosh Hashanah, the new year; Yom Kippur, the day of atonement; Sukkot, remembering the 40 years that Israelites wandered the desert after the exodus from Egypt; and Simchat Torah, the celebration of the completion of the torah.  The holidays are considered to be a time of reflection and rebirth.  A time to repent for sins and we pray that we can be inscribed into the book of life.

Most years, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services move me to bcomee a better person and to change my ways.  This year, however, has not been entirely the same.

This past December, I had my time to be introspective and start fresh.  I decided to take a step back and re-evaluate where I was, academically, socially, and emotionally.  I realized that chemistry, my major, was actually making me miserable, the opposite of what one's field of study should do.  I chose not to take the second semester of Organic Chemistry.  Instead, in pursuit of my dream of becoming a sports broadcaster, I took a slew of classes I had always thought about taking but never had the chance to: psychology, music theory, and journalism.  Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with journalism and completely forgotten about chemistry.

Also in December, I decided that I would be happier.  I would make an active effort to be happier with my life.  I feel that, since last winter break, I have become the happy person that I strive to be.  I'm enthusiastic about my Judaic Studies Major, I'm able to spend time with most of my friends in DC on a regular basis, I have a job that I love (and pays well ;) ), and I have grown to love the city I live in.

This high holiday season, I may have lots to repent for, but Rabbi Yoni (the new executive director at Hillel) has been encouraging us to not only repent but also look inside and find ways in which we want to change ourselves, to go that extra step.  Instead of just saying "I will not lie," say "I will make an effort to tell the truth instead of lying."  That may be a very straightforward example, but I think you all get the point.  I can repent for my sins, but at this point, I don't feel that there are large parts of my life that I want to change as there have been in the past.  I'm satisfied with my life right now.  I DON'T want to change very much.  I suppose this is just one of many challenges I will encounter in the upcoming year: finding smaller, but still important, ways to change and be even happier in life.

Peace, love, and happiness.

L'Shana tova u'metukah (to a sweet and happy new year),

Sam