A New Year - A New Beginning

On Friday, September 15 at sundown, we will begin the festival of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, marking the end of the Jewish year of 5783 and the beginning of the year of 5784.

The calendar gives meaning to our days. Without weeks, months and years, the days would just roll from one to the next with no beginning and no end. We would have no dates and no way of differentiating one day from the next. It is the calendar that gives us weeks, months and years. It makes every new week, every new month and every new year distinct.

When a new year arrives, it marks a new beginning. The old year is gone and it’s time to start fresh. It’s time to ensure that this coming year will be totally different than the past year. A new year is a chance for big change. It’s a chance to grow beyond what we thought was possible this past year.

The beginning of a new year is a reminder that we cannot just continue as is; we must grow. We feel we are already successful – and that’s fantastic. We may be happy with who we are and what we accomplished – and that’s great. But that is not enough. We must continue to grow. And we cannot just grow a little. We must go bold. Try something totally new that was never done before.

It was that need for bold and radical growth that led our Friendship Foundation to commit to building a new 65,000 sq ft Friendship Campus here in the South Bay that will be a force for good throughout the community empowering youth, creating job opportunities and spreading happiness. The campus will be a warm and inviting environment for the entire community and the world.

The new center will be home to the Friendship Foundation, which provides innovative programming and support to more than 5000 children and young adults on the spectrum and their families. It will host a first-of-its-kind-in-the-nation, innovative and cutting-edge job training and job placement for young adults, in partnership with Vanderbilt University. This will ensure every young adult can succeed regardless of their disabilities or background. (Feel free to reach out to me at rabbiyossi@jccmb.com to learn more about the Friendship Campus.)

As the New Year approaches, let us commit to make this coming Jewish year radically different from last year by making bold and innovative changes to our own personal lives and to our communities. The goals that we were convinced we could not do, may well be within our reach if we just set our minds to it. Start now and ensure that this year YOU will bring radical positive change to you, your family and the entire world!

Join our inspirational services at the Jewish Community Center led by the New York City Choir where no fee or membership is ever required. A seat, Kippah and prayer book awaits you, and we will gladly guide you through each step of the service. Bring your children to our special family service, sit together as a family while the prayers, stories and songs come to life and inspire you and your children. Get your free tickets to our High Holiday services at jccmb.com/highholidays.

May you and yours be blessed with a happy and sweet new year filling all of your requests both materially and spiritually.