Did You #Reflect4Rosh? Michigan Jews Are, and It's Catching On

Rosh Hashanah is upon us, and young Michigan Jews have initiated a new-world way to celebrate the ancient tradition of Rosh Hashanah. #Reflect4Rosh is a social media campaign initiated by The Well, an effort in metro Detroit to create connections among millennial Jews in the region.

"During the high holidays, we're already striving to improve," Rabbi Dan Horwitz of Huntington Woods told the Detroit Free Press. Horwitz leads the Well. "The notion was to inspire folks around the world to take a moment each day to do something — to stop, reflect, and share... to reflect on the year and the people we hope to be." So far, about 91,000 individuals have interacted with the #Reflect4Rosh posts on Facebook, drawing comments from around the world.

Audrey Bloomberg of Farmington Hill describes the Jewish New Year and high holy days as a time of reflection and family traditions. "This is my spiritual checkup time of the year," Bloomberg, 32, told the Free Press. "It brings in the fall in such a beautiful way."

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#Reflect4Rosh encourages people to post their thoughts about the meaning of the Jewish New Year, which started Sunday at sundown and is followed by a holy week that ends with Yom Kippur. Many use this time to think about their shortcomings over the past year and ways to improve in the next year. Others seek forgiveness for anything wrong they might have done over the past year.

The postings started during the Elul, a time of preparation and reflection. The messages range from comments about personal spirituality to the importance of water to our relationship with television.

To add a bit of fun, the Well sent kazoos to influential people on social media, inviting them to blow the kazoos like they were the ceremonial ram's horn known as the shofar that is blown on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

"It's really hard to see someone play a kazoo and not giggle in some way or shape," said Horwitz, named this year by the Jewish newspaper the Forward as one of the most inspiring rabbis in the U.S.

"It's something fun and silly and light, and at the same time, reflecting about ourselves, so we can walk into the new year with intentions" about our actions, Horwitz said.

Launched in 2015, the Well has reached 2,500 to 3,000 people with innovative programming, like whiskey nights for men, an expectant mothers meeting and adult coloring books with a Jewish theme.

For the second year in a row, it will host an event during the high holidays at the Detroit River in which people throw bread crumbs into river to symbolically cast away sins or shortcomings over the past year. It will be held at Chene Park at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 9 and is expected ,to draw about 1,000 people of all age groups and backgrounds. Both Jewish and non-Jewish people are invited to participate.

Photo via Shutterstock.