By Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman

What a difficult year it’s been. Every time I read the news or scroll through social media I’m reminded of how broken our country feels. Injustice is everywhere—immigrant families are being ripped apart. Universities have become battlegrounds. Respect for the rule of law has evaporated. Racism, antisemitism, misogyny, and homophobia have escalated. On a personal level, many of us have struggled with loss, burnout, loneliness, and fear. It’s a lot to hold in these precarious times.

As the High Holy Days approach, they call on us to slow down, to reflect, and to do teshuvah. We return to our best selves. We take stock of where we have been and where we hope to go. We recommit to our deepest values. And we ask ourselves: What do we really care about? What kind of world do we want to create for the future?

In these challenging times, we are at risk of getting so overwhelmed that we shut down and avoid the world around us. It is tempting to tend only to our own gardens, but Jewish tradition forces us not to look away. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote, “The opposite of good is not evil, but indifference.”

We use the High Holy Days not as an escape or a distraction but as a space to recenter ourselves and to reconnect with each other. They call on us to care, to refuse indifference. At a time of division and despair, joining together for High Holiday services, meals, and discussions is essential. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur remind us that we are a community. We need each other for comfort and encouragement. We need to hold each other to our deepest values.

May this next year be a time of resilience, of courage, and of recommitting ourselves to justice.

On behalf of Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, I wish the Madison Jewish community a shanah tovah, a new year filled with goodness. All are welcome to join us for our High Holiday services and programs, both in person and online. Visit us at www.shamayim.org to learn more.