Ever since I was little, the High Holy Days have felt different from all other holidays. Even as a child, before I could even name it, I sensed that they carried a weight and holiness all their own. Maybe it was the itchy tights I was made to wear, or the crispness of autumn that I could smell in the air, but beneath those small details, something sacred stirred.
When I think back to the High Holy Days of my childhood in Brooklyn, I remember this sense of beginning again, like the first day of school. What would the next year bring? Who would I become? I remember the sweetness of apples dripping with honey, sticky in my hands, a taste that promised a year filled with blessing. I remember the ringing of the shofar piercing my ears and soul, waiting to hear how long the tekiah gedolah would last. I picture my family nestled close together on a crowded pew, wrapped in the warmth of my father’s tallit, its fringes brushing against my cheeks as though they too were offering a blessing. I hear my grandparents singing melodies that felt ancient and foreign, reciting words I did not yet know but understood were holy.
Like so many of us, these early holy day memories shaped me. They taught me that holiness can live in the smallest details: in song half remembered, in the rustling of a prayerbook, in the sweet taste of tradition, or in the embrace of family. These recollections help me center myself, attune my heart, and step into the days with the same sense of wonder and reverence I felt as a child.
In our Machzor it reads:
“פְּתַח לָנוּ שַׁעַר, בְּעֵת נְעִילַת שַׁעַר”
P’tach lanu sha’ar, b’eit n’ilat sha’ar, open the gate for us, as the gate begins to close.” These days are about turning inward, about entering the gates of reflection and renewal while they stand open before us. As you prepare, I invite you to reflect on the memories, moments, and hopes that carry you into this season. What do you long for in the year ahead? What doors are waiting to be opened?
As we enter these High Holy Days together, my prayer is that our community feels held by the strength of our tradition and by one another. May these days open space for honest reflection and meaningful renewal. May our prayers inspire us, our songs lift us, and our time together remind us that none of us journey alone. May we discover not only who we have been, but who we can become, as individuals and as a community. Let us enter this season with hearts open to renewal, voices lifted in gratitude, and souls ready to embrace the year ahead. May we carry forward the lessons of our past, the sweetness of our memories, and the sacredness of each moment, so that the holiness of these days guides us in the year ahead. May we all step into this season fully. Let your presence, your intention, and your joy be a blessing to all around you.
Cantor Lauren Blasband-Roth