An Ancient Moon and a Modern Fascination

On a bitterly cold January night (or early morning, to be exact), I stood out on my front porch and there it was. A blood moon. It was my third trip outside, as I had gone out every few hours—first to see the full moon, then to see the eclipse beginning, and now this. My entire family was asleep, but I “shared” the experience with millions of others around the world. I had purposefully stayed awake for this and it did not disappoint.

The next morning, Tu B’Shevat (which always happens on a full moon), my social media feed exploded with pictures of that beautiful and awesome site. Once upon a time, people would see such a thing and think the world was ending. Now, we plan for days in advance to marvel at nature’s beauty. With our modern telescopes and internet stream. Remember the Great American Eclipse of 2017?

It truly is amazing to think about. In the age of the endless news cycle, streaming, and text messaging, why are we still as fascinated by the moon as we were fifty years ago when Neil Armstrong first set foot? But, then again, that is our entire lives as Jews—balancing the old with the new. The ancient with the modern. Indeed, we can have both. They are not mutually exclusive.

Tonight, Jews around the world will light Shabbat candles, fulfilling an ancient commandment at the end of a busy week. Depending upon their level of observance, they will engage in various recreational activities. Some as old as a game of chess, others as modern as a Netflix video. Different Jews with different traditions. On Saturday morning, out comes an ancient scroll read aloud in a most likely modern building. Old and new. Ancient and modern. It is everywhere.

In his weekly column in the Detroit Free Press, Mitch Albom unapologetically writes about his continued ownership of a flip phone. “I don’t care about phones. To me, they are there for talking and for hanging up. I don’t need to carry the world in my pocket. I don’t need to post my life.” A modern writer who still uses “old” technology.

Anyone who has been to Israel has experienced this dichotomy. One day, you are walking through the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem and the next day, you find yourself amidst the bustling nightlife of Tel Aviv. However, one need not go to Israel to have this. It is the entire history of the Jewish experience. Each Jewish holiday (appropriately placed against the ancient cycle of the moon) has a mix of old and new. Hanukkah candles substituted for oil. The Passover seder plate now includes an orange. The list goes on and will continue to be updated for eternity.

L’dor V’dor. From each generation, we create our own traditions, combining the old with new. And it is as beautiful as a blood moon at midnight.

Disclosures: the author’s husband is Mitch Albom’s cousin. The painting included with this story is an original created by the author.

Lisa Rothstein Goldberg is a social worker and Jewish educator. She currently lives in Louisville, Ky., with her husband and two young daughters.