Editorial Cartoon: The Sacramento Chainsaw Massacre

When does the Jewish calendar ask us to study human transformation? Rosh Hashanah — what we might call “the beginning of transformation.”

Judaism insists that there is something precious about belonging to a particular people, observing a particular tradition, and living within a particular covenant. But precisely because it does not require every human being to join that covenant, it can make room for difference.

From Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, we try to focus on and go deeper into the inner life. This includes making an honest reckoning of where we cheated and failed and where we lived up to our best values.