Adults aren\’t the only ones planning to ask God for forgiveness during the High Holidays. As the Day of Atonement approaches, youngsters around Los Angeles are already contemplating the mistakes they\’ve made over the past year. Here is what eight young Angelenos plan to repent for during Yom Kippur.
When you cut open a pomegranate, first removing its turreted crown, then scoring its red, leathery skin, before breaking it apart under water (so the juices won\’t squirt and stain your clothes), you are presented with sacks of glistening, abundant garnet fruit caviar.
Since losing her husband unexpectedly two years ago, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur have been painful for Liz Safirstein Leshin, 42.
\”For me, the High Holidays and a lot of things like birthdays are very fraught,\” the Westside resident said. \”I haven\’t been able to feel enthusiastic about much of anything spiritual.\”
Sitting behind a crocheted curtain, I desperately tried to peer through the tiny holes to get a glimpse of the action on the men\’s side.
Finally, I gave up, and pushed the curtain aside, and saw our chazan auctioning off portions of the services.
This week\’s Torah portion presents the blessings and curses that follow from observance or defiance of the law. Some people understand this as a rigid system of reward and punishment. Keep the covenant, and all will be well; violate it, and you will suffer.
When I was a kid in Hebrew school, all we did to celebrate Tu B\’Shevat was send some money to Israel to plant a tree.\n\nNot unimportant, but hardly a High Holiday.
In Los Angeles, the happening High Holiday haunts sell out faster than Springsteen at The Forum. And the tickets cost just as much. So every fall, Jewish singletons like myself do the New Year hustle, seeking out affordable, last-minute tickets to The Main Event. About a week before the big Rosh, the calls start coming in: \”Davis, where are you going to services this year?\” \”How are you ringing in 5763?\” \”What are you doing New Years, New Year\’s Eve?\”
The High Holidays are a time Jews reserve for themselves. They don\’t seek the approval or participation of gentiles. What if African Americans stopped trying to get white people to celebrate with us and recognized that we have been essential in making this nation?
The High Holidays seem to bring out not only more Jews than any time of year, but also more innovative services. Los Angeles is blessed with a creative spiritual community, dedicated to offering everything from the very new to the very traditional — to the most unlikely blends of the two.
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