| From the Rabbi: Rosh Hodesh a New Beginning |
 |
 |
 |
| Monday, 26 January 2009 14:52 |
|
Whilst sitting in my office and writing these lines, our thoughts are with the soldiers and the people of Israel – both in the south and in the north. They were under fire.  Jewish history teaches us that regardless of the difficulties that face us, we as a people must maintain our optimism and look to a better future. We are all united in our prayers for the people of Israel and I believe we must overtly show our solidarity. Let us at this time maintain hope, belief and strength as we pray together for a brighter, better future. If we are already discussing Rosh Hodesh, I would like to refer to the fact that during Biblical and Talmudic times Rosh Hodesh was considered to be a ‘mini’ Yom Tov and was often celebrated by a distinctive meal. Even today, there are many Jewish families who insist on adding something special to their Rosh Hodesh menu in order to mark the significance of the day.  In addition there are kindergartens and primary schools (especially amongst the religious) where students come dressed in white shirts on Rosh Hodesh – commemorating the day with special activities related to each month. I am happy to report (to those who don’t already know) that even in our small congregation we hold a special Rosh Hodesh breakfast each month. This is prepared voluntarily by one of our members and is another example of how every community member can contribute something (however small) to augment our communal activities – strengthening our united resolve to remain optimistic. Rabbi Chaim Dovrat
|
