For those of you who are Jewish, I wish you a happy new year.
In case you’re of another religion and don’t know what I’m talking about, tonight marks the start of Rosh Hashanah, which, if you observe, means you repent for your sins of the year against God and man, and you engage in major self examination.
Rosh Hashanah also marks the beginning of a 10-day period that culminates in Yom Kippur, where many Jewish people will fast while atoning. (I cannot fast, I’ve discovered, because of my hypoglycemia. After
fasting overnight and then going three-four-five-six hours without
food, I become very dizzy (the room spins), horribly headachy, confused
and irritable. If you have medical reasons such as mine, you’re not
supposed to fast and t skip food for all those hours.)
Tonight and tomorrow morning, I will be ushering in synagogue, helping people to find their seats.
Incidentally, honey marks an important part of the observation, and
it’s typically served with apples or on challah (usually a refined
bread concoction), as reporter Julie Wiener of the Associated Press observed.
"Using honey on Rosh Hashanah is a way to reinforce the Jewish people’s age-old
connection to the land of Israel," Adeena Sussman, food editor for the Jewish magazine Hadassah, told the AP reporter.
"Processed sugar just doesn’t
have the same resonance."
This is a time of year I will not reveal to anyone what I’ve learned
about honey, because doing so, I believe, is inappropriate.
My focus has to be on atoning for my sins and reflecting about the previous year.
Tomorrow, I will not be posting myself, but my assistants Karen and Jennifer will.
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