As the Jewish calendar marks Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl says our nation can collectively benefit from commemorating the New Year much as the individual does: by returning to the best in ourselves, and turning to goodness, compassion and generosity.

New York

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, the first Asian American ordained as a rabbi, discusses the meaning of Rosh Hashanah and the Jewish tradition of communal atonement. She explains that the holiday is not only a time for joy and gathering, but also for deep reflection on personal and societal shortcomings, emphasizing the hopeful belief in the possibility of change through repentance, or 'teshuva.'

Buchdahl highlights the communal aspect of atonement, where individuals take responsibility together rather than alone. She suggests that this practice could serve as a model for broader societal healing, encouraging collective accountability and a return to compassion and generosity.

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl on Rosh Hashanah, return to 'our better selves'

On the eve of this Jewish New Year, we have thoughts from Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi at Central Synagogue in New York. Her new book, Heart of a Stranger, is about her journey to become the first Asian American to be ordained as a rabbi. At Rosh Hashanah, we count the years since God created the world, this year being the year 5786, give or take a few billion years. While this is a season of joy and community gathering, the New Year also begins a season of atonement where we take an accounting of who we are and how we can do better. We believe that with repentance, people and societies can change. This idea of taking stock as we approach a new year may sound familiar. Many Americans make New Year's resolutions on January 1st, resolving to learn a new skill, lose 15 pounds, or call their mother more often. This examination happens on Rosh Hashanah too, but magnified. Jews come together and reflect for hours in synagogue, literally beating our chests as we read through a scripted litany of ways we have fallen short for spreading lies or hateful speech, for acting callously towards others, for selfishness and greed. The list goes on. But importantly, we don't confess individually, we do it communally. We take responsibility for one another and hold each other accountable. Sounds like it could be an unpleasant way to celebrate a new year, but it's a fundamentally hopeful message. There is joy in knowing we can change. This repentance in Hebrew is called teshuva, which literally means return. What are we returning to? To our better selves, to who we know we can be as human beings and as a society. Now imagine if we as a country could make teshuva together, not pointing fingers to the other side saying you're the problem, but collectively. We have ignored the vulnerable. We have normalized mass violence. We've celebrated the death of opponents. We've rewarded outrage over understanding. We have forgotten how to grieve and how to hope together. On the cusp of this new year, I know we can return to the best in ourselves, to the best in our country, to the goodness, compassion, and generosity that this nation has shown me as an immigrant Korean female rabbi. Wishing you l'shanah tovah.

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