For those of a certain age, the arrival of 2015 signifies a terrifying speed-up of time. As the big ball dropped in Times Square, the words of Paul Simon seemed appropriate: “Slow down, you move too fast.”
Yet here we are at the dawn of a new year, and with it comes, as always, a palpable sense of hope and renewal.
For those of us who care about Jews, Judaism and Israel, the year 2015 also will bring formidable challenges. Israel’s upcoming elections in March may usher in a very new government, and with it, perhaps, a new Israeli approach to the region’s pressing issues.
The past year saw so many trouble signs, it’s hard to tabulate them all. Incremental steps to further isolate Israel on the international stage, especially in the wake of last summer’s war with Hamas, may not have reached a tipping point, but we can almost see it coming now.
What would that look like? It’s hard to say, since the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement — despite many successes last year — remains largely symbolic in effect.
But might those same forces successfully push a Palestinian statehood resolution in the United Nations, diverting attention from bilateral negotiations? Might some European nations break off relations with Israel or impose harsh economic sanctions? We can no longer say such steps are impossible.
Still, with the new year comes renewed energy, something we, and Israel, will surely need.
Moreover, it’s a new year for each one of us. Why not try something new during the next 12 months, something to stretch yourself? Take piano lessons. Ride a horse. Climb Mount Tamalpais. Bake challah. Adopt a rescue animal. Should old acquaintance not be forgot, call that high school friend you’ve been meaning to contact.
Here’s another idea: Go to Israel. If you’ve been, you know how deeply moving, enlightening and fun a visit there can be. If you have not traveled there, you have the sojourn of a lifetime in store. Don’t wait any longer.
And while you’re there, go someplace new, do something different. Take the train to Beersheva, Ashkelon or Nahariya, somewhere not overcrowded with tourists. Eat falafel in Afula. Run the 5K or 10K race in the Jerusalem Marathon on March 13. Breathe the mountain air at the top of Rosh Pina. Explore neighborhoods in Tel Aviv that are off the beaten track.
But if that adventure is out of reach, there are plenty more at your fingertips. It’s a new year. It’s glorious to be alive, to be connected to friends, family and community.