The period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is supposed to be a time for personal reflection. This year the anniversary of the Sept. 11 tragedy made our personal contemplation far more difficult.
Many Americans were in near frenzy-like mode, fearing a repeat attack. TV, radio and newspapers, saturated with reminders of last-year’s horrors, warned us constantly of the possibility of more.
While our country remains on heightened security indefinitely, the infamous date of Sept. 11 has now passed, and hopefully we can revert to what should be our primary concern during the High Holy Day period.
On Rosh Hashanah the Book of Life was opened and on Yom Kippur it will be sealed — hopefully with our name included for another year of life.
In the meantime, we are supposed to think about our behavior in the past year and how we can improve it in the year ahead. We are supposed to think about our acts of tzedakah and consider what else we can do to help those less fortunate. If there are friends or acquaintances we have wronged, we are obligated to apologize to them.
Perhaps we can go a step further and make new friends — people whom we ordinarily might not embrace.
A perfect example of what can be accomplished by reaching out to others was visible Tuesday night on San Francisco’s aptly named Brotherhood Way. There, in St. Thomas More Church, representatives of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim clergy all offered prayers and reflections on the events of Sept. 11.
If only the 450 “Children of Abraham” who came to Tuesday night’s service could gather regularly and form lasting friendships.
On Tuesday night, whether they referred to God, Allah or Jesus, they all prayed for peace for our nation and peace for our world.
Why can’t we form more personal bonds like this in the year ahead?
The Rev. Labib Kobti pointed out that in the Book of Genesis, God called upon us to build paradise on earth, together. The scene in the church seemed like a glimpse of just that.