Dear Friends,
Please let me take this opportunity to wish you and your family a happy and healthy new year ahead. As we conclude the Jewish year as well as my first four months of leadership at Addlestone, I would like to pause and reflect upon my first few months here. Frankly, it has been a whirlwind of non-stop opportunities for growth. Throughout this time of resolving my family’s homelessness and schoollessness, unexpected visa issues for teachers, hurricane-induced stress and angst, and learning to navigate the nuances of the inherited history of a community I am new to, I have embraced and espoused the mantra of “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” I sometimes even wear a t-shirt that simply has the words “make lemonade” on it when things get particularly challenging.
When I was younger I used to hate being bored. Now I crave bordem. The reality, however, is that life is not supposed to be boring. This concept is illustrated by the Shofar. Blowing the Shofar is the only mitzvah in the Torah that is done by breathing says Rav Hutner OB”M. Breathing, of course, symbolizes life. But merely breathing is a very basic level of living. To truly live one’s life to the fullest, one must make some joyful noise, create music, and always be aiming upwards. A Jew is supposed to be an active participant and overcome life’s challenges rather than lead a passive existence, hoping to avoid all forms of turbulence that exist in the world.
The Shofar is blown starting with a smooth unbroken note which is then followed by either a partially broken or totally broken staccato note and then is concluded with another unbroken note. Rav Kook OB”M writes that this progression of notes is symbolic of life. Often, in the beginning, things are smooth and easy and unbroken then periodically, things break down, sometimes in an acute, downward spiral. And ultimately one regains a sense of equilibrium, calm, and unbrokenness after learning to grow from the experience of life’s vicissitudes.
May we all be blessed with a year full of very sweet lemonade and a Shana Tovah U’Metukah.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Elisha Paul
Head of School
