Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day of the year in Judaism. A high holiday that follows Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
It is said to be a time when Heaven and Earth meet — when the fate of every man and woman hangs in the balance. The judgment written on Rosh Hashanah is sealed on Yom Kippur. It's the court of last resort. From its sentence, there is no appeal.
The Jewish day of penitence, ritual sacrifice, and feeling guilty if you neglect to starve yourself to those who celebrate! This Yom Kippur, there is so, so much to rue, so much to bemoan, and such a dwindling capacity for forgiveness. Nevertheless, we forage deep in what remaining stores of empathy we have to forgive and we put our swelled egos momentarily aside to apologize. I, for instance, am sorry that I’ve spent so much energy defending Justin Bieber because his album “Purpose” remains a perfect, no-skips masterpiece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8yhsbMULsQ
While teaching Speech Communication at a Rabbinical school, Yeshiva in New York City https://lcm.touro.edu/ one of my students asked me if I had ever blown a Shofar. I replied, not I have never needed a ride that bad because I rely on my metro card for transportation. Soe of my closest Jewish friends refers to me as a #JewBan.
But seriously, folks, as a political refugee, I truly appreciate anyone and everyone who has helped me grow over the years. And just like that, God has inscribed me in the book of life. L’chaim and Peace be with you.