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Here we are, it’s Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of humanity, which brings with it apples and honey, songs and shofar blasts, excited children and adults, new...
The message arrived from the SA Jewish Report, “Good morning, rabbi, how are you? We’re gearing up for our Rosh Hashanah edition, which has suddenly snuck...
The centre of the Yom Kippur liturgy is the mussaf service. Within that, the centre of the mussaf is the Seder Ha’avodah, a liturgical sprawl which...
Not only is Rosh Hashanah a special time spent with family and loved ones, it’s also an opportune moment to show kindness to those without a...
Rosh Hashanah is a time to consider the changes and improvements we can make in our lives. The SA Jewish Report asked Jewish school students what...
For some who have lost loved ones, live far from home, or are battling loneliness, yomtov can be a triggering time, evoking feelings of loss, emptiness,...
We create so much mind noise for ourselves, from the myriad disappointments to the anxious anticipation of the future. Rosh Hashanah is a time where we...
What’s the state of our community? Where are we headed? What does our future hold? In a certain way, these are unhelpful questions to ask because...
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown with the sounding of the shofar, the ram’s horn. It culminates 10 days later at the end...
I lived in New York for many years. During this time, I never once toured the Statue of Liberty, went up the Empire State Building, or...
Perhaps one of the most important messages inherent in the teshuva (repentance) process that reaches its heights during the period of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur...
There’s a story told of a young man who was gung-ho and enthusiastic. As soon as he graduated from college, he set out to change the...
There’s a key difference between the shofar and other ritual objects. The mishna in Sukkot and elsewhere clearly states that a stolen object cannot be used...
I’m in a Rosh Hashanah state of mind and there’s a song that’s been playing in my head: “I am unwritten/can’t read my mind/I’m undefined” sings...
As the new year begins, I have just finished the shloshim period for my mom, aleha shalom (peace upon her). It doesn’t matter how many times...
I recall one Shabbos, walking back from the Lions Shul in Doornfontein to Orchards, when I experienced one of many unusual encounters over thousands of walks...
In a few days, we’ll all gather in our synagogues for the yearly prayers and rituals we usually call the “high holidays”. For some of us,...
We’re used to the famous saying about lemons and making lemonade. But what do we do when we are handed something sweeter and rounder? Something that...
Across the Jewish world shul committees are anxious. With Rosh Hashanah a few days away, there’s minimal time to complete the shul seating lists. And little...
When I was in Grade 4, I wasn’t happy at school. It made my life unbearable. I wasn’t getting good marks; I had teachers screaming at...
Forgiveness is when you free a wrongdoer of any injury they have caused you, whether they deserve it or not. It’s a conscious choice to release...
Forgiveness never comes easy. It isn’t our first instinct, but it’s what gives us inner peace. According to the Torah, it’s forbidden to take revenge or...
When we fully forgive another and surrender the pain, we release ourselves from hurt. Forgiveness allows us to free ourselves from resentment and bitterness. To forgive...
Forgiveness is a wronged person’s way of saying that once again, they trust the perpetrator and his motives. During the month of Elul, forgiveness means so...
“I bury hatchets but keep maps of where I put them.” These words were sung by Taylor Swift in her album Reputation, and summarise my outlook...
The clock in front of me is ticking. I’m in “the zone” of absolute concentration. My focus is solely on the paper, and my hands move...
Throughout Jewish history, there have been many examples of forgiveness. The most recognised are when Joseph, after being sold to the Ishmaelites by his brothers, revealed...
During the month of Elul, we’re taught the fundamental idea that “the king is in the field”. As I have grown older, I’ve begun to wonder...
Good food is known to feed the body and soul. A new year requires both to be nourished. Join the culinary talents of Delores Fouche, Sharon...
Join us for a magical evening of Rosh Hashanah meaning and music as we unite the Jewish people around the world on the eve of the...
About 200 years ago, the Torah giant, the Tiferet Yisrael (Rabbi Israel Lifshitz – 1782 to 1860) exhorted his followers to be vaccinated against smallpox. The...
With Rosh Hashanah upon us, communal organisations are hard-pressed to make sure that every community member is looked after, but the number of people needing help...
COVID-19 has drastically accelerated change in the way the world works – from a social, work, health, and travel point of view. Politics, economics, and social...
I recently argued with a good friend. She always tries to be strictly objective in her assessment of her children. I objected. I feel strongly that...
I have long battled with Unetane Tokef (the power of the sanctity of the day). It may be one of the highlights of the Rosh Hashanah...
“Enoughness.” Thanks to Brené Brown and others, we have a term for feeling inadequate. If only I could do more, achieve more, have this or be...
One of the quintessential customs at Rosh Hashanah is to eat apples dipped in honey for a sweet, well-rounded new year. How did what my high...
On the eve of a new year, we find ourselves once again in a time of confusion and uncertainty and are reminded of the remarkable insight...
My gap year has been filled with firsts – my first free Shabbos, my first bus ride alone, my first class. Soon I will experience another...
There’s always an element of hope that comes with new beginnings, and I’m additionally hopeful that this Rosh Hashanah won’t just herald incremental change for South...
