Matan Koch
For me, the musical background of the High Holiday season is my friend Neshama Carlebach gently inviting us to “Return to who you are, return to what you are.” Modern ideas of Teshuvah tend to focus on repentance and on forgiveness. Literally, the Hebrew word Teshuvah means “Return.” Maimonides tells us we have accomplished Teshuvah when we have “the opportunity to commit the same sin, but [we] separate… [ourselves] from it and …[do] not do it.” Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik taught that the heart of Teshuvah is humanity’s correction of ourselves. This strengthens and rekindles our connection to the Divine, recreating ourselves and our communities in a righteous image.
How can we return to our inclusive ideal and create a community where all belong?
First, we must return to the idea that all human beings are created in the image of God and are treasures of equal and incalculable value. We must listen and learn what each treasure needs to truly belong in our community.
Then, we need to return to the notion that a wise individual is one who learns from everyone. This means continuously soliciting feedback from within and beyond our community for how we can do better. This is followed by a return to the idea that we are obligated to make change where we can, even though we are not required to have all the answers. Our community must commit to proactively removing barriers to belonging. At the same time, we can lean on resources, like RespectAbility’s 5784 High Holiday Guide to Inclusive Congregations to help identify barriers, implement strategies, and reach out to partners in this work. We cannot finish it alone.
Lastly, we must return to the idea of “kol yisrael areivim zeh bazeh” – all Jews are guarantors for one another.” Let us embrace our shared responsibility to build communities that are places of belonging and support.
These are not difficult or new ideas. The whole point of Teshuvah is that we have always had the potential to live by this wisdom. It is time to return to our best selves. This year, I invite you to accept my friend Neshama’s invitation to return to who and what you are and, in doing so, help build a community where we all belong.
Matan — so very well said. Your parents named you for the gift that you are. If only the world could see beyond the visible and invisible differences that we all possess – that makes each one of us unique in every special way … May the coming year bring you health, peace, happiness, and dreams that can come true.