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By: Brandon Chiat, Digital Media Strategist 

A fundamental principle of Judaism is that every person has the opportunity to create themselves. In that sense, the High Holy Days are touchstone moments when a person should take stock of their growth.

“Rabbi Soloveitchik says we recreate ourselves on the High Holy Days, severing the cosmic eyes on the person we used to be, and focusing on the person we could become in the upcoming year: the recreation of the self,” Rabbi Dana Saroken explained. 

Perhaps the theme most commonly associated with the High Holy Days is repentance. In the Jewish tradition, repentance is called teshuva, a Hebrew word translated as “returning.” Comparatively, one of the Hebrew words for sin is chet, which means “to go astray.” Thus the idea of repentance in Jewish thought is a return to the path of righteousness. 

“Woven into teshuva is the idea of returning, of going back to something,” Rabbi Steve Schwartz said. “Throughout the year, we can become disconnected from God, our faith, the truest version of ourselves or from our relationships with friends and family. Teshuva means to return to that which brings meaning into our lives.”

Through teshuva a person can liberate themselves from past mistakes, challenge old behaviors that no longer serve their purpose, and embrace a new identity. Repentance, then, is an act of self-creation. 

With that in mind, Beth El proudly announces the 5780/2019 High Holy Days campaign. #Reflect4Rosh is a series of provocative questions, designed to help guide teshuva. In the coming weeks Beth El will present these questions to the congregation through email, social media, and in-person. Members are invited to respond to these prompts. Whether congregants respond privately or publicly, Beth El's clergy and staff hope the campaign inspires each member to become the best version of themselves as we all #Reflect4Rosh.

But the campaign begins here, with four Beth El members of varying ages and at different life stages who courageously agreed to search their souls. Here's what these paragons of teshuva found out about themselves.

REFLECT: Examining where we succeeded last year and where we can improve.

When asked what, if anything, they wished they had done differently in the past year, our soul searchers responded with themes of positivity and patience. 

"I wish I had stayed more optimistic," said Naomi Lebowitz, a student in the Berman-Lipavsky Religious School. "I believe optimism is the key to success because even in the worst situations, being optimistic gives a person hope.”

“We may not always control the circumstances of our lives, but we do control the choices we make, the actions we take, and the words we speak,” Rabbi Schwartz said.

Rebecca Giller agrees that positivity is a matter of choice, not circumstance. "There were times in the past year when I dwelled on the negative aspects of my life," said the first-time mother, who enrolled her son Jacob in Beth El's Infant and Toddler program. "I complained more than necessary, which never fixed anything."

Mrs. Giller will use the High Holy Days to transition into a more positive outlook, which she said begins with getting out of her comfort zone. 

"I want to live my life from a place of yes! It's difficult with a newborn; I found myself avoiding activities that might be scary or make me anxious," Mrs. Giller said. "I could learn a lot about myself by expanding horizons." 

For Sheryl Title, a regular fixture at Morning Minyan and The Soul Center, positive thinking is a lifelong process, and she has learned to be more patient with herself in that pursuit. "Practicing mindfulness allows me to be more patient in my day-to-day life, which gives me the mental space to embrace the truest version of myself," she said. 

When asked how she might have used her time in ways that were unworthy, Mrs. Title reflected on a propensity for multitasking, which can distract her from appreciating life's most meaningful moments. 

Bruce Supovitz understands the demands of daily life; splitting time between his role as Senior Vice President of National Audio Services for Nielsen Media Research and serving on Beth El's Board of Directors taught him the importance of self-care. "As we age, our mind and body naturally change," he said. "I really would like to stay young in both body and mind, so health takes on greater importance."

As Mrs. Title put it: "If I feel good, I can do good."

RECONSIDER: Recalibrating our goals and setting our intentions for the new year. 

"There are many versions of every person, but I learned that focusing on the best version of myself is so important," Ms. Lebowitz said. "You can always strive to be better in all aspects of your life, and you can always improve." 

The soul searchers found that self-creation is an incremental, never-ending process, and in doing so, accepted their fluid identities. No matter where they might be on their life's path, each of the soul searchers learned to trust the process. "My goal for the new year is to get just a little bit better every day," Mrs. Title said.  

"My wife Lisa urges me to enjoy the journey," Mr. Supovitz said. "It's been a lifelong challenge to stay in the moment and enjoy the present, rather than rushing through life."

However, certain milestones will inevitably occur that forever change a person's life. Ms. Lebowitz lost a friend when a gunman opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Mrs. Giller celebrated the birth of her first child. Mrs. Title transitioned out of the professional world, while Mr. Supovitz reached new heights in his career. But each of the soul searchers embraced adversity as an opportunity for growth. 

"In the new year I intend to stop dwelling on the people and situations over which I have no control," Mrs. Giller said. "It's important for me to set goals oriented around who I want to become as a person." 

While some expressed a need to make the most of each moment by freeing themselves from past regrets or future fears, others focused on nurturing the passions that provide meaning and purpose to life. 

"My spirituality is a hugely important part of my life," Mrs. Title said. "I need to be mindful in creating space for the things that bring meaning into my life." 

"My priorities have shifted towards a better work-life balance," Mr. Supovtiz said. "While I'm still highly involved with my work, especially my new focus on podcasting, I have developed interests outside of work - such as reading, taking up art again, exercising, traveling and greater involvement with Beth El's executive team, board and committees - that contribute to a full and rich life." 

REINSPIRE: Exploring what inspires us and gives us purpose.

Jewish psychologist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl argued that a person does not create life's meaning, but rather, they discover it. Each person has a unique reason for living, which can and should be adjusted or transformed many times throughout their lifetime. Fulfillment comes from a purpose; having something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for is essential. 

"Earlier this summer, I traveled to Cano Azul, a small and isolated community deep in the Dominican Republic, where I built 16 latrines for families in need," Ms. Lebowitz said. "It was so rewarding, and I felt just as joyful as the families we were there to help." 

Like Ms. Lebowitz, Mrs. Giller actualizes herself by serving a greater cause. As a teacher in a high-poverty Title I school, she works with immigrant students whose education and personal development may otherwise be marginalized.

"My purpose is to ensure every child, no matter their socioeconomic needs, receives the proper treatment they deserve, in terms of academic, social, and personal well-being," Mrs. Giller said. "The greater goal is to create a community in which these children can develop a sense of self and learn the importance of kindness and caring relationships." 

Importantly, one's purpose ripens when their passion integrally connects to the well-being of others. 

"I have always had a deep and strong connection to my Jewish identity and the important traditions that carry on from generation to generation," Mr. Supovtiz said. "With anti-Semitism and every kind of prejudice on the rise again, I feel it's vital that we stand up against unacceptable actions or words." 

As Frankl said: "Man is ultimately self-determining. Man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become in the next moment. Every human being has the freedom to change at any instant."

Frankl's message resonated with Sherly Title, who carries the lessons of the High Holy Days with her throughout the year: "My spirituality is heightened and enlightened during this sacred time but I never wait for the High Holy Days to check-in with myself. Instead, I consider Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur opportunities to refocus my priorities and solidify all the ways I've grown as a person.”

“That is the power of teshuva,” Rabbi Schwartz said. “We have the power to choose who we will be in the new year - or in the next moment - the power of changing for the better.”

REJOICE: Welcoming uninhibited joy through our most meaningful relationships.

"As we move from Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to Sukkot and Simchat Torah, our emotions transition from introspection and vulnerability to absolute joy," Rabbi Saroken said. "Towards the end of the High Holy Days, after we've reimagined who we have the potential and desire to be, after we've sought forgiveness and refocused our lives, we clean our slates to welcome uninhibited joy!" 

All of Beth El's soul searchers expressed the desire to obtain happiness. 

"My soul yearns for pure happiness, which I believe comes from appreciating life and living every moment to the fullest," Ms. Lebowitz said. 

Though Rabbi Saroken explained that, from a Jewish perspective, joy is a worthier goal than happiness. 

"Happiness can be found on our own. Eating a delicious steak makes me happy, as does finding a comfortable new black dress or listening to my favorite song," Rabbi Saroken said. "But joy (or "simcha" in Hebrew) can only be experienced through connection to another - spouses or lovers, with children, with friends or even with God. It is through that intimacy we come to experience joy �" a much more profound emotion."

From that perspective, each soul searcher concluded that love is the highest goal to which a person can aspire. 

"The most I could ever hope for is the well-being of my family," Mr. Supovitz said. "Knowing that my wife, children, mother, and brother are safe, feel good, and are enjoying life is all I need to be content and at peace."

"The most important goal I've set for myself this year is to invest my energy into the people I love," Mrs. Giller said. "I plan to cultivate the meaningful relationships that bring laughter and joy into my life.”

"I am so grateful for the amazing people I have in my life today," Mrs. Title said. "The beauty I see in the world comes from the loving relationships I have with my family and friends."

There is no epoch in human life where one's character stops evolving. Over time, individuals adapt themselves, eventually developing new ways of acting, relating, and thinking. Ultimately, these new behaviors become habitual until there comes a day when that person can hardly remember their former self. Their identity evolved. They have recreated themselves. 

“Each year the High Holy Days remind us that we have a hand in shaping our own lives and destinies,” Rabbi Schwartz said. “If we are going in the wrong direction, we can turn.  If we have made poor choices, we can make better ones. If we have spoken words we regret, we can acknowledge that, and work to make it right.”

Perhaps this is the most joyous blessing of The High Holy Days: that no matter where a person might be on their life's journey, it is never too late to reflect, reconsider, reinspire, and rejoice.