Fran Putney's Rosh Hashanah Message for 2024

We live in tense times. With so much at stake, and only weeks away, the anxiety of the upcoming November election is palpable. The polarized state in which our country exists makes one wonder what direction our country will take and how we will ever come to enough consensus to address important goals.

If that weren’t enough, Jews and Jewish communities everywhere are struggling to cope with the trauma of Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing responses and on-going actions in the entire region. The situation has evoked every emotion – from horror and despair to anger and the motivation to take action. Who is to blame? How will it all end? When will the hostages be returned? It’s the source of hot debate in families, synagogues, and communities everywhere.

But just as in every day and age, our Jewish holidays can provide the “time out” moments so desperately needed. With the charged atmosphere raging around us, let us allow Rosh Hashanah to remind us to take the time for renewal and personal introspection. Let these holy days be an opportunity to remind us of the beauty and depth of our Jewish values and principles – family, tikkun olam, tzedakah, constructive debate and learning, to name a few – and let them help guide us in our interactions and decisions through both the good and challenging times of our lives.

Fran Putney works on the AJT editorial team and serves as the communications manager for the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust.