Rabbi Larry Sernovitz's Rosh Hashanah Message for 2024

There is a famous verse from Pirke Avot (5:22), attributed to Ben Bag-Bag. that reads, “Turn it (the Torah) over and over, for everything is in it. Reflect on it, grow old and gray in it and do not stir from it, for there is no better standard of conduct for you than this.” Around this time of year, just before Rosh Hashanah, this verse always pushes me to reflect on my life and where I have been, and this year is no different. The High Holy Days, the Days of Awe, are upon us, but this year feels bittersweet. Where normally Rosh Hashanah is a day filled with celebration and hopes for a sweet new year, I am aware of the reality of violence in Israel and growing antisemitism in the United States and on our Georgia campuses.

It is said that the Torah doesn’t change, but we do. We are different as a result of Oct. 7. As a people, this is not the first time we have seen aggression against the Jewish people. We are witnesses to this and therefore have an obligation to respond. Rosh Hashanah is the time to look inward and to recommit getting involved in the Jewish community, supporting the causes that uplift our spirit and give us hope. Embrace who you are as part of the Jewish community and see where the journey leads us. The 3000-year-old hope of the Jewish people still guides our way. Embrace the change.

Shanah Tova um’tukah. A good and sweet New Year to you and your loved ones.

Larry Sernovitz is the CEO of Hillels of Georgia.