Terri Bonoff’s Rosh Hashanah Message for 2026

This High Holiday season, may we all be BRAVE. Being Jewish in 2026 is not for the faint of heart. We are being singled out, called out, and disparaged everywhere we look. We are called to defend ourselves in places where we used to find comfort and solidarity. Yet we must not retreat. We must be shining beacons of light and hope for those who came before us, lost loved ones and fought so that we would be free. We owe the next generation of Jews, our children and grandchildren, our hearts, our prayers and our strength.

Attending High Holiday Services gives us a chance to reflect, pause, pray and feel the comfort that comes from being together year after year. I cherish these times. I thank the clergy who relentlessly work to provide an environment that allows us to transcend the mundane and connect with our spiritual soulful selves. I thank all who work with our clergy, the staff and lay leaders who make this possible. Gratitude fills our hearts.

Our safety and security are not a given. That is why we must act with a united and unwavering voice. We are proud to be Jewish. We are proud to share what it is to be Jewish with the rest of the world as we always have. That is the message I am sharing with those I love even when we do not agree. I can be counted on to be a brave voice amidst the noise. I call on my fellow members of the Jewish community to join me and form a chorus.

My Dad passed away two and a half years ago — among the blessings he left were his twins, children who are now in their early thirties. My half-brother, Alex, recently became the cantor at the Synagogue I grew up in — Temple Israel in Minneapolis. I can only imagine the pride my Dad would feel listening to the extraordinary magic of Alex’s voice. His song is a work of art. Somehow my Dad, his wife, and our extended family created an environment in this non-traditional Reform Jewish home that gave room for this miracle to come forward. As I listen to Alex sing the Kol Nidre, I will thank G-d that he is inspiring the next generation of Jews with the gift of his song.

Terri Bonoff is the CEO Emeritus for Jewish Family & Career Services.