Yom Kippur

I converted nearly twenty years ago, and Yom Kippur is still the one holiday that truly does fill me with awe. It's a combination of everything- from the sounding of the shofar to the reflection of the year just past, the promise to try harder, to do better, to forgive and ask for forgiveness...all of that overwhelms me in a way. At the same time, there's something so refreshing about this day, and I come away from it with a new sense of purpose. When I was a child in parochial school, my first grade teacher told us that each time we sinned, God placed a black mark on our souls, and I spent many a night scared out of my wits as the image of my black covered soul filled my head. Even after going to the dreaded confessional- though there was some sense of relief, I felt I could never recover. Yom Kippur, on the other hand, brings me a peace that is difficult to describe. When the entire congregation confesses together, we are reminded that all of us falter but that we can also change. In other words, we're all in this together. I know I'm far from perfect, but each new year gives me a chance to renew my commitment to be the person I want to be. We're all going to make mistakes and do things we shouldn't, but when we repent with the promise to do better, well, that's what's important. When we resolve to treat others with loving kindness and follow through on that resolution, we improve ourselves and grow in our faith. And when the last sound of the shofar fills the sanctuary, I feel as though the spirit of God resonates all around me. May we all be inscribed for another year in the Book of Life!