ROSH HASHANAH SERVICE (Humanistic Jews of Greater Portland, Oregon) Hebrew language interpretations: Mike Goldhamer Guitar chord arrangements: Walter Hellman NIGGUN: A song without words. You do not need words to express joy. WELCOME POEM--ELISSA BURIAN ALL: On Rosh Hashanah, I am called to be conscious of how I was in the year past; On Yom Kippur, I am called to be conscious of how I may be in the year to come. READER: This is what the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are for: looking deeply at reality, looking at the very root of my life and ways. These are Yomim Noraim--the Days of Awe. READER: We celebrate these holidays out of a personal desire to maintain ties with our ancestors and continue some of the wonderful and meaningful traditions they developed. ALL: L'khee Lakh* A E D E L'khee lakh, to a land that I will show you, A E D E Leykh l'kha, to a place you do not know, C#m F#m D E L'khee lakh, on your journey I will bless you, A D E And you shall be a blessing, (3x) l'khee lakh. (Instrumental) A E D E L'khee lakh, and I shall make your name great, A E D E Leych l'kha, and all shall praise your name, C#m F#m D E L'khee lakh, to the place that I will show you, A D E L'sim-khat kha-yeem, (3x) L'khee lakh. (Repeat second verse ) *(L'khee lakh/leykh l'cha: go, feminine and masculine. L'simkhat khayeem: for a happy life. Based upon Genesis 12:1-2, wherein God tells Abram to leave Haran and go to Canaan, that he has been chosen: "And I will make of thee a great nation...") READER: May we be reminded here of our highest aspirations, and inspired to bring our gifts of love and service to the altar of humanity. May we know once again that we are not isolated beings but connected, in mystery and miracle, to the universe, to this community, and to each other. READER: We come together today to remind one another To rest for a moment on the forming edge of our lives, To resist the headlong tumble into the next moment, Until we claim for ourselves awareness and gratitude, Taking the time to look into one another's faces And see there communion: the reflection of our own eyes. The house of laughter and silence, memory and hope, is hallowed by our presence together. READER: "The first and fundamental wonder is existence itself. That I should be alive, conscious, a person, a part of the whole, that I should have emerged out of nothingness, that the Void should have given birth not merely to things but to me...Life steals imperceptibly upon us, without any sudden shock or sense of strangeness...One might almost imagine that we were here on well-known ground, and but revisiting a country with which we had a previous acquaintance. Yet let the mind once awake...and this emergence from the womb of the immeasurable universe rises to its full significance, to tower above all other thoughts, the wonder of wonders, beyond digestion into speech." (W. Macneile Dixon) (The history of these holidays) READER: Moses lived some three and one half thousand years ago. The third book of Moses in the Old Testament, Leviticus, is the source of many Jewish traditions, including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Leviticus states (23:23-25): READER: "And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the people of Israel, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with a blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work and you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord." READER: Similarly, the tenth day of the seventh month was set aside as a day of "atonement." Those who did not follow the proper observances would be cut off and destroyed. READER: Later tradition held that the earth was created on the same first day of the seventh month (Tishri)); the association with New Year's or Rosh Hashanah was established ALL L'kha Dodi Am G Am L'kha do-dee, sha-nah to-vah, Am G Am L'kha do-dee, sha-nah to-vah. Am La la la la la la la G La la la la G La la la la la la la Am La la la la (repeat) Am G Am L'kha do-dee, sha-nah to-vah Am G Am L'kha do-dee, sha-nah to-vah! (Repeat) (Come my beloved, a good year!) (Why these holidays became so important) READER: The notion of an avenging all powerful God who could reward or punish was a powerful impetus to observe holidays! The ten day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur became linked as a time of meditation and atonement. READER: The ancients went so far on Yom Kippur as to unload their sins ceremonially on a sacrificial goat. The goat was then run over a cliff, supposedly taking sins with it. This practice is the literal origin of the term "scapegoat". READER: The reward for proper atonement was the prospect of a good year to come. This hope is expressed in the traditional New Year's greeting, "L'shanah tovah tikateyvu".May you be inscribed for a good year. READER: The blowing of the Shofar, or ram's horn, was a resounding call to the ancient Israelites. It signaled the start of the holiday observance and could be heard clearly throughout the hills. When we sound the Shofar today, we are making a direct connection with the original tribes of Israel. READER: The horn has been a symbol of the Jews throughout biblical history. In the Bible, we read how Abraham was instructed by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. At the last moment, a ram appeared and was sacrificed instead. The ram's horn is viewed by traditional Jews as a symbol of faith in God. READER: When Moses wished to assemble the Israelites in the desert, nine long blasts of the horn were sounded. Nine short blasts were a signal to break camp. Later the Shofar was blown to call soldiers together, to start festivals, or to announce the reign of a new king. Today we also blow the Shofar to proclaim our faith in the humanistic values we believe are needed to create a peaceful, healthy, happy and secure society. The Shofar is sounded TEKIAH SHEVARIM-TERUAH TEKIAH TEKIAH SHEVARIM TEKIAH TEKIAH TERUAH TEKIAH ALL: L'shanah Tovah Tikateyvu D L'sha-nah to-vah ti-ka-tey-vu; G A D L'sha-nah to-vah ti-ka-tey-vu; D G A D G A D A good year, a year of peace, L'sha-nah to-vah! (Repeat) (How Humanistic Jews reinterpret this history) READER: We see in these holidays, at their very basis, a tremendous concern with living justly and morally. READER: We see in these holidays the first glimmerings of morality and justice which were independent of wealth or status. We are proud of this heritage and continue it with pride. READER: These holidays, then, become opportunities for celebrating life, for joining together as a community for the purpose of recognizing the important milestones and highlights of human life and existence. READER: These have become occasions when we as Jews demonstrate and express our Jewish identity, our membership in the Jewish community, our desire to participate in and support the ongoing viability of Judaism, publicly to affirm to ourselves and to the world that we are Jews. ALL: May the spirit of Judaism which, from the very beginning, has proclaimed Justice, Tikkun Olam *, and Hope for the Future, Continue in us and our children May the spirit of Judaism which lives in us now, thrive in a world of light and hope And sing in health and happiness (Walter Hellman) (*Tikkun Olam means to "heal, perfect, or repair the world".) ALL: Heenay Matov Am Dm Am Hee-nay ma-tov oo-ma na-yeem, E7 Am She-vet a-meem gam ya-khad. (Repeat) Am Dm Am Hee-nay ma-tov, E7 She-vet a-meem, Am Gam ya-khad. (Repeat) (How pleasant it is for peoples to dwell together in harmony.) CANDLE LIGHTING Lighter 1: We light these candles to draw in the light, to create a peaceful interlude for ourselves and set our minds at rest. This is the moment when we set aside the events of the day and allow ourselves to reflect on our past. The knowledge of countless candle lightings in years gone by forms a link with our Jewish heritage. Lighter 2: From the point at the center of each of us A line of light circles the world in silence; It flows to the farthest range of the universe, Changing everything it touches, Making everything alive. ALL: The night is bright with the glory of Rosh Hashanah. The night is bright with the glory of life. The night is bright with the glory of humankind. The night is bright with the glory in each of us. Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart. ALL: Ba-rukh ha-or ba-o-lam. Ba-rukh ha-or ba-a-dam. Ba-rukh ha-or b'Rosh Ha-sha-nah. Radiant is the light of the world. Radiant is the light of humanity. Radiant is the light of the New Year. Lighter 1: Look upon the light. ALL: It burns for us; it burns for the hope in our hearts that will help us see our way in the year to come. ALL: Ma Tovoo Am Em Am Em Ma to-voo, Am Em Am Em O-ha-le-kha Ya-a-kov, Am Em Am Em Am Em Am Mish-ke-no-te-kha Yis-ra-el. (Repeat) Am Em Am Em Am Em Am Em Ya-a-kov, How beautiful are your tents, Am Em Am Em Am Em Am And thy dwelling places Israel. BEMA READER: This is the end of the year and its beginning. ALL: This is the moment of pause. BEMA READER: The refilling of the empty vessel, ALL: The renewing of the empty spirit, We welcome the New Year. READER: We meet today to reflect upon our common heritage and common needs. We will use phrases and words, But if they are meaningless to us in our everyday existence, This day is not well spent. But some of us may ask: Why this concern, and endless affirmations, The oft-used and familiar phrases? We know these things-- So why the need to come together at this particular time of the year? ALL: To everything there is a season And a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die, A time to plant and a time to reap, A time to laugh and a time to weep, A time to find and a time to lose, A time to rend; a time to sew, A time to keep silent and a time to speak, A time to love and a time to hate, A time for war and a time for peace. And Rosh Hashanah is a time for remembrance. ALL: Praise the Light (tune of Shalom Alecheim) (words by Walter Hellman) (Instrumental) Bm F# Praise the light that shines Within the good of heart; Good of heart, praise the light. Bm Let it shine, F# Thro-ou-ou-ugh the dark of night, Em F# Dark of night, let it shine. Bm And for the sadness, Em And for the sadness, Bm F# Sa-a-a-ave the light. Em Bm Our world is wha-ha-ha-at we make of it. F# Bm A D O, Let us make it light. Oh-o (Repeat last two lines to end) BEMA READER: The Torah says: "In the seventh month, Tishri, the first day shall be a sacred occasion." The first day of Tishri is Rosh Hashanah, the first day of our future. THE BINDING OF ISAAC AKEYDAT YIZKHAK Adaptation of the traditional Torah reading for Rosh Hashanah from the writings of Rabbi Robert Barr Congregation Beth Adam, Cincinnati, Ohio And God tested Abraham.... The Lord came to Abraham in the darkness of night and called out to him, "Abraham, Abraham." Abraham, being an obedient servant, immediately responded to the call of the Lord, saying, "Heenaynee--Here I am." And there he stood in the cold silence, waiting for the Lord to speak once more. His heart raced and his hands perspired as he anticipated the words of the Lord, hoping that they would be words of salvation and redemption. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Lord spoke. Abraham felt weak, his legs unable to support the weight of his body. Yet, out of fear and dread, he remained erect, like a burned-out building ready to collapse. "Take your child," he heard, "the child whom you love with all your might and all your heart. Take this child to a place that I will show you, and upon this lonely and desolate place you shall sacrifice your child to me, your Lord." Without even thinking, Abraham rose early and prepared for this most hideous of crimes: the murder of one's own child. He gathered the tools necessary for the deed: a rope--strong and firm to keep the child from squirming; a knife--razor sharp for quickness and ease; and last, the firewood--very dry so that the offering would be totally consumed. Abraham took his child whom he loved, and they went off to a place that the Lord would show to them. As they walked, not a word was spoken. The youngster tried to match the father's stride. Finally, the child spoke: "Father, I see the rope, the gleam of the knife, and the wood, yet I do not see a sacrifice. What are we to sacrifice?" Abraham looked at the child with a mixture of compassion and confusion, saying, "The sacrifice has been chosen, do not be concerned." As they walked on, their mouths grew dry and their legs weary. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, an old man appeared before them. Barely able to walk, the old man rested his weight upon a staff, his drooping eyes focused on Abraham, and the old man questioned in a parched whisper, "Why do you do this deed? Why do you sacrifice your own child? Is there any reason so compelling, any explanation powerful enough to convince you to commit such an unspeakable act?" Abraham looked at this frail, gnarled man and was startled by his questioning. "Who is this crazy man?" thought Abraham. "Who is he that he should question my actions? Who is he to question the command of God?" Yet, as he began to explain, the words stuck in his throat. Abraham heard himself saying, "The Lord commanded and I shall do." But even as Abraham uttered these words, he felt an emptiness inside. For a brief moment, Abraham recognized that his explanation was no justification for the act he was about to commit. Yet, ignoring his own thoughts and the questions of the old man, Abraham walked on with his child.In time, they came to a barren hill standing alone in the wild. Slowly, they ascended the hill, adult helping child, until they reached its stony summit. There, Abraham laid down the implements for the sacrifice: the rope, the knife, and the wood. Abraham knew what he had to do. As the youngster looked around in awe, Abraham grabbed and bound the child with the strong, firm rope. The child stared at the father, uncomprehending. Abraham laid the child upon the wood and grasped the executioner's blade. As he did, Abraham noticed the old man he had seen before--now sitting upon a rock. Once more, the old gray man tormented Abraham, saying, "Why do you do this deed? Why do you sacrifice your flesh and blood? Is there any reason so compelling, any explanation powerful enough to convince you to commit such an unspeakable act?" Frozen, knife clenched in hand, Abraham saw for the first time what was happening. Shame and anger gripped him. He cast down the knife, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Then he ripped the bonds from the youngster. With all his courage and strength, Abraham destroyed the altar upon which he had prepared to sacrifice his beloved child. Exhausted, Abraham and the young child took leave of that place, vowing that they would never return. As they slowly struggled down the hill, Abraham's eyes fell once more upon the old man. Abraham studied the old man's face and, as he did so, he saw his own. PERSONAL REFLECTIONS: What this reading says to me. ALL: B'khol Adam Am E Am B'khol a-dam, a-ha-vah v'see-na, E Am E Am Tov v'ra-shah, tov v'ra-sha, E Am Kha-yeem u'ma-vet. (Repeat) (For all persons, there is love and hatred, good and evil, life and death.) READER: This week, wherever Jews are, the sound of the Shofar echoes. It calls to our hearts, to our minds, and to our souls. READER: First, the Shofar says: SHE-MA--Hear! Be still! READER: This is a day when we should seek out quiet, a still place, a place kept apart from our busy days. This is a day when our true selves are within reach. READER: At Rosh Hashanah, the physical world prepares for rebirth; the earth about us puts forth seed and spore, setting down what is to rise up. READER: At Yom Kippur, the spiritual world prepares for rebirth; the world within us puts forth seed and spore, setting down what is to rise up. ALL: Let this be a day of rebirth. As the year is to be made new, my spirit will be made new. READER: Next, the Shofar says: SHE-MA--Hear! Pay attention! READER: Finally, the Shofar says: SHE-MA--Hear! Return! ALL: Each year, we begin with a clean, bright new moment. By the time the year ends, threads of memory and desire have wrapped around us, and trapped us in our complex webs. What we began with is long lost as our year ends; the sparks of that first bursting moment of light have been scattered throughout the moments of our lives. READER: Let us be still within before the Shofar sounds. Ru-akh Breathe deeply of the spirit of the Days of Awe. Breathe of the spirit of our coming together. Breathe deeply of being at one with ourselves, And of sharing the spirit of this time. ALL: In the stillness between each call, let each breath bring me back to myself, ready for the year which these moments begin. The Shofar is sounded TEKIAH SHEVARIM-TERUAH TEKIAH TEKIAH SHEVARIM TEKIAH TEKIAH TERUAH TEKIAH (all stand) ALL: Sh'ma Yis-ra-el, E-khad a-me-nu, A-dam e-khad! Ba-rukh ha-o-lam. Am Yis-ra-el khai, L'o-lam va-ed! ALL: Hear O Israel! Our people are one, All humanity is one. Precious is the world. May the people Israel Live forever and ever! Therefore it shall be that you shall love your fellow human with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. These words inscribe in your innermost heart, repeat them, teach them to your children by day and by night. Teach them to revere all life. For their union with the ancients, tell them of ancient days, of doorpost signs, phylacteries: our parents' ways for remembering, treasuring Torah's words. (be seated) READER: My heart is moved by all I cannot save: So much has been destroyed. I have to cast my lot with those who, age after age, perversely, with no extraordinary power, reconstitute the world. READER: May we find joy and strength, not in the strident call to arms, but in stretching out our arms to grasp our fellow creatures in the striving for justice and truth. All: Naase Shalom Am Na-a-se sha-lom ba-o-lam, Dm Am Na-a-se sha-lom a-ley-nu, E Am V'al kol ha-o-lam, E Am V'eem-ru, eem-ru sha-lom. C Dm Na-a-se sha-lom, G Am Na-a-se sha-lom, E Sha-lom a-ley-nu, Am V'al kol ha-o-lam. (Repeat second verse 3 more times) (We shall make peace in the world. We shall bring peace for ourselves and all the world.) READER: As Humanistic Jews we believe that the good, the bad and the indifference on this earth, the justice and injustice, are created by our own actions. What a tremendous responsibility we have in this view! We cannot pray to a supernatural being to make the world better. We have to do it ourselves. We cannot pray for forgiveness, but must work to deserve it. READER: What better time than Rosh Hashanah to take stock of what we are really doing and have done with our lives? In this sense and spirit, we directly share this holiday with our ancestors and carry it forth into the future. READER: Let us reflect now on the effect we, as individuals, are having on society, our relations with friends, relatives and others... how we can best take advantage of the incredible, unique experience we call life. SILENT READING: Have I accepted the challenge of new ideas or do I cling blindly to the old? Have I treated others the way I would like them to treat me? Have I expressed the love I feel for my dear ones or been distracted away from these most important feelings? Have I done all I can to contribute to the social institutions I value? Is there any way I can reach out to those with whom I have quarreled? Have I accepted and carried out my responsibilities? Have I meditated on what really is important? How to enjoy life as well as fulfill it? What can I do to improve my actions in the coming year? ALL: Ufros Alenu D Em A D Bm U-fros a-ley-nu, Em A D G D Su-kot sha-lom, sha-lom. Em A D Bm Spread over us, Em A D G D Wings of peace, sha-lom. G Draw water in joy D From the living well! (Repeat) Em A D Bm Ma-yeem, kha-yeem, Em A D G D Waters of life, sha-lom. Em A D Bm U-fros a-ley-nu, Em A D G D Su-kot sha-lom, sha-lom. READER: "How extraordinary is the situation of us mortals. Each of us is here for sojourn; for what purpose he knows not though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without going deeper than our daily life, it is plain that we exist for our fellow man--in the first place for those upon whose smiles and welfare our happiness depends, and next for all those unknown to us personally but to whose destinies we are bound by the tie of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depends on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the measure as I have received and am still receiving." (Albert Einstein) Memorial Nizkor BEMA READER: Nizkor: We remember. READER: Nizkor, the remembrance of our dead, began as a collective experience. It originated with a massacre of Jews in the Rhine Valley during the Crusades, beginning in 1096 and continuing for 250 years through the pogroms during the Black Death. Then, the ceremony consisted of reading aloud the names of all the victims who had died at the hands of the Crusaders and mobs, or in mass suicides to avoid forced conversions. READER: The "memorbicher" (memorial books) drawn up in those days eventually contained thousands of names. Today, if we were to add the names of all victims of persecution and hatred in our own time, they would amount to tens of millions and would include people from every corner of the earth. We have lit this light, then, not only in memory of our own beloved, but of all those who have been robbed of their descendants and have no one else to remember them. BEMA READER: We remember now, those with whom we shared, those that gave us strength, those we cherished, those we loved. All: Magnified and sanctified is the memory of our loved ones. In a world they tried to make better for us all; May peace be established in accordance with their desires During our lives and the life of Israel. May it be so. Ken y'hee ra-tzon. May their memory be eternally praised, Hallowed and extolled, lauded and exulted, Honored and revered, adored and admired Beyond all songs and hymns of exaltation, Beyond all praise that humankind can utter. May it be so. Ken y'hee ra-tzon. Let there be abundant peace on earth And life's goodness for all humanity. May it be so. Ken y'hee ra-tzon. May our memories hasten the day that will bring peace To all of Israel. Amen. ALL: In the rising of the sun and in its going down, we remember them. In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter, we remember them. In the opening of buds and in the rebirth of spring, we remember them. In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer, we remember them. In the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn, we remember them. In the beginning of the year and when it ends, we remember them. When we are weary and in need of strength, we remember them. When we are lost and sick at heart, we remember them. When we have joys we yearn to share, we remember them. So long as we live, they too shall live, for they are now a part of us, as we remember them. (all stand) ALL: Nit-ga-dal v'nit-ka-dash nish-mat a-dam. Magnified and hallowed be the spirit of humanity. Let us fashion creation in the world accordingly. May the true brotherhood and sisterhood of man be realized in our life and days, in the life of the whole house of Israel, and for all humankind. May there be peace and contentment in the world, health and happiness for all. Magnified and hallowed be the spirit of humanity. Nit-ga-dal v'nit-ka-dash nish-mat a-dam. BEMA READER: In this temporal world, let us memorialize the good, the just, the caring. ALL: In this temporal world, let us memorialize the healers, the builders, the dreamers. BEMA READER: Let us memorialize the peacemakers, those who teach, those who nurture, those who love, those who share, those who identify with humankind, those who create for humanity. ALL: Such as these will live on in the land of the living even after they have left us. So it has always been and so it shall always be. BEMA READER: Let us now recall the memories of those who have died. Speak their names, if you wish. BEMA READER: When we remember those who have passed from us, when we memorialize our dead, we reaffirm our common humanity; we reaffirm our faith that life is one and life continues. READER: If I work for myself alone, I will be put down by death; But if I work for the good of my fellows, I will survive my own decay-- And become part of the human dream. ALL: May the memory of those I loved in life, and still love in death, bless my thoughts and actions on this evening and in the year to come. May the special grace of their years reach out to touch my heart and inspire my deeds. (be seated) Conclusion ALL: L'Shanah Tovah D L'sha-nah to-vah ti-ka-tey-vu; G A D L'sha-nah to-vah ti-ka-tey-vu; D G A D G A D A good year, a year of peace, L'sha-nah to-vah! (Repeat) ALL: Shalom Khaverim Am Sha-lom kha-ve-rim, Am Sha-lom kha-ve-rim, Am Sha-lom, sha-lom Am L'hit-ra-ot, l'hit-ra-ot, Am Sha-lom, sha-lom (Repeat) (Farewell friends. Until we meet again, peace be with you.) ALL: Heyveynu Shalom Aleykhem Am Hey-vey-nu sha-lom a-ley-khem! Dm Hey-vey-nu sha-lom a-ley-khem! E Hey-vey-nu sha-lom a-ley-khem! E7 Hey-vey-nu sha-lom, sha-lom Am Sha-lom a-ley-khem! Repeat) (Let us bring you peace.) ALL: L'shanah tovah oo-m'too-kah! A Good and Sweet Year!