From goldhamr@teleport.com Sun Aug 23 17:47:45 1998 Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1998 16:47:35 -0700 YOM KIPPUR Niggun: A song without words. One does not need words to express joy. Welcome: Poem: Bema Reader: We meet today to reflect upon our 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, the endless affirmations, the oft-used and familiar phrases? We know these things-- So why the need to come together at this particular time of year? Reader: Now is the time for turning . The leaves are beginning to turn from green to red and orange. The birds are beginning to turn and are heading once more toward the south. The animals are beginning to turn to storing their food for the winter. Reader: For leaves, birds, and animals, turning comes instinctively. But for us, turning does not come so easily. Reader: It takes an act of will for us to make a turn. It means breaking old habits. It means losing face; it means starting all over again; and this is always painful. Reader: It means saying: I am sorry. It means recognizing that we have the ability to change. These things are hard to do. But unless we turn, we will be trapped forever in yesterday's ways. All: Then let us turn--from callousness to sensitivity, from hostility to love, from pettiness to purpose, from envy to contentment, from carelessness to discipline, from fear to hope. And let us turn toward each other, for in isolation there is no life. (Jack Riemer, adapted) Cantor then All: B'Khol Adam (In every person, there is love and hatred, good and evil, life and death.) Candle Lighter: 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 today 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. We light these candles to revitalize our ties to the past, to rekindle our determination to remember the tenacious spirit of our people, to remember the ties to our families and friends, to remember the moments of beauty and calm, and to remember the times of love and laughter. We kindle the flame to mark the renewal of hope, the renewal of our energy as we search for the true sources of light. As the flames burn, we are comforted by the light and by the warmth springing up anew. All (chant): Ba-rukh ha-or ba-o-lam. Ba-rukh ha-or ba-a-dam. Ba-rukh ha-or ba-sha-lom, Ba-sha-lom, ba-rukh ha-or Shel Yom-Kippur. Radiant is the light within the world. Radiant is the light within each person. Radiant is the light of peace. Radiant is the light of Yom Kippur. Reader: The day of atonement is a time when we strive to be at one with all our vital connections; Reader: To be at one with the living world of nature, now displaying its glory in the beauty of autumn; Reader: To be at one with ourselves as we seek integrity of mind and body, purpose and action; Reader: To be at one with our family and friends; Reader: To be at one with all creatures who bear our human form; Their needs and desires are also our very own. Reader: Above all, to be at one with a living people whose unique style gives us a special identity; Reader: We are Jews. We share that destiny with each other and with millions beyond. Cantor: Sakhaki All Sing: Laugh at all my dreams my dearest; Laugh and I repeat anew, That I still believe in man As I still believe in you. That I still believe in woman As I still believe in you. For my soul is not yet sold To the golden calf of scorn, And I still believe in man And the spirit in him born. And I still believe in woman And the spirit in her born. All: We believe that by joining our minds in thoughtful discussion we discover together new ways of thinking . We believe that by joining our hearts in celebration we find together new sources of hope and strength. We believe that by joining our hands in play we experience together joy and laughter that remind us of why life is worth living. We believe that by joining our voices in song we create together harmonies whose beauty inspires us. We believe that by joining our minds, our hearts, our hands, and our voices we build together a community: a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. All Sing: Naase Shalom Na-a-se sha-lom ba-o-lam, Na-a-se sha-lom a-ley-nu, V'al kol ha-o-lam, Na-a-se sha-lom, na-a-se sha-lom, Sha-lom a-ley-nu, V'al kol ha-o-lam. (Repeat second verse 3 more times) V'im-ru im-ru sha-lom. (We shall make peace in the world. We shall bring peace to ourselves and to all the world.) Bema Reader: Humanistic Judaism is more than a statement of belief. It is more than an intellectual commitment. It is more than a set of ideas about people and the universe. Humanistic Judaism is a way of life. It starts with beliefs and ends with behavior. It begins with ideas and turns them into action. It is inspired by ideals and expresses them through daily actions. Reader: Chutzpah is the essential ingredient of the humanist temperament, the ultimate skill for human survival. Chutspa respects, but never worships; believes, but never eternally; changes, but never for the last time. Chutspa refuses all idols. Chutspa enjoys without having to stand in awe. Chutspa laughs--because, after all, there are always alternatives. Reader: "Who shall stand for us in this holy place? There is no one but us. There is no one to send, nor a clean hand, nor a pure heart on the face of the earth, nor in the earth, but only us, a generation comforting ourselves with the notion that we have come at an awkward time, that our innocent fathers are all dead-- as if innocence had ever been-- and our children busy and troubled, and we ourselves unfit, not yet ready, having each of us chosen wrongly, made a false start, failed, yielded to impulse and the tangled comfort of pleasures, and grown exhausted, unable to seek the thread, weak, and involved. But there is no one but us. There never has been." (Annie Dillard, Holy the Firm) Cantor: Kol Nidrei Let all our vows and oaths, all the promises we make and the obligations we incur to ourselves between this Yom Kippur and the next be null and void; should we, after honest effort, find ourselves unable to fulfill them. Then may we be released from them. (It is believed that this refers to the many times in our history when Jews have been forced to convert to another faith, or to adopt behavior not in accordance with their religion. In modern times, it could be taken to mean that we need to be forgiven for failing to keep our resolutions to be the best that we could be.) Bema Reader: The melody we just heard is a very old song called "Kol Nidrei." It is so old that we do not know who composed it. All we know is that for many years the Jewish people have listened to it at this time of year, just as you and I did. For the Jewish people, this song seems like a bird which soars. The melody carries our spirits up into the sky with it. It brings us memories of the year past; it carries us into the New Year. Reader: Kol Nidrei...through the centuries, the mournful melody sounds. In the darkness of the Spanish Inquisition, the tragic notes and words were joined. They spoke for them then...they speak to us today...In their heartbreak and sorrow, they chanted this plea: Reader: "Kol Nidrei...all vows that have been forgotten have no meaning now in our hearts"; and their brothers and sisters replied: All: "In the name of the court on high and of the people here, we declare it is permissible to be together with our silent sisters and brothers." Reader: Kol Nidrei -- the mournful melody and the words of sorrow spoke for them. Do they speak to us today? All: We, too, have made vows that are forgotten. But it is not our forgotten vows that need forgiveness. It is in forgetting our vows that we feel shame. For ours were freely made, and not to others, but to ourselves, .that we would be true to the most vital and most difficult part of our heritage: to keep high our dedication to our own people's culture and values, while holding fast to the knowledge that our people's fate is bound beyond breaking with the oppressed of all the world. Responsive Reading: For remaining silent when a single voice would have made a difference, We forgive ourselves and each other; we begin again in love. For each time that our fears have made us rigid and inaccessible, We forgive ourselves and each other; we begin again in love. For each time that we have struck out in anger without just cause, We forgive ourselves and each other; we begin again in love. For each time that our greed has blinded us to the needs of others, We forgive ourselves and each other; we begin again in love. For the selfishness which sets us apart and alone, We forgive ourselves and each other; we begin again in love. For falling short of the admonitions of the spirit, We forgive ourselves and each other; we begin again in love. For losing sight of our unity, We forgive ourselves and each other; we begin again in love. For those and for so many acts both evident and subtle which have fueled the illusion of separateness, We forgive ourselves and each other; we begin again in love. Kol Nidrei Opus 47, Max Bruch (1838-1920) Cellist: Jerry Bobbe Pianist: Janet Guggenheim All: I have seen violence scar the face of our planet; yet I did not speak. I have heard the cries of hungry children; yet I did not speak. I have seen poverty and disease; yet I did not speak. I have witnessed the pain and suffering of others; yet I did not speak. I have seen friends reach out in pain; yet I did not speak. I, too, have been in pain; yet I did not speak. I have wanted to scream out in rage against injustice; yet I did not speak. I have wanted to laugh with joy; yet I did not speak. I have wanted to share words of love; yet I did not speak. Yet there are moments of outrage, pain and joy when I did speak. May I always have the courage to speak what must be spoken. Reader: Modern times will not let us hide from reality. The land of Israel is again a Jewish home, open to all who wish to return. The dream has been put to the test of our own behavior. Jerusalem is the center of a world people which encompasses the globe. We are the citizens of many states. We are the speakers of many languages. We are the lovers of many great cities. We are an international family. Cantor: Yerushalayim Shel Zahav The olive trees that stand in silence upon the hills of time, To hear the voices of the city as bells of evening chime. The shofar sounding from the temple to call the world to care, The shepherd pauses in the valley and peace is everywhere. All Sing: Ye-ru-sha-la-yeem shel za-hav, V'shel n'kho-shet v'shel or, Ha-lo l'khol shee-rie-yeekh, A-nee kin-nor. (Repeat) (Jerusalem of gold, of copper and of light, behold I am a lyre for all your songs.) Reader: Ancestors are powerful beings. Even after their death they linger in memory to guide our lives. When we remember ancestors we must also think of our posterity. A living people not only stretches back to the past, it also reaches forward to the future. Distant children are as important as distant parents. What will happen to our people is as important as what did happen. Reader: Just as our ancestors were the children of their past, so are we the ancestors of our future. Just as our forbears invented holidays and created ceremonies to serve their posterity, so do we alter the instruction of earlier years to serve our children. (all stand) (Jerusalem of gold, of copper and of light, behold I am a lyre for all your songs.) Reader: Ancestors are powerful beings. Even after their death they linger in memory to guide our lives. When we remember ancestors we must also think of our posterity. A living people not only stretches back to the past, it also reaches forward to the future. Distant children are as important as distant parents. What will happen to our people is as important as what did happen. Reader: Just as our ancestors were the children of their past, so are we the ancestors of our future. Just as our forbears invented holidays and created ceremonies to serve their posterity, so do we alter the instruction of earlier years to serve our children. (all stand) All Sing: Sh'ma Yis-ra-el 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 being 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: The story of Jewish survival is far more than the reverence of tradition. It is also the creative gifts of sensitive children who know they will someday be ancestors. Cantor: Eem Ayn Anee Lee? Eem ayn a-nee lee, mee lee? Ukh-she-a-nee l'atz-mee, ma a-nee? V'eem lo akh-shav ay-ma-tie? ay-ma-tie? V'eem lo akh-shav ay-ma-tie? (3x) Ay-ma-tie? (Repeat) (If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?) Reader: Walls are comforting symbols. They speak to us of security and protection. They suggest the privacy of our homes. They keep out intruders. But walls are disturbing, too. They close us in as well as keep others out. They imprison as well as protect. They hide the light, even when they seek to shield us from the darkness. Reader: We Jews once had strong walls which we bore with us wherever we went. Many were of our own creation. Some of them were built by our enemies. For many of our people, the walls were bastions of defense and safety. For others, they were tight and narrow prisons that offered the tyranny of custom as the price of security. Reader: Today the walls have fallen. They no longer exist except in the minds of those who refuse to admit their disappearance. They will not be rebuilt. Reader: Our choice is clear. We can either be nostalgic about the walls and pretend that one day we will rebuild them, or we can train ourselves to enjoy a freedom we have never experienced before. The second way is the way of integrity. We have no guidelines from the past for this new liberty. We will have to create our own. All Sing: L'khee Lakh L'khee lakh, to a land you will discover, Lekh-l'kha, to a place you do not know, L'khee lakh, on your journey we will bless you, And you shall be a blessing (3x), l'khee lakh. (Instrumental) L'khee lakh, and you shall make your name great. Lech-l'kha, and all shall praise your name, L'khee lakh, to the place you will discover, L'sim-khat kha-yeem (3x), L'khee lakh. (L'khee lakh/lekh l'cha: go, masculine and feminine. 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: Symbol, ceremony, and traditions fulfill deep human needs. Lack of symbol and ceremony in our celebrations and meaningful events in our individual and public lives leaves an empty space that inevitably will be filled with other content. Lack of ceremony is not a sign of secularism, as some people tend to think. A lack of ceremonies of our own opens the gate to other ceremonies which do not reflect our way of life. Reader: Yom Kippur is a day of truth. We resolve this day to choose courage. We will not repair walls that have already fallen. We will not turn the sages of our past into infallible guides. We will not run away from wisdom even though it longer work, we will create new ones. If old ceremonies no longer fit, we will revise them. If old postures keep us from moving gracefully, we will find a new way to walk. A free world makes tradition only one of many options. Our ancestors created. So can we. All: With all our will we choose the openness of courage. With all our strength we choose the dignity of freedom. All Sing: Lo Yisa Goy Lo yi-sa goy el goy khe-rev, Lo yil-m'doo od mil-kha-ma. (Repeat) (Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more.) Reader: Yom Kippur is also a day of hope. We remember that the survival of our people depended on no one skill and on no single strategy. We acknowledge that the will to live found new paths in the moment when it was necessary to see them. What is now old was once new, an unfamiliar action. What is now sacred was once profane, a bold insight that the fearful rejected. Reader: We resolve this day to choose hope. Our optimism is our survival. It nurtures our will to live. If experience leads to new ideas, we will accommodate them. We are more adaptable than we imagine. There is no need for us to be surprised at Jewish survival. All: With all our might we enforce the power of hope. With all our will we affirm the pursuit of life. ALL Sing: Ufros Alenu U-fros a-ley-nu, Su-kot sha-lom, sha-lom. Spread over us, Wings of peace, sha-lom. Draw water in joy From the living well! (Repeat) Ma-yeem, kha-yeem, Waters of life, sha-lom. U-fros a-ley-nu, Su-kot sha-lom, sha-lom. Reader: Yom Kippur is a day of memory. We offer our tribute to all who valued their Jewish identity and helped it endure. We salute the heroes of our past who did not hesitate to do something new in order to save something old. The assaults of our enemies have been so relentless that we concentrate on our losses and fail to see our gains. We notice the pain of our martyrs and ignore the pleasure of our survivors. Reader: Jewish history is more than a tale of woe. It is a dramatic parade of splendid events and bold heroes. It is the saga of a small nation transformed into a world people. Triumph, as well as humiliation, belong to our memories. Reader: We resolve this day to see the joy of the Jewish experience. We will not hover over our martyrs alone and ignore the countless millions who were happily Jewish. We will not remember the terrible lands from which we were expelled and forget the comfortable places that offered us hospitality. We will not accuse the outsiders who were our bitter enemies and discard the strangers who became our loyal friends. Our history deserves more than wailing. It has also earned laughter and cheers. We give honor not only to those who taught us how to cry, but also to those who were both Jewish and joyous. If we carried burdens, we also danced. Cantor: Shalom L'Yisrael Sha-lom, sha-lom l'Yis-ra-el, Sha-lom, sha-lom l'a-dam, Sha-lom l'Yis-ra-el sha-lom, Sha-lom sha-lom l'o-lam. All Sing: Sim-kha, sim-kha l'Yis-ra-el, Sim-kha, sim-kha l'a-dam, Sim-kha l'Yis-ra-el sim-kha, Sim-kha sim-kha l'o-lam. E-met, e-met l'Yis-ra-el, E-met, e-met l'a-dam, E-met l'Yis-ra-el e-met, E-met e-met l'o-lam. (Peace, joy, and truth to Israel, to humanity, and to the world.) CLOSING AND MEMORIAL SERVICE Responsive Reading: If I could speak the thin clear vein of thought that is all entwined in webbing left from long lack of honesty, I would speak now, before the sun goes down. If I could cry the lakes of tears to feed the thirsty nations warring when the world is ripe for working, I would cry now, before the sun goes down. If I could grow a thousand arms to wind beneath the earth and find a thousand arms to hold dignity, I would grow now, before the sun goes down. If every morning I could bring new dawn to bleeding heroes who hold the sun up in the sky, I would bring now, before the sun goes down. If I could climb a cliff and echo love inside the chasm where bullets echo back at me, I would climb now, before the sun goes down. If I could know of courage, (the child born from hearing one's own sound and knowing it is true) I would know courage now, before the sun goes down. (Author: Fanchon Shur) Reader: In our lives, many gates open before us and close behind us. Each year has been such a gate; and as the years have come and gone, gates have opened and shut. No power can reopen a gate which has swung shut. It is sealed forever. Reader: But a new gate has just opened before us and closed behind us. At this season of gate closings and gate openings, let us resolve to let the past be past, that we might give the future its due. Reader: The closing of a life gate, the passage from one moment to the next, recalls as well the passing of life itself. The dance of life spins to a halt, leaving only memories of steps taken, leaps tried, grace achieved and shared. Memorial Reader: Our tradition ordained this final gathering at the closing as a time for quiet remembrance. A time when, as we pass from one gate to another, we recall those who found an end to passings. Cantor: Zaykher Zay-kher tza-dee-keem l'vra-kha, Zay-kher tza-dee-keem l'vra-kha, L'vra-kha L'vra-kha, Zay-kher tza-de-keem l'vra-kha. Zay-kher tza-dee-keem l'vra-kha, Zay-kher tza-dee-keem l'vra-kha, L'vra-kha L'vra-kha, Zay-kher tza-de-keem l'vra-kha. (Remember the righteous in blessing) Bema Reader: There is no adequate memorial for the dead; indeed, memorials are often more for the living, a chance to remember a loved one with unabashed tears. A time to retell a story, recall a gesture, reaffirm a love. Reader: "I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground. So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind. Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned. Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind; Quietly they go, the intelligent, the worthy, the brave; I know, but I do not approve. And I am not resigned." (Edna St. Vincent Millay) Responsive Reading: Those who taught us to laugh and to cry, We remember them now. Those who held us and whom we held, We remember them now. Those who loved us and whom we loved, We remember them now. At the rising of the sun and at its going down, We remember them. At the blowing of the wind in the chill of winter, At the opening of the buds in the rebirth of spring, We remember them. When we are weary and in need of strength, When we are lost and sick at heart, When we have decisions that are difficult to make, When we have joys we yearn to share, We remember them. When we seek advice that does not come, When we are alone and afraid, We remember them. As long as we live, they too will live, For they are a part of us, As we remember them. Kaddish Bema Reader: We offer our loving tribute to all the people who gave us the gift of their lives. We recall in sorrow the six million who perished. The memory of their lives and of their fates touches us deeply. As a community, we also have suffered many losses. The memory of those we loved in life and still love in death, blesses our thoughts and actions. Let us stand together and think of them. If you would like to, please say the names of those you remember. 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 of man and woman 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. (be seated) Bema Reader: Let us try to hear the sound of our hearts. We can hear the beating only if we are very quiet. As we sit still for a moment, we can listen carefully; we can hear ourselves breathing and our hearts beating. Let us hear what is within us. Silent Meditation with Music "Meditators since the beginning of time have known that they must use their own eyes and the language of their own times to express their insight. Wisdom is a living stream, not an icon to be preserved in a museum. Only when a practitioner finds the spring of wisdom in his or her own life can it flow to future generations. Keeping the torch of wisdom glowing is the work of all of us who know how to clear a path through the forest in order to walk on ahead." Thich Nhat Hanh, The Sun in my Heart Cantor: Anee Ma'ameen (I Believe) A-nee ma-a-meen, (3) Beh-eh-moo-nah sh-lei-ma, B'vee-at ha-sha-lom, V'af al pee, she-yit-ma-mei-ha, Eem kol-zeh a-nee ma-a-meen, Eem kol-zeh a-khe-keh-loh, B'khol-yom she-ya-vo, A-nee ma-a-meen. (I believe with perfect trust in the coming of peace. And even though it has not yet come, I still believe and will wait for it each day.) Bema Reader: Today, as we think about what we would like to be, we begin with our shortcomings. Our mistakes and wrongdoings of the past year remain in our minds. And so on this day of Yom Kippur, day of truth and change, we say: We are sorry; we hope to do better. We say: Al khait she-kha-ta-nu, ee-mam ha-s'lee-khat. For the wrong we have done, we are truly sorry. Responsive Reading: Al khait she-kha-ta-nu. For the wrong we have done, we are truly sorry. For the wrong we have done, by not always speaking the truth, we are truly sorry. Ee-mam ha-s'lee-khat. Al khait she-kha-ta-nu. For having been stubborn or lazy, we are sorry. For the wrong we have done, by having hurt other people's feelings, we are sorry. Ee-mam ha-s'lee-khat. Al khait she-kha-ta-nu. For having been unfair or spiteful, we are sorry. For the wrong we have done, by speaking when we should have listened, we are sorry. Ee-mam ha-s'lee-khat. Al khait she-kha-ta-nu. For having remained silent when we should have spoken up, we are sorry. For the wrong we have done, by being jealous of others' good fortune, we are sorry. Ee-mam ha-s'lee-khat. Al khait she-kha-ta-nu. For being bad-tempered when we could have been cheerful, we are sorry For the wrong we have done, when we failed to honor and respect others, we are sorry.Ee-mam ha-s'lee-khat. All: Al khait she-kha-ta-nu. For all these things and more, we are truly sorry, and we ask that our family and friends understand us and forgive us. Ee-mam ha-s'lee-khat. Cantor: Tz'reekheem Tz'ree-kheem a-nakh-noo, L'ta-hayr li-bay-noo. Tz'ree-kheem a-nakh-noo, L'ta-hayr li-bay-noo, Kee ayn ba-noo ma-a-seem. T'hee im-ma-noo, Tz'da-ka va-khe-sed. T'hee im-ma-noo, Ts'da-ka va-khe-sed, V'ho-shee-ay-noo. (Repeat) Tz'ree-kheem a-nakh-noo, L'ta-hayr li-bay-noo. L'ta-hayr li-bay-noo, Kee ayn ba-noo ma-a-seem. Tz'ree-kheem a-nakh-noo (Deeds ring hollow if not from a pure heart filled with justice, mercy, benevolence, righteousness, and charity; all of which are required for the salvation of ourselves and humanity.) Reader: These words tell what Yom Kippur is all about for us. Yom Kippur is also for the rest of the world. It is a hope for peace. Reader: The world we live in is both kind and cruel. We endure its cruelty in order to taste the kindness of its love. We withstand its harshness in order to temper our fate with the memory of beauty. Responsive Reading: In all that we say and do from this Yom Kippur to the next, we will do our best to keep every promise. To fulfill every good intention and every resolution that we make. But if there are promises that we truly cannot keep, however hard we try, We hope others will forgive us for our failings. And we ask forgiveness, too, for those promises we could not keep in the year now ended. We ask forgiveness for those promises we could not keep in the year now ended. Each of us possesses the power to know more than each of us does. But we are often too busy and resistant to learn. Each of us possesses the strength to do more than each of us does. But we are often too tired to act. Without learning and without active participation, we do not live up to what we are and what we can be. The more we are able to see, the more we look for. The more we question, the more there is to question. The more we experience, the more we want to experience. These things that will benefit us and our world, we will hear and we will do. Nish-ma v'na-a-seh! We will hear and we will do! Cantor: Beem'kom Bee-m'kom sha-ayn a-na-sheem, Nish-ta-dayl lee-yot eesh. Bee-m'kom sha-ayn a-na-sheem, Nish-ta-dayl lee-yot eesh. (In a place where no one behaves like a human being, you must strive to be human.) Bema Reader: And now, at the close of this day's service, we say, with Jews around the world: All: Let the year upon which we have entered be for us, for Israel, and for all humanity: A year of goodness and prosperity. A year of love, friendship, and comfort. A year of peace and contentment, of joy and spiritual welfare. A year of virtue and right choices. A year which finds the hearts of parents united with the hearts of children. A year of health in mind and body. L'sha-nah to-vah oo-m'too-kah. Sha-lom. All Sing: L'shanah Tovah L'sha-nah to-vah ti-ka-tey-mun.(2x) A good year, a year of peace. L'sha-nah to-vah. (Repeat) (May you be sealed for a good year.) Shofar is sounded TEKIAH SHEVARIM TERUAH TEKIAH-GEDOLAH All: L'shanah tovah oo-m'too-kah! A Good and Sweet Year!