By Heidi Gantwerk
SAN DIEGO — It is hard to believe, but this is the fifth Rosh Hashanah I have written to you to reflect on the year that has passed and to set an intention for the one ahead. Each time, I have wished you a sweet and happy New Year, and each year has brought moments of sweetness and joy. But this year, I have started and restarted this message, searching for how best to balance the richness and strength of our collective Jewish experience and my hopes for the new year against the fear and fatigue so many are feeling in this moment.
Late last Saturday at Selichot services, just a day after I returned from an intense trip to Israel and Sha’ar HaNegev, we ended the service with t’kiyah g’dolah – the long blast of the shofar – and then left the sanctuary in silence. The rabbis teach that the sound of the shofar can penetrate the human heart and hearing that powerful blast was bracing. Without the usual post-service kibbitzing, my mind filled with images and reflections on the past year. I reflected on how intense and rewarding and sometimes overwhelming my own Jewish experience has been.
I found myself thinking about a teaching my friend Rabbi Yael Ridberg shared at a recent Federation leadership program. She introduced the concept of mashber – a word that has two meanings, one modern and one ancient. In modern Hebrew, mashber means “crisis.” Originally, it meant “birthing stool.” Both meanings come from the root “to break” and the connection between the two resonates strongly for me today. Time and again – especially every day since October 7 – we have witnessed extraordinary creativity, resilience, commitment, and strength born out of crisis. Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur wrote, “We are in a time of mashber. It’s a time of anger and hope, death and life. It’s the birthing of something new and no one knows what that’s going to be.”
Tonight, we begin the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, marking the birth of the world. So today, I am focused on birth, and on the spark of creation we all have within us. We have lived through crisis on a global scale, and many of us on a personal level as well. Tonight, and throughout these days of awe, my intention is to lean into that older meaning of mashber. There is so much good that has been born out of crisis these past two years.
Engagement in Jewish life is booming. Investment in Jewish organizations has surged, and those here in San Diego are finding new and powerful ways to collaborate. Jewish teens and young adults are seeking out experiences that strengthen their Jewish identity while building lifelong friendships. New leaders are stepping up to safeguard the future of our Jewish institutions. Our sense of connection with the global Jewish community has never been stronger, and our community has strengthened its deep bond with the people of Israel.
Let this Rosh Hashanah be a moment of renewal for us all. Let us listen to the call of the shofar and reflect on the ways this past year has strengthened our resilience and increased our joy. Let us celebrate the potential of the New Year, and our power to create something life-affirming out of crisis. Let these holy days help us clear away the trauma, the toxicity, and the complexity of all that swirls around us. And let us rediscover the possibility of hope and light in the year to come.
From all of us at Federation, our best wishes for a sweet, healthy, and happy New Year. L’shana tova u’metuka!
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Heidi Gantwerk is president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of San Diego.