Reflection and Charity

The Fellowship  |  September 10, 2019

The Jewish people observe Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) by triumphantly sounding the shofar (a trumpet made from a ram’s horn) one hundred times for two days. This biblical tradition ushers in the Ten Days of Awe – the High Holy Days – that begin with Rosh Hashanah and end with Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), when our fate for the coming year is sealed in the Book of Life.

Yom Kippur — the Day of Atonement — is considered the Sabbath of Sabbaths for the Jewish people.

This sacred Holy Day is a reflective time of prayer, repentance, fasting, and charity. It is also a time for community and coming together. I am reminded of what God tells us about community, companionship, and charity in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

This is a vivid reminder that it is not enough to simply feel sympathy for the needy or to only pray for them. We are to help supply the necessities of life they lack, to help them up, to help them stay warm and safe!

You can take action with a heart of reflection and charity by giving to support our High Holy Days outreach. In solidarity, we can say to the Jewish people, “We stand together as a cord of three strands!”

Your gift can directly impact impoverished and elderly Jews by helping them observe Yom Kippur with joy and dignity. You can be the one who lifts them up today, in these crucial last moments with your gift of love and support through The Fellowship.