Rosh Hashana Thank You’s from my Balcony

There’s been so much bad lately our kids have started to ask after we check the news if there’s anything good to report. No five year old should be upset that we are going into another lockdown thinking it’s his fault, but our son cried that if only he had more time to make signs showing the importance of wearing masks, maybe we wouldn’t have to. It pains me to think this child felt the burden of the whole nation on his shoulders. It pained me even more to have to explain that of course it is not his fault but that yes, there are so many people out there who are not careful and getting sick which is why we are locking down yet again.

On a personal note we walked into this new year with a new addition to the family. Being able to focus in on our new bundle of joy and less on what’s outside our home has been a much needed breath of fresh air. But as the hours crept by and we got ready for Rosh Hashana, I was saddened by how different this holiday was going to be for us. Luckily, we were pleasantly surprised. We stepped out of our home onto our balcony. Over the last two days it has become for me, a symbol of hope for our future as a nation, and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you.

Thank you, men and women who took to the streets, in the blaring sun, to sing and pray out loud so we could all hear. This Rosh Hashana is so different, so strange, and yet the same familiar tunes filled our porch and our homes thanks to you.

Thank you, neighbor in a yard nearby for sitting outside all morning with your laptop and working. I know you probably were not interested in a 3 in a half hour prayer service right in your face, but you didn’t complain, you didn’t say a thing other than wish my children a Shana Tova. This has been a valuable lesson we got to teach them about respecting others needs, even if sometimes they may not match our own.

Thank you tolerant neighbors, who so desperately wanted to hear the prayers below but instead had a mixture of Shul tunes and my children yelling commands to each other how to beat the monster while running in their underwear and capes. Being a superhero is a loud business, and I thank you for saying “it’s fine, don’t worry about it” and telling us you have all been there at one point or another.

Thank you, police officers who kept driving past the outdoor makeshift shul, for doing your job over this holiday. Regardless of if this lockdown is useful or not, the right decision or not, I’m sure you are sorely missed at home, and know this couldn’t have been an easy time to be away from your loved ones.

Lastly, thank you, dear neighbor who took up the important task of designated Shofar blower. Clearly you have not had much practice at blowing the Shofar, but you took up the task (probably since no one else would..) As someone who has tried in the past to blow the Shofar myself, I know it can’t be easy. And though you probably didn’t mean it, those ridiculous attempts at blowing the Shofar left me and my husband in stitches on the balcony. May this be a beginning of a year full of laughter.

I don’t know what the rest of this lockdown will bring us, but my balcony has shown me what the game plan has to be. May we find a way to put our differences aside and love one another, share our experiences with one another, respect one another a bit more, and be it on purpose or not, leave each other laughing more this coming year.

Thank you kind neighbors and may you all have a sweet new year.