Happy Rosh Hashana!
Posted by Shira Cohen-Regev on September 25, 2008 under Jewish Holidays | 
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Shlomo Gronich – Journey to the Sources
שְׁלֹמֹה גְּרוּנִיך – מַסָּע אֶל הַמְּקוֹרוֹת
Last week I stepped into a performing hall in Ra’anana to watch one of the best Israeli musicians – Shlomo Gronich. This outstanding and unique composer and performer created a very special journey to the Jewish Sources. He composed biblical texts and prayers in a way that touches my soul deeply.
As the performance took place in the month of Elul, when the smell of the New Year is in the air, he opened it by playing the Shofar. I wrote “playing” and not “blowing” – as the music that came from these horns was nothing like I had ever heard before – it truly felt as if the music opened our hearts and souls. Then he gave a very touching musical version of the Blessing known as Birkat Hashanim (בִּרְכַּת הַשָּׁנִים, blessing for years [of good]). Although this prayer is recited 3 times a day by a practicing Jew, it has a very special implication at this time of the year, and was given a different angle by the music.
בָּרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֶת הַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת,
וְאֶת כָּל מִינֵי תְּבוּאָתָהּ לְטוֹבָה,
וְתֵן בְּרָכָה עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה וְשָׂבַעְנוּ מִטּוּבָהּ,
וּבָרֵךְ שְׁנָתֵנוּ כַּשָּׁנִים הַטּוֹבוֹת לִבְרָכָה,
כִּי אֵל טוֹב וּמֵטִיב אַתָּה וּמְבָרֵךְ הַשָּׁנִים:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה מְבָרֵךְ הַשָּׁנִים.
Bless this year for us, O LORD our God,
together with all the varieties of its produce, for our welfare.
Bestow a blessing upon the face of the earth.
O satisfy us with thy goodness, and bless our year
like the best of years.
Blessed art thou, O LORD, who blesseth the years.
The atmosphere that evolved was electrifying. A secular musician took these ancient texts and made them available to those of us who do not go to the Synagogue and are not exposed to these eternal words. I am happy to share this spiritual experience with you. You may get a taste of the event by watching this clip.
New Year Blessings
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and sweet year. As the custom of sending New Year cards changes and become more virtual, I would like to invite you to our new Jewish-Greeting site, where you may find the right Shana Tova to send to your friends and relatives.
שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה!
Shana Tova ‘Umetuka!
Good and Sweet Year!
שִׁירָה
September 1st was the first day of school. Almost 1.5 million students in Israel concluded their two-month summer vacation, loaded their backpacks and headed to elementary, middle, and high school. 135,000 students experienced their first day of school, wearing little badges with the words: שָׁלוֹם כִּתָּה א’ (shalom kita alef, Hello first grade). My family enjoyed the last evening of the summer vacation at the beach, playing in the warm Mediterranean water, feeling the sand under our feet, and eating 
My children continued at the same schools with the same head-teachers and same classes – only a year older. This, I must say, made the transition from vacation to school easier and calmer. My daughter, who only last year took her first steps into elementary school, looked at the first graders with much compassion, feeling how big she is now in reference to them. She told me that now she knows every corner at school and was very happy to meet her old teacher and friends. My son, who began 4th grade, came to school very motivated – I wish it lasts! And my eldest, who is now at the highest grade of middle school, feels how important this year is in preparation for high school.
