Dear Friends,

The High Holidays are a time for family and community, and a period when — as Abraham Joshua Heschel says — “A Jew never stands alone.”

In my video reflections, I draw inspiration from the many ways that we as a Jewish community stand together. At this time of year — one where our prayers are full of so many words, complex ideas, and themes — much of what we say and do is in the plural.

In Pirkei Avot, Hillel teaches us, “Do not separate yourself from the community.” Our community needs us, and we need community. We are at our best when we live and act in the plural. We celebrate together. We apologize and ask for forgiveness together. We move forward together. We do not need to face this world alone.

This time of year is an opportunity for each of us to ask ourselves how we want to change ourselves and our world for the better. It is also a reminder that, as challenging as the work of healing and repair can be, we are in this together, with generations of ancestors before us and with other Jews around the world. I am grateful to all of you for standing together with me as a part of our Jewish community here in Boston.

I want to wish you and your loved ones a happy, healthy, and sweet new year.