The celebrated American poet Robert Frost put it well in his evocative poem: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both and be one traveller, long I stood … I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.”
One of the critical challenges for a person of faith in an indifferent and often faithless world is to find the courage to take the road less travelled. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik called it the pathway of “the lonely man of faith”.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, which falls from sunset this Friday until nightfall on Sunday, followed by Yom Kippur on September 21, is a call to all Jews across the world to renew, rediscover or initiate their commitment to follow that road.
If the pathway of religion and religious tradition is a challenging one for all people of faith in a secular Western environment, it is a heightened challenge for people of the Jewish faith. Being Jewish today in a hostile world where antisemitism is being expressed with alarming intensity and frequency, takes courage and chutzpah. Many Jews are concealing their identity or compromising it to reduce the antagonism being directed at them. This has certainly been the experience of Australian Jews since October 7, and exacerbated since the Bondi attack.
Too many of us feel abandoned by people we once considered friends. Critics accuse us of exploiting our so-called privilege and our honourable contribution to Australian society, while blaming us for drawing attention to ourselves. Our defence of our ancient connection to the holy land of Israel has been weaponised and politicised, as though we alone were responsible for Israel’s actions in this complex and devastating war.
Despite all this, I delight in taking the road less travelled. Its twists and turns offer promise and opportunity, introducing me to people of faith and no faith who seek meaning, security and hope in a seemingly cold and indifferent world. It also prompts me to look within and consider what I can do to help heal our wounded planet. The journey is not always easy; at times, I stumble over the potholes and undergrowth along this seldom-travelled road.
Although the Jewish New Year is distinctly Jewish, symbolised by the sounding of the ram’s horn, or shofar, its liturgy and prayers are universal rather than parochial. We are encouraged to reflect on and pray for “all the inhabitants and creatures of this world, who pass before the creator like beloved sheep before their shepherd”. There is also a lightness and joy to these days because they are based on the possibility of change in the human heart, the capacity for forgiveness and the conviction that new beginnings are within our reach.
On these days, Jewish people will gather in synagogues and share celebratory meals with family and friends. They will raise cups of blessing, eat sweet apples dipped in honey, and wish for a sweeter, gentler and more peaceful year ahead for all of humanity.
Rabbi Ralph Genende is the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council’s interfaith and community liaison.
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Rabbi Ralph Genende is Senior Rabbi of Jewish Care Victoria and of Kesher, The Connecting Community, and is interfaith and community liaison at the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.
