TBS News and Information

It’s an occupational hazard, but when people talk about “the holiday season,” my mind automatically goes to the time period between Rosh HaShanah and Simchat Torah, not Thanksgiving to New Year’s. And when I get emails that say, “Donate now before the year ends,” I think about the end of Elul and the start of Tishrei, not the end of December and the beginning of January.

So my notion of “New Year’s” centers around apples and honey and shofar blasts, not hors d’oeuvres and party hats. Still, the truth is that the customs of the end of the secular calendar year can have some correlation with our religious new year traditions, even more than festive foods and gatherings with friends. Both can involve reflections on the year that has passed. Both can involve resolutions on making the new year a better one. Both can involve meaningful donations of tzedakah (and I hope you included TBS on your end-of-2025 list!).

In today’s America, our congregation lives by both calendars, secular and Jewish. We keep time with the rest of the world, enjoying a winter break from the regular routine, while maintaining our traditions and marking our moments with the rhythm of the sacred. One makes us feel a part of the broader society, like everyone else. The other makes us unique, part of this special community of peoplehood and faith.

If you made resolutions for Rosh HaShanah 5786, then New Year’s 2026 is a good time to check in and see how you’re doing. And you might recall my challenge to make 4 new friends at TBS before Rosh HaShanah 5787. So, whichever calendar we’re following, there is work to be done!May the days, weeks, months, and year ahead be a happy and healthy time for us all.