Thoughts & Teachings
Samuel Moskowitz
I grew up in Rock Island, Illinois, a small Midwestern town on the border of Iowa and Illinois. We had two synagogues in Rock Island and its surrounding area and we grew up in the conservative shul, the Tri-City Jewish Center.
When asked to reflect on how I prepare spiritually and personally for the High Holy Days, I have to admit that that my Kavanah may have some uniqueness that stems from the fact that I was born on Yom Kippur. Certainly, the observance of Kol Nidre by my mother, aleha hashalom, of blessed memory, was often referred to in jokes as "...Rosetta would do anything to get out of the Yom Kippur fast."
Almost thirty years later, on Erev Rosh HaShanah, my father, alav hashalom, of blessed memory wrote a very special birthday note to me (my birthday fell on Rosh HaShanah that year). It has become my custom to pull this note out each year in advance of Rosh HaShanah as my Kavanah to both recall my father, and to prepare me for the High Holy Days.
In the letter, my father said: "Tonight I look forward to going to synagogue with you to celebrate the start of our New Year and to celebrate your birthday. The significance of these two events is not insignificant; they are intertwined..." He went on to tell me about his father, for whom I am named, and his commitment as a Jew and his dedication to the birth of the State of Israel. My father ended the birthday note by saying: "Am Yisrael Chai - the People of Israel lives."
This note serves as an inspiration to me and to the entire Moskowitz family as we prepare for the New Year.
