What the Jewish New Year teaches us about growth

The Jewish calendar year starts in Autumn, in an somewhat odd fashion.

The 1st 10 days of the Jewish calendar year are called The 10 days of repentance (Aseret Yamei Thsuva).

These 10 days start with the Jewish new Year, which is called Rosh Hashanah. Which literally means “The head of the year”. And this period ends on Yom Kippur which literally means “The day of atonement” and is considered the holiest day of the Jewish Year, celebrated with a 25 hour fast and day long praying in synagogue.

The word for Year in Hebrew (Shana) shares the same root with the word Shinui (Change). The Year symbolizes the idea of change, of a new stage in one’s progress.

Thus we come full circle to the idea that in life, every change, every new stage of growth, begins with a gradual process, a process of repentance, of rejection of the current you- of your current stage of growth, and a demand for the next stage. This is a period of contemplation and of effort. Where you take time, and make an effort to notice and reflect on what was lacking in your previous stage, of how you must do better.

This period starts in one’s head, in a realization you can grow to the next stage, that there are things you can improve, and of planning how you will do so, and after a period of searching, of trying, of reflecting, it culminates in atonement. In a heartfelt final demand for change, putting in effort in order to reach one’s next stage in growth, and of ‘payment’ in some form of effort in order to reach this next level. Symbolized in the day of Kippur where one makes the final effort before the birth of the next year, the next stage in ones development.