Jewish Community Celebrates New Year with Mixed Emotions

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A meaningful Kintsugi workshop for women, festive holiday themed children’s projects, High holidays services and an emotional Oct 7 Memorial were a few of the ways that the Orange County Jewish community welcomed the new year.   The typically joyful Jewish New Year was intertwined with a combination of joy, hope, reflection and continued grief over the tragic effects of the Oct 7 Massacre in Israel and the 101 hostages who still remain in Gaza.

 “It’s a delicate balance of joy and sorrow- but most importantly faith and hope for a better year ahead”, explains Chana Burston, who co-directs Chabad of Orange County with her husband, Rabbi Pesach Burston. Chabad Hebrew School students decorated yard signs to wish neighbors and friends “Shana Tova” – a sweet new year. Students also wrote “Prayers in a Bottle” for the New Year, with prayers for their families, Israel and the world, placed into a bottle with sand and shells.

 Children of all ages enjoyed baking round Challahs, designing honey dishes and climbing in a giant whale as they learned the story of “Jonah and the Whale” read on Yom Kippur.

 The Jewish Women’s Circle experienced a fascinating Kintsugi workshop entitled “Beauty in the Broken”. Chana Burston explains that, “The Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by embracing the cracks and filling them with gold reminded me of the story of the Jewish people throughout the centuries. The kintsugi pieces become stronger and more beautiful after they are repaired, similar to the Jewish nation, which becomes more unified with Jewish pride when faced with adversity.”

 High Holiday services at the Chabad Center in Monroe were attended by hundreds followed by festive celebratory meals and special children’s programs.

 The Oct 7 Remembrance and Musical Evening attracted over 150 attendees and was an evening of reflection, prayers, remembrance and meaningful music. County Executive Steve Newhouse addressed the large crowd with comforting messages. Legislator Peter Touhy and Monroe Mayor Neil Dwyer were also in attendance. “Throughout history the Jewish nation always sang,” said Rabbi Pesach Burston. “Not just in times of joy, but also in times of unspeakable tragedy. We will continue to sing – the terrorists cannot take that away from us”.

Teen leader Isabella Houck of Middletown shared her experience traveling to Israel during the war to volunteer through the CTeen Israel Journey. Community member and musician Mordecai Walker of Cornwall played beautiful melodies on guitar. A reservist from Bergen County who recently returned home from serving in the Israel Defense Force shared his experience with the Orange County community. Bookmarks featuring photos and descriptions of October 7 victims were distributed to attendees, with suggested good deeds to perform in their memory.  “We will continue to stand strong as proud Jews, despite the challenges of this past year and the rise in antisemitism.  We won’t let those that try to destroy us define us – what defines us is being a united and joyful nation, constantly increasing in acts of kindness” concludes Rabbi Pesach.

 For more info on holiday programs at Chabad, and to pick up a bookmark of remembrance, log onto chabadorange.com, call 845-782-2770 or email Rabbi@ChabadOrange.com.