Happy(?) (New Year)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve gotten a snazzy new outfit for the Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, (you can call it the Jew Year for short). Back in the day, the awkward plaid skirt and shirt combo came from Limited Too. More recently, it’s been the Forever 21 version of a similar style. Typically something in the fall color palette, often with some rhinestone or chain or lace embellishment. Something to make the holiday just a little more new and special and exciting.

I’d don my cute little outfit, matching my sister (and my cousins in Chicago) and we’d get to Beth El, our synagogue for services. While we came every Saturday morning pretty much, the rest of the 1000 families consider this one day of celebration the prime time to join us. And I loved that I could see all my Hebrew school friends in one place outside of class. As we ran around stealing juice and Bugels from the Torah for Tots service, we felt like we ran the place. Bobbing from Alternative services in the Catholic school next door or the Fountainhead catering hall nearby, back over to the main building for some hide-and-seek, the New Year was never anything new. It was always the same, and it was always great.  I never realized how great it was, how much the community made the holiday for me - how much Beth El was like my family.

Then, I came to college. 

I was with a bunch of people I didn’t know, in a room I didn’t know, with some tunes I didn’t know, and a prayerbook I’d never seen. I was, overwhelmed. By sophomore year, I was coordinating services, overwhelmed in another way, rushing around to find someone to open the Ark doors and read an English passage and take a Torah honor and make sure nothing exploded when I stepped outside to breathe. While I was happy to be with my NU family last year, I still had lost the warmth of knowing where my parents were sitting and stealing graham crackers and hiding behind the curtains to listen to Storyteller Lou DelBianco tell stories to the little kids. (I think this is his second shoutout on my blog. Weird. Psychoanalyze that one…)

Now, I’m in Spain. 

I will not be going to the one synagogue tonight because it isn’t safe enough to walk the 40 minutes home alone after. And, who wants to be alone to celebrate? Can you even celebrate something alone? Instead, I’ll probably celebrate with some Cien Montaditos, a fast food sandwich and beer place with 1€ Wednesdays. Then, I’ll sit by the river with my friends and play until it gets dark. Festive meal with ‘family’ – check.

Purchases to make this afternoon: New outfit for the holiday, preferably in a tan/brown/orange/beige color (Mom – it’s a religious expenditure. It doesn’t count) and honey, for the apples already in my house.

I don’t have school in the next two days so in that way, I can properly celebrate by taking off from work (and blogging. I know you’ll miss me.). Maybe I can make challah with my host mom, who still doesn’t see why shark is not on the Kosher list. Maybe I can stop feeling rather morose about celebrating for all intents and purposes, alone. 

Maybe I can realize it’s just another part of the adventure that is living in a country that expelled my religion for a couple hundred years. Guess what, Spain? You might be giving me some Rosh Hashana blues but, this Jew is here to celebrate an awesome New Year, to be spent 33% in THIS country.

Feliz Año Nuevo de los Judeos!  Shana Tovah U’Metukah! Have a healthy and happy New Year!