“Ketiva ve-chatima tovah!”

I used to watch them on Saturday mornings from my apartment in Georgetown; families dressed in their finery, walking patiently and proudly to Kesher Israel Synagogue for observance of the Sabbath. They shunned modern transportation, and would truly rest from their labors for the remainder of the day. “If Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” (1 Cor 15:14) If by some remote chance such were proven to be true, I would rather be Jewish. Thankfully, my Catholic faith is the fulfillment of Judaism. Still, I admire them from a distance. A man sits on the Metro with his daughter, reading his newspaper, his carrying bag for his tallit (prayer shawl) and yarmulke (skullcap) on his lap.

Tonight begins the "Days of Awe" or "High Holidays" in the Jewish year, also known as Rosh Hashanah. You can read all about it at the Australian Jewish blog Oz Torah, or this piece at Patheos.com. It is commonly thought of as the "Jewish new year," and history has even known greeting cards to that effect. But in fact it is much more than that, as our Jewish brethren will attest. Meanwhile, we have a unique greeting card for our Jewish friends. And we wish them well.

“May you be written and sealed for a good year!”