Good Yom Tov and a Happy and Healthy New Year dear Friends,

Each of us carry an array of feelings tonight regarding Yom Kippur and the hope of being inscribed and sealed by the Almighty G-d in the book of a good life. Looking at your faces, I can see some people carry a special and sentimental spiritual feeling on these traditional days of Awe.

Some of us are fortunate to have their parents and even grandparents and family members around them. Others sit close to the memorial plaque of their loved ones with memories of their past lives. Tonight and tomorrow, Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar we carry a special feeling. What is it?

In reality, many of us carry concerns and pain in our heart. Thoughts about the future of the country, or the frustration over the fluctuation of the stock market, or the fear of who will be the next US President; the worries about family situations, while others have uncertainties for nature's hurricanes and global warming. The question that people ask is: Rabbi, what exactly should I pray to G-d for tonight and tomorrow? And how can my prayers best be answered? How can I make the next year of my life be for good? How can I make it happen for good?

The good news is that just by your coming to shul tonight and tomorrow, by your fasting, by your giving charity and by your reciting the prayers which was the script created by our ancestors, you have fulfilled the ancient formula of our torah, Teshuva, Tefilla, and Tzedaka. You, in essence, are walking in the footsteps of your family members who have preceded you. Think about it, how fortunate are we to have been shown the path to reach G-d by the words and songs that we recite and listen to tonight and tomorrow.

My friends, on this holy day of atonement, we individually and collectively, are receiving a special gift from G-d, a time for personal inventory. So, I would like to share some feelings which I hope will bring optimism to your heart and good instruction for the upcoming 25 hrs. Winston Churchill once said. "Those nations that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat their mistakes." We the Jewish nation should learn from those historical experiences. So, let us begin with the history of our people. It is interesting how many times we descend in order to ascend. Yerida ltzorech Aliya, how we fall in order to rise and grow.

Another example is with the biblical Jacob and his children, particularly his son Joseph, who descended to Egypt and a period of slavery of approximately 210 years. Afterwards, they ascended upon liberation and heading into the desert, to receive the Torah and the land of Israel. Thus, one can surmise that slavery in Egypt was a descent for the sake of ascent. Our ancestors descended to the lowest possible depths of slavery and misery in order to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai and then to rise to a new existential and spiritual dimension. And yes, we sometimes like our forefathers and foremothers go through life’s challenging moments in order to ascend higher. So many times the fluctuation of our people in history occurred, beginning as a journey of deep descent, ultimately for the sake of being able to ascend.

Another example is in the story of Purim: As Esther and Mordechai along with the Jewish nation are slated for death and disaster, Haman is elevated. When Queen Esther appears hopeless, through Divine intervention everything turns around and she saved the day. Deservedly, Haman and his wicked sons are hung!

Additionally, the story which we are going to read in mincha tomorrow of the prophet Jonah teaches us that things can turn around after reaching its lowest point. Jonah ran away from his mission and became trapped inside the belly of a whale. Finally, he came to his senses, accepted his density and willingly followed G-d’s instructions and went out to save the people of Ninveh. He became an elevated hero in the end.

Now, coming close to our modern time, approximately 60 years ago my grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many of your families were also in concentration camps. They really lost everything. Not just stocks, but their homes, their material possessions, their businesses and families. Having a piece of bread and a sip of watery soup meant survival. They never had what we have today- homes, cars, clothes, furniture, jewelry, art work, and other material possessions in an abundance.

One of our congregants tells a story of being in a concentration camp with her sister. Her sister, wanted to commit suicide and run into an electrical fence. Our congregant told her sister no; never give up your life, have hope there will be a better tomorrow. They were liberated, immigrated to the USA, married, had families, built successful lives and now have much to be happy for. This is the way of our people- survival against odds, survival in the face of adversity, prayers and hope to G-d all the time. A lesson of families and communities looking out for one another, helping and doing acts of kindness. That's what we continue to do here at Kneseth Israel in Annapolis, Maryland. We are here for you throughout the ups and downs of life, during the descents and ascents, during the turns of life’s wheel of fortune.

Furthermore, Kabbalah teaches us that the soul reaches fullest expressiveness and highest awareness in particular while bound by the body. It seems that the tension created when the soul seeks to express itself and fights with the body, creates the highest consciousness and spiritual light. Things will be good. We the Jewish nation should learn from those experiences and teachings.

Some of these ideas have been adopted by many religions and cultures. For instance, the Masters of Yoga said that the concept of descending for the sake of ascending applies to the healing process of our mind, body and soul. Many religions follow this precept that a person grows from downfall.

Yom Kippur is a G-d given opportunity. Yes, it is G-d’s gift to us to revisit our past actions in order to attain new heights of development and growth. Yom Kippur is a once a year special time to pause and think about ourselves and our lives. It is a wake up call to understand that even if we sometimes face a downfall it is an exceptional chance to ascend. The Kol Nidrei prayer which is an annulment of our vows is an excellent time to free ourselves from our past sins. Each of us can ascend to a new reality.

Yom Kippur can help us purify ourselves from the "toxicities" that we may have absorbed during the past year. At this time, I have 18 (meaning Chai – life) practical suggestions post Yom Kippur about how to nurture yourself physically and spiritually:

In conclusion, I wish everyone will have an easy fast. Avinu Malkeinu, our G-d and G-d of our forefathers, we beseech you through our individual and community prayers and deeds, that we will have a successful life. Please Almighty G-d bless us with a healthy, prosperous, meaningful 5769 Year for each of us. May all our descents be for good ascents. May Hashem hear our prayers and answer them speedily. Amen.