Dear sisters and brothers from all over the world, Jewish communities big and small, Shanah Tovah to all of you! As we welcome the Jewish New Year 5783, I would like to wish you all a sweet and happy new year.
Our ancient Jewish tradition wisely connects the change of seasons with our changes of heart. Indeed, this twilight time between years invites us to embrace change as a people and as individuals. It invites us to reflect on our lives, our choices, and our beliefs. It invites us to question how we can do things better in the coming year, for ourselves, for our families, for our communities. It demands we deepen our attention, and even more so, our intention, to replace bitterness with sweetness.
Jewish tradition teaches us that on Rosh Hashanah we are inscribed in the Book of Life. But we are not only inscribed as individuals.rise and fall together, as a people. Let us therefore commit to be inscribed in the Book of Life—together. Let us help each other to be inscribed in the Book of Life—together. Let us debate with compassion, disagree without fear, and work towards each other, rather than away from each other.
Let us recall the beauty in our unity. Only thus may we fulfill the words of the Psalmist, King David: ‘May there be peace within our walls and security within our citadels. For the sake of my brothers (and I add, sisters) and friends, I say—Peace be with you.’
From your home away from home, here in the State of Israel, to your homes around the world, I wish you all, Shanah Tovah U’Metukah. Ketivah veChatimah Tovah.
President Herzog's inspiring words to the Jewish residents of Israel were said in Hebrew and are translated and brought below:
To our dearly beloved Jewish People
As the New Year of 5783 begins, our hearts open to the new vistas unfolding in front of our eyes. The sound of the shofar blasts pierce the air while the refreshing fall breezes of the last days of Elul, the month of mercy and forgiveness, carry with them hopes and expectations of good days to come.
These are days of introspection, days during which we ask ourselves what we wish to leave behind us and what we wish to carry with us as we continue along the road of life.
How I wish, my dear friends, that the New Year awaiting us around the corner be one of serenity, joy, health, stability, peace and tranquility, security and togetherness. May we learn to discard and leave behind us all hatred and fear; may we strengthen our acquaintance with those who differ from us, the respect and caring of all of us for one another.
May we, even during an election period that challenges our cohesion, learn to disagree from a place of respectful discussion, and without, God forbid, forgetting the deep, eternal truth that is within us forever, that we are brothers and sisters; that the challenges awaiting us are to be met by all of us, together.
May the New Year be a good one, simply a wonderful year of joy and happiness for all of us. "Let the past year's difficulties end, the new year's blessings begin". A happy New Year to all of the beloved Jewish People.