Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik described his idea of Brit Ye'ud, a Covenant of Destiny, as a means to conceptualize the construction of our own Jewish future as a people; it is a way to avoid being trapped in what Soloveitchik called a Brit Goral, a Covenant of Fate, where Jewish lives are shaped by the forces of an uncaring world.
In the Talmud we learn that Jews have no mazal. (This doesn't mean that we are unlucky.) It means that our lives aren't determined by the stars, by fate. But lately, the feeling of helplessness seems inescapable.
These High Holidays, we at Der Nister will challenge this malaise. We ask simply, why do we feel so trapped in our fate? What can we do to actively determine our own future? What will it take to make a better world and how can we transform ourselves to get there?
Rabbi Ye'ela Rosenfeld will bring poetry and thoughts on how to choose our destiny, and Rabbi Henry Hollander will speak on the dreams for a better world that the Jewish people possessed and seek to reclaim.
As a community, led in prayer by Rabbi Zach Golden, we will gather to consider where we've been, reflect on where we are now, and imagine a better future.
Our schedule:
Rosh Hashanah Eve, Wednesday October 2, 6:30 PM
Rosh Hashanah Day 1, Thursday, October 3, 9:00 AM
Rosh Hashanah Day 2, Friday, October 4, 9:00 AM
Tashlich, Sunday, October 6, 6:00 PM (At Echo Park Lake)
Kol Nidre, Friday, October 11, 6:00 PM
Yom Kippur Day, Saturday, October 12, 9:00 AM
Ne'ilah, Saturday, October 12, 5:30 PM