{"id":3719,"date":"2017-09-01T14:48:58","date_gmt":"2017-09-01T13:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/?p=3719"},"modified":"2017-09-01T14:48:58","modified_gmt":"2017-09-01T13:48:58","slug":"the-gifts-within-us-what-rosh-hashanah-tells-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/the-gifts-within-us-what-rosh-hashanah-tells-us\/","title":{"rendered":"The gifts within us: what Rosh Hashanah tells us"},"content":{"rendered":"

We will be gathering again shortly to usher in a new year, 5778. The tone for our High Holy Days is set for challenging ourselves, heshbon hanefesh<\/em> (account of the soul), and to find uplift in our special time together. The theme of this year\u2019s sermons is about knowing who we are and recovering the gifts that are too often hidden right inside us!<\/p>\n

This story says it all, The Apple Tree\u2019s Discovery<\/em> by Penina Schram. It\u2019s a beautiful tale of how we keep searching for more and more and more, only to discover that what we want is within us.
\nIn a great oak forest where the trees grew tall and majestic, was a little apple tree. It was the only apple tree in that forest, so it stood alone. Winter came and snow fell, covering the branches of the little apple tree. The forest was quiet and peaceful.<\/p>\n

One night, the little apple tree looked up at the sky and saw a wonderful sight. Between the branches of all the trees, the little apple tree saw the stars in the sky. They seemed to be hanging on the branches of the oak trees.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh God, oh God\u201d, whispered the little apple tree, \u201cHow lucky those oak trees are to have such beautiful stars hanging on their branches. I want more than anything in the world to have stars on my branches. Then I would feel truly special.\u201d God looked down at the little apple tree and said gently, \u201cHave patience, little apple tree.”<\/p>\n

Time passed. The snow melted and spring came to the land. Tiny white and pink apple blossoms appeared on the branches of the little apple tree. Birds came to rest on its branches. People walked by, admiring its blossom. All summer long the apple tree grew. Its branches formed a canopy overhead.<\/p>\n

But night after night the little apple tree looked up at the sky with the millions of stars and cried out, \u201cOh God, I want stars on my leaves and branches, just like those oak trees.” And God looked down at the little apple tree and said, \u201cYou already have gifts. Isn\u2019t it enough to offer shade to people and fragrant blossoms and branches for birds to rest on and sing to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The apple tree sighed and answered, \u201cDear God, I don\u2019t mean to sound ungrateful! I do appreciate how much pleasure I give to others but I really want stars, not blossoms, on my branches. Then I would be special!\u201d God said, \u201cBe patient, little apple tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

The seasons changed again. Soon the apple tree was full of beautiful apples. People walking in the forest reached to pick and eat them. And still, at night the apple tree looked at the stars in the oak tree and cried, \u201cOh God, I want stars on my branches to make me me feel truly special.\u201d<\/p>\n

And God asked, \u201cBut apple tree, aren’t your wonderful apples enough? Doesn’t that satisfy you? Doesn\u2019t that give you pleasure and make you feel special?\u201d Silently the apple tree shook its branches from side to side. At that moment, God caused a wind to blow. The oak trees began to sway and the apple tree began to shake. From the top of the apple tree, an apple fell. When it hit the ground it split open.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,” commanded God, \u201cLook inside yourself.\u00a0What do you see?\u201c The little apple tree looked down and saw that right in the middle of the apple was a star. And the apple tree responded, \u201cA star! I have a star!\u201d And God laughed a gentle laugh and added, \u201cSo you do have stars on the branches. They\u2019ve been there all along, you just did not know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

This season is a sacred season, a time to reflect on the meaning of our lives. How about rediscovering those gifts we know are embedded in all of us but we sometimes refuse to acknowledge?<\/p>\n

We will explore our heritage, history, and contribution to the world as Jews. Why neglect the hidden treasures of Jewish life \u2013 our values and beliefs, rites and rituals, links to the State of Israel and to God that, like the little apple tree, we have not yet found? This is the theme of our services.
\nMy warmest greetings to you as we prepare to usher in the new year, Rosh Hashanah 5778. May this be the year of blessing, joy, celebration, health and peace for you, your loved ones, the Jewish people and all humanity.<\/p>\n

Rabbi Stuart Altshuler<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We will be gathering again shortly to usher in a new year, 5778. The tone for our High Holy Days is set for challenging ourselves, heshbon hanefesh (account of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1692,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rabbis-message"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3719"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3719\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3720,"href":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3719\/revisions\/3720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willing-lavender-dog.synagogue.org.uk\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}