High Holidays for Dummies

By Wendy Amsellem

The Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur Survival Kit
By Shimon Apisdorf
130 pages. Leviathan Press. $12.95.

As Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approach, I join together with Jews around the world in facing the challenge of making an ancient liturgy compelling and relevant to our present day lives. Those of us familiar with the prayers struggle to make the words fresh and vibrant and authentic. Others of us, who are not as versed in the language and format of the High Holiday liturgy, wrestle with making the services comprehensible. What we all share, regardless of our familiarity with the prayers, is the pursuit of a meaningful spiritual prayer experience.

Shimon Apisdorf is a self-appointed guide for those on the High Holiday spiritual journey. In the introduction to his Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Survival Kit, Apisdorf asks, "How can a day in synagogue possibly be meaningful or inspiring if you don't understand the meaning behind the prayers you are reciting or the concepts upon which the holiday is based?" Apisdorf's survival kit then is an attempt to infuse meaning into high holiday services by providing a careful analysis of the themes of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as well as a survey of some of the highlights of the prayers themselves.

Part pep-talk, part introspective contemplation, and part user-friendly how-to guide, Apisdorf's book succeeds in opening up the high holiday services to modern American Jews. Through the use of anecdotes and cultural references, Apisdorf ties the esoteric world of prayer to the matter-of-fact world of daily life. He tells the story of a frightening boyhood ride on his brother's runaway horse as a way of describing the relationship between body and soul: "The rider, what we want to do, is our soul. The horse, what we feel like doing, is our body . . .There is just one question: who is in control?"  At another point, Apisdorf explains that method acting is a critical step in the process of repentance and self-betterment: "Long ago our tradition taught us what method actors have recently discovered: That playing a superficial role has the power to nurture a deep transformation." Apisdorf brings quotes from sports figures and mishnaic sages, New York Times op-ed columnists and Apollo 14 astronauts, all as part of his efforts to make the Days of Awe relevant and compelling to contemporary Jews.

Apisdorf continually stresses that the high holidays are a wake-up call for the new year. He urges, "Together Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the dawning moments of a new year. They are 365 mornings all rolled into three days of directed energy . . .If only we could get out of bed." Later he speculates, "In truth, there are only two human tendencies. The desire to grow and to soar spiritually and the urge to take a long nap."  Apisdorf explains that the shofar blasts are an alarm clock meant to rouse us out of the complacency of our lives and awaken us to the enormous possibility for introspection, growth and improvement that are latent within Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Apisdorf provides a detailed guide to help in this self-actualization. In chapter 15, which Apisdorf calls "Momentum Builder," he provides a list of possible goals as well as sample plans of action, including a method of scoring oneself on where one stands in relationship to the goal, how much projected effort it will take to reach the goal, and the level of satisfaction expected if the goal were to be reached. The goals range from "I make time for those I love" to "I do the best I can and leave success and failure to God."  Apisdorf encourages readers to tailor the goals to fit their lives and to add to the list as they feel appropriate.

Other chapters delve into the prayers themselves. Chapter 8, for example, examines the Rosh Hashanah morning service. Rather than just explain what the words mean, Apisdorf gives short meditations on the larger ideas that the prayers embody. Again, Apisdorf consistently tries to make the prayers relevant by tying them into modern life. A rumination on the prayer of Asher Yatzar (Who has Designed Man with Wisdom) includes a short essay on the wonders of the body's DNA maintenance. A later chapter discussing the Viddui (Confessionary Prayer) on Yom Kippur includes a quote from Oscar Wilde's prison stay wherein he realizes "I have been a spendthrift of my genius…I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character." These chapters help synagogue attendees meditate on the bigger picture they are sketching with their words.

Despite the contemporary tone, the book is written from a fairly traditional viewpoint. God is consistently described in masculine terms. At one point, Yishmael is depicted as a cold-blooded murderer (which I believe is a reference to Genesis Rabbah 53:11) without any mention of the implications this way of thinking could have for the political situation today. In general, though, the Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Survival Kit is a well-written, easy-to-read guide to the high holidays that should enhance the experiences of all who read it.

Reprinted with permission from the AVI CHAI Bookshelf, where birthright israel alumni can order free books and periodicals.