With exercise and physical fitness all the rage, we know that intense physical activity takes its toll on our bodies – “no pain, no gain.”  Yet the physical pain of working out can often be tempered by preparation.  Warming up and stretching our muscles, we give our body warning before jumping into the latest exercise craze.  Even professional athletes, who have fine tuned their bodies to play their sports, spend time stretching before each game.

Athletics is not the only place where preparation counts.  At Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we make our greatest spiritual exertion of the year.  We mark the start of the new year by reflecting upon our transgressions against others, repenting for our past sins, and making atonement. 

Leaping into these tasks of in-depth self-reflection and repentance without preparation can be difficult and even painful.  Our psyches require time to stretch—to struggle with our feelings as we accept our mistakes, and begin the first steps towards teshuvah.  The ten days which separate these two holidays hardly seem sufficient for us to complete our task, much less finish our warm-ups.

And so our Days of Awe begin with the warm-up ritual of a Selichot service.  Usually held on a Saturday evening preceding Rosh Hashanah, Selichot literally means forgiveness.  The liturgy of this service gives worshippers a chance to begin orienting themselves for the Days of Awe.  Just as stretching re-acquaints our muscles with the demands of our activities, the music and prayers of this service echo those of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

This year, on September 8^th, we welcome a guest speaker who is familiar with the themes of Selichot.  David Kaczynski, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty, will share the compelling story of his role as the brother of Ted Kaczynski, known to many as the Unabomber.  Mr. Kaczynski and his wife Linda were the first to make the connection between Ted and the string of bombings that gripped our country.  Later, they were responsible for turning Ted over to the federal authorities.  When it came to light that Ted suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, Mr. Kaczynski advocated against the use of capital punishment.

Join us at 7:30pm to hear Mr. Kaczynski’s talk, which will be followed by our brief Selichot service.  His story is sure to captivate, and start our own thoughts turning toward repentance and atonement.  I hope that you will include our Selichot speaker and service as part of your warm-up for the Days of Awe.

Shanah Tovah,

Rabbi Adam Miller