By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Various forms of the shofar, used during Rosh Hashanah and to mark the end of the day of fasting on Yom Kippur, are seen here on exhibit at the old synagogue in the Jewish section of Krakow, Poland, which is now the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow.
MIAMI | In a letter dated Sept. 10, 2020, Archbishop Thomas Wenski wished "Shana Tova" — a good year — to South Florida's Jewish community as they celebrated the holy days of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, began at sunset Sept. 18 and ended at nightfall Sept. 20, 2020. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It takes place this year from sunset Sept. 27 to nightfall Sept. 28.
Following is Archbishop Wenski's letter:
"As you and your community prepare to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, allow me on behalf of my fellow Catholics to wish you Shana Tova.
"The Holy Father, Pope Francis, wrote in Laudato Si, five years ago, that 'we need only take a frank look at the facts to see that our common home is falling into serious disrepair' (Laudato si’, no. 60). In the encyclical, Pope Francis is more than just a prophet of gloom and doom. But he certainly doesn’t pull any punches in assessing the problems we face. Francis explains 'that human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbor and with the earth itself' (no. 66).
"Scripture tells us that 'these three vital relationships have been broken, both outwardly and within us. This rupture is sin. The harmony between the Creator, humanity and creation was disrupted by our presuming to take the place of God and refusing to acknowledge our creaturely limitations' (Ibid).
"These holy days so dear to those of the Jewish faith remind all of us of our responsibility to 'repair the world' (Tikkun Olam). This task is certainly daunting this year as we face a triple crisis — a global pandemic, harsh economic downturn, and social unrest in many parts of our nation and the world.
"May God hear our prayers for a New Year filled with health and the blessings of peace and atonement."
