10 Reasons I Love Being Jewish
6 min read
Rosh Hashanah is a chance to hit reset on your life. Here are six powerful intentions to think about before the holiday begins.
Rosh Hashanah is coming. Before the shofar sounds, before the prayers begin, take a moment to stop and ask yourself: Where am I right now, and where do I want to go from here?
Here are six intentions to carry with you into Rosh Hashanah.
One of the central themes of Rosh Hashanah is Malchuyot, recognizing God as King.
What does that actually mean?
More than believing God exists, it means recognizing there's something greater than your own wants and plans, and letting that awareness shape how you live.
On Rosh Hashanah, you declare that God is King of the world. Ask yourself a more personal question: What would it mean to give God a greater place in my life?
Maybe that means making more time for prayer. Maybe it means thinking about God before an important decision. Maybe it means noticing His presence during an ordinary day.
Even if your relationship with God already feels strong, there's always room to deepen it. Wherever you are, you can take another step.
My intention: I want to open my heart to a deeper relationship with God and make Him more central to my life.
No one knows what the coming year will bring. You can make plans, set goals, and do your best to prepare, but there will always be things you can't control.
On Rosh Hashanah, you stand before God knowing you're responsible for your choices and efforts, but you don't control everything that happens.
Trusting God doesn't mean you understand everything. It means despite not seeing the whole picture, you believe it is somehow for your good.
King David writes, "Cast your burden upon God, and He will sustain you" (Psalms 55:23).
There's something comforting about knowing you don't have to carry everything on your own. You can make the effort that's yours to make and leave room for God in the parts you can't control.
My intention: I want to do my part and trust God with the rest.
Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the world, a celebration of potential, renewal and new beginnings.
Most of us have things about ourselves we'd like to change. Maybe there's a habit you've been struggling with for years. Maybe you've handled certain relationships in ways you regret. Maybe you've made choices you wish you could take back.
It's easy to start thinking, This is just who I am.
But Judaism doesn't see you that way. You have free will and can change direction. You are not locked into your past.
The past matters. You can learn from it, take responsibility for it, and let it teach you. But it doesn't have to decide what happens next.
On Rosh Hashanah, your slate is wiped clean. It’s a new beginning, and time to ask: What would I do differently if I really believed I could change?
My intention: I want to believe that I can begin again and make choices that bring me closer to the person I want to become.
Rosh Hashanah is also a time to think about why you're here.
You've been given a particular combination of abilities, experiences, relationships, and opportunities. Your life is unique. There is no one like you in the world.
Sometimes you spend so much time comparing yourself to other people that you miss the question right in front of you: What can I contribute? What have I been given, and what can I do with it?
Your role may be expressed through your family, your work, your friendships, your community, or something only you can see.
You don't have to know the entire answer. Start with what's already in your hands.
My intention: I want to notice the gifts I've been given and use them in a way that gives my life meaning.
On Rosh Hashanah, you don't stand before God only as an individual. You're part of a people.
The prayers speak about the Jewish people as a whole, and you ask not only for your own needs but for a better world and a better future for everyone.
The Jewish idea of Kol Yisrael areivim zeh bazeh – all Jews are responsible for one another – reminds you that your life is connected to others.
So many people are carrying pain right now, both within your own community and beyond it. You may know some of them personally. Others you'll never meet.
You can still care.
You can pray for someone you've never met. You can make a phone call to someone who's struggling. You can be a little more generous in how you judge another person. You can remind yourself that the person sitting across from you is part of the same larger story.
Rosh Hashanah is a natural time to widen your perspective beyond yourself.
My intention: I want to carry more love, compassion, and responsibility for my fellow Jews.
Before you start thinking about the year ahead, it's worth looking back at the year that's passed.
What were the moments that made you happy? Who was there for you? What did you learn? What did you receive that you may have taken for granted?
Of course, the past year may also have held disappointment, loss, or difficult experiences. Gratitude doesn't mean pretending those things weren't painful. It means making room to notice the good as well.
Maybe a friendship grew stronger. Maybe you discovered a strength you didn't know you had. Maybe someone helped you at exactly the right moment. Maybe there were small, ordinary things you'd miss if you stopped noticing them.
As you begin asking for the year ahead, take a few minutes to think about what you were grateful for this past year.
My intention: I want to enter the new year with a grateful heart, appreciating what I have been given and what the past year has taught me.
Rosh Hashanah gives you a chance to stop and think about what matters. What kind of relationship do you want with God? Who do you want to become? What do you want to bring into the lives of the people around you?
Don't walk into Rosh Hashanah unprepared. Take the time now to get clear on what you're working on and what you're committing to. Walking in with that clarity is what allows you to walk out changed.
