Today I performed the mitzvah of comforting the bereaved. I attended the funeral for a colleague’s mother. While I was at the cemetery I went to visit my paternal grandparents grave. Grandma and Papa were amazing grandparents. MY SISTER, my cousins and I were extremely lucky to have them in our lives as long as we did.

As I’ve been talking to people at this season of the year, I’ve started to wonder what draws people to the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur when they are not there the rest of the year? I invite you to share your answer with me either via a comment on this blog post or via the new contact area of my webpage.

I find it meaningful to remember that I sit in synagogue just like my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so on did. They may or may not have believed in God. They may or may not have liked being there. Nevertheless they joined themselves to the chain of Jewish history and Jewish tradition.