Jews ‘Wake up the Sleepy Soul’

DES MOINES, IA — At sundown Wednesday, Jews celebrated Rosh Hashana, the holy day they celebrate as the birthday of the world.

Unlike the festive, secular New Year’s Day, the observance of Rosh Hashana – Jewish New Year 5768 – is a sober and reflective one.

During Rosh Hashana services, the rabbi blows the shofar, a ram’s horn. The sound is not melodic. Instead, the noise comes out more like a wail. The rabbi is said to fill the horn with the first breath of life, and the sound reflects the state of the Jewish soul.

“Rosh Hashana is a somber holy day,” said Rabbi Aaron Schwarzbaum of Beth El Jacob Synagogue in Des Moines. “The shofar is blown to wake up the sleepy soul. It is better than an alarm clock.”

Rosh Hashana begins Jews’ 10-day celebration of God, which ends with Yom Kippur – the holiest 25 hours of the Jewish year. During these High Holy Days, Jews consider their shortcomings, make amends and embrace new spiritual resolve. And the better educated they are about the requirements of their religion, the more successful they are in living according to Jewish law and in growing spiritually, according to local rabbis.

“Too many Jews are living their lives with the spiritual education of a 13-year-old,” Schwarzbaum said. “They stop studying after their bar mitzvah. Spiritual growth and development should continue throughout one’s life.”

For Jews, the spiritual guidebook is the Torah, which “can bring peace to the world,” said Rabbi Yossi Jacobson of Lubavitch of Iowa’s Judaic Resource Center in Des Moines. “By its study, people see the world through the wisdom and knowledge in God’s word.”

To help Des Moines-area Jews grow spiritually and to help others understand the religion, these two Orthodox rabbis are joining together to offer the Des Moines Torah Learning Project, a yearlong study of the Torah four days a week at Beth El Jacob Synagogue, 954 Cummins Parkway.

“It’s just like football,” Schwarzbaum said. “The people who understand the rules are the people who enjoy football more. It’s a sad reality that many people play the game of Judaism but don’t understand the rules or how to win.”

While Christians aim to live according to the Ten Commandments, Jews should live their lives in harmony with the 613 commandments found in the Torah, Schwarzenbaum said.

“God sets the priorities and the path, and we have to walk it. The Torah is the map that leads us to spiritual beauty and wonderment,” Schwarzenbaum said.

“With the new year and the High Holy Days, we start out fresh,” Jacobson said. “It is an opportunity to make a commitment to grow in faith. And if we fulfill that commitment to move ourselves forward, next year we will be able to quantify our effort and our development.”