The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

| TE = NEWS - JEWISH COMMUNITY LOOKS INWARD WITH ARRIVAL OF HIGH HOLY DAYS "5 YOM KIPPUR. § JUDAISM'S MOST - = SACRED DAY, $ FOLLOWS A PERIOD Oo © aa o i 5 MEANT FOR : REPENTANCE S SAIRA PEESKER speesker@metroland.com With the approach of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in mid-September, Halton's Jewish communi- ty is already making prep- arations for what many consider the most impor- tant holiday of the year. Be- ginning on the evening of Sept. 9, Rosh Hashanah -- the Jewish new year -- marks the start of a 10-day period of repentance and introspection that culmi- + nates in Yom Kippur, the "insidehalton.com Day of Atonement that rep- resents Judaism's most sa- cred day. Even now, observant = EVENTS "~ hatin champ ' Jews are getting mentally ready, says Cantor Cheryl Wunch of Oakville"s Shaa rei-Beth El Congregation. She explained that on the Jewish calendar, the month before Rosh Hashanah is called Elul, a time often used for "taking account of our souls" in advance of the new year." For many Jews, the High Holy Days begin when Elul begins," said Cantor Wunch, who, alongside Rabbi Stephen Wise, forms the clergy of Shaarei-Beth El. "It's about looking in and seeing how we've done: What have we gotten right? What have we gotten wrong? What do we have to fix? (It) is a month of reflec- tion and preparing our souls." f Shaarei-Beth El de- scribes its vision as being the "vibrant centre of Jew- ish life in Halton Region." It may also be the only syna- gogue. Halton is home to a Jewish community of "roughly around 1,500 peo- PLANNING A PUBLIC EVENT? POST IT HERE: insidehalton/events Ral) kan oe iL RT SN LT S17 rh] Stock image Jews will celebrate Rosh Hashanah - the New Year - starting the evening of Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. ple, according to the avail- able data, though I think it might be higher," estimat- ed Rabbi Wise in an email. On Sept. 1, the syna- gogue hosted a special ser- vice ta mark _Selichot, which acts as a kickoff to BEYOND THE PAGES | From breaking news to multimedia features, go 50 beyond Je newspaper pages and discover all that the - Milton Champion has to offer online. the High Holy Days, ex- plained Wunch. Rosh Ha- shanah starts after sunset on Sept. 9 and is generally observed for two days, she added, noting the first eve- ning is often a time when families eat a festive meal. avww.InsideHalton.com a es aa ads Ada p w TR & AL OE SF -- P or IP \ a - . -- 1 A ER ed, E ®L ES = : i Ki o! . A = J / E Ro A at | / -- ~/ burlington . milton * oakville » BAN 48 0 00 PROTEASE EON 0 ree VIEW OUR PRINT EDITIONS "CONNECTED T0 OUR COMM Apples dipped in honey, symbolizing a sweet new ear, are a common tradi tion. After dinner, many families will attend syna- gogue, which also hosts a service the following morn- ing. The shofar, an instru- ment made of aram's horn, 1s typically played to usher in the new year. "It's not like a new year's celebration that is like a party," Wunch ex- plained. "It's worship that is both celebratory and somewhat sombér. We are grateful for the (year), and looking for- ward, but it's also a com- memoration of the creation of the world. We celebrate that and we also begin the process of repentance." Between Rosh Hasha- nah and Yom Kippur, Jews try to right wrongs they have made toward others, often by apologizing and. asking for forgiveness. On Yom Kippur, the focus turns to sins against God and oneself, said Wunch, who believes the two are al- © MULTIMEDIA dcHa Oma most indistinguishable. "Asking your friend for forgiveness might be scary and anxiety-producing but it's not that hard," she said. "But coming to terms with the ways we've treated our selves can be much more challenging." Adherents often spend much of Yom Kippur, which starts at sundown on Sept. 18 through Sept. 19, at synagogue. Shaarei-Beth El hosts several services, as well as and a communal walk by Lake Ontario. Adults often fast for a 25- hour period, and abstain from sex, wearing leather and bathing. "Everyone has their own personal pr actice in that regard of what is meaningful to them," said Wunch. "Some people don't shower or wear makeup." It's about eschewing the needs of the physical in or- der to focus on the needs of the spiritual... Putting en- ergy, time and focus on spiritual health and ability to dig deep." HAS AN IMPAIRED DRIVING ARREST OCCURRED IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD? See our August map of where the arrests were made and details about t incident bit.ly/20LgACx FIND OUT ABOUT THE LATEST COYOTE SIGHTINGS IN HALTON Report your sightings: bit.ly/2Bf30nP : Get Halton news delivered ice daily right to your inbox. Sign up at insidehalton.com/newsletter ~--