Happy New Year! Rosh Hashanah 2011 arrived on September 28th and we welcome 5772. (Where has the time gone??) '72 was a good year and I'm glad to have it back.
Having been raised a good Lutheran boy, I moved to Los Angeles in 1966 without a clue in the world as to Jewish culture and tradition. I remember being amazed at learning my soon to be best friend was Jewish. After spending the first 9 years of my life in a Lutheran ghetto in Portland, Oregon, I thought Judaism was an Old Testament historical reference, not a vibrant, relevant, and rather large slice of contemporary humanity.
That fact become all too clear the first time I showed up for class on Rosh Hashanah 1966, 5727. Have you ever shown up for a function on the wrong day-- parking lot empty, only a janitor pushing a floor duster? That was almost the scene at Warner Avenue School that September day. Most of the teachers were there. It was only the students that were missing! Talk about a fish out of water. Try as I might, my Mom would not let me stay home two weeks later for Yom Kippur. Same scenario.
In comparison, the Easter holidays always fell during the week of spring break so there was no reciprocity, if you will. Same thing at Christmas. I never got my turn to stay home. By the time I hit 5th grade I was ready to convert!
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