Rabbi Ron Segal
On Tuesday evening, we watched an episode of “The 1% Club,” a quiz show aired on FOX in which 100 initial contestants are presented a series of questions requiring logic and deductive reasoning to solve. Incorrect answers result in contestants’ eliminations until, eventually, only a few remain to vie for the prize. While certainly fun to play along with at home, our purpose for tuning in was because a close friend of our son Ben’s, Katie, was one of the contestants, and we were eager to cheer her on. Though she did not emerge as the winner, Katie did impressively well. Even more importantly, though, Katie shared the genuine sense of pride she felt for stepping out of her comfort zone and agreeing to participate in the show when approached by the producers.
As many know, I am presently immersed in rehearsals for the Alliance Theater’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” and, as such, am surrounded each day by an incredibly talented cast of professional actors, singers, and dancers, individuals who do this for a living. This is simultaneously the most intimidating and exhilarating experience I can remember, and it is one I would never have known without the enthusiastic support and encouragement of our clergy and lay leadership, who urged me to step out of my comfort zone and pursue this unique opportunity.
Our travels in Scandinavia during this summer’s sabbatical included a stop in the small Norwegian city of Flam. Nestled between mountains at the end of a fjord, Flam has, among other things, the longest and steepest zipline in Scandinavia at 1380m, which is then followed by a necessary 1-2 hour bike ride down the rest of the mountain on a road with switchback turns and intimidating precipices. While I personally love activities of this nature, Jill – no fan of heights – definitely does not! Nonetheless, she made the decision to sign us up and, with steely determination, pushed herself way beyond her areas of comfort in order to experience the zipline and ride.
My sole purpose in sharing these personal illustrations is in the hope they might offer some encouragement, perhaps a needed utz, to reflect upon our lives. On Sunday evening, we enter the month of Elul and begin the countdown to Rosh Hashanah and the start of the new year 5786. While the year ahead will undoubtedly bring its share of unanticipated challenges and joys, each new year also affords us an opportunity to summon our resolve and commit to doing something new, something we’ve always wanted to try – no matter how ‘big’ or ‘small’ – which either fear, intimidation, insecurity, unfamiliarity, or another hurdle has historically kept us from pursuing. Might 5786 be different. Let this be the year when each of us steps out of our comfort zone in order to experience new wonders, joys, accomplishments, and growth.
Shabbat shalom.
