Tablet Magazine - a new read on Jewish life

Growing up Orthodox outside the Land of Israel meant observing a second day for most Jewish holidays. But making aliyah has meant recalibrating clocks and expectations. Phrases like “first day” and “second day” are now, for me, more an anachronism of place than of time. As the High Holiday season approaches, sentimental reflections upon celebrating chagim in the diaspora repeatedly make landing. But the winding path of adjustment (or readjustment?) to Israel also weaves together with the spiritual jet lag I feel between my childhood home and my homeland. The primary symbol of yontif in exile was, most prominently, all those extra hours for activities. When it came to spiritual pursuits, staying up all night learning during “the time of the Giving of our Torah” meant that when I awoke, the holiday wasn’t already practically over. The very existence of raucous Simchat Torah shabbatons in my high school years depended on those bonus 24 hours. And two evenings for retelling the story of the Exodus at Passover created space for more shtick, cute divrei Torah, and melodious singing without the lurking pressure to hastily squeeze everything in. ...

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