For Jewish families in our Congressional District and throughout the world, Rosh Hashanah, the Days of Awe and Yom Kippur are a time Jewish families come together for prayer and introspection, renewal and repentance.  It is also a time for reflection on the year that's past and hope for the year to come.  It is a moment to take stock of the blessings of family and community, to usher in the new year with loved ones and to look forward to a future of health and happiness.

This period in the Jewish calendar affords all of us the opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the core values of Judaism and all faiths:  to lift up the less fortunate and treat others with respect, to seek justice and pursue peace, to perfect our union and the world.  There is great turmoil abroad and economic hardship here at home.  In spite of this, we must embrace the principles that unite us as a nation - the belief in diversity as a source of strength, the ideals of liberty and freedom, and the idea that "out of many, we are one."

As Jewish families come together, let us hope that this New Year season will bring a year of lasting peace and security for the United States and the State of Israel.  May the Jewish New Year of 5773 be a year of joy and good fortune for the Jewish community in our country and around the globe.  L'Shanah Tovah U'Metukah - May you have a happy, sweet New Year.

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