All my life, I have celebrated two new years: the general one on the first of January and the Jewish new year that begins sometime in early fall. (The date of the Jewish new year comes from a lunar calendar and therefore the date floats around in early fall of the general calendar.) The general new year has never seemed much of a new beginning to me. For me, the year begins on the Jewish calendar.

This choice of start arises more from the rhythms of my life than any religious fervor. When I was young, the fall was the time of new shoes, new outfits, new pencils, and new beginnings. The winter, which was well underway by January, was the time of more of the same: dreary, routine and a drab continuation. Even after I left school and before I had children, fall seemed more of a start after the various staff vacations had disrupted the summer and changed the routine.

Today is a good time for new beginnings. Yes, there are fears, some of them new or stronger than before. Yes, there is still grief and those who have suffered personal losses still need time and space to grieve. But the rest of us need to begin to carry on and to affirm life. We need more than candles. We need actions�not so much bold military actions, but the small actions that say, �We have survived, we will survive, and we will not sacrifice even a smidgen more of our lives than what you were able to take by force.� We need the courage to put one foot in front of the other over and over as we walk to the market, as we volunteer at schools, and as we fly for business and pleasure as we originally planned.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is for assessing our lives and examining our sins. The only way of knowing that we have overcome our shortcomings is action. Pausing in the face of disaster is no sin. Pausing too long and becoming too mired in fear to live life is.

So, l�shanah tova (to a good year) to all. Let�s fill this new year with all our dreams that are still there tucked away in a corner of our souls�and let�s start moving toward making them come true.

|