Our inspirational Yom Tovim in St Anne’s during COVID lock-down

Before our COVID Rosh Hashanah 2020 I wondered how I/we could prepare spiritually during such an unsettling and unpredictable time.

I suggested renewing and re-invigorating our faith like never before, using the physical sound of the shofar as our wake-up call to penetrate deep into our hearts and souls.

Donning our face masks we arrived at each service for Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah, each time feeling grateful and blessed that our beautiful shul was allowed to remain open.

For what was a skeleton service, with a fraction of our members attending (don’t worry this is not to give anybody a guilt trip – we only encourage able and well members to attend and only if they feel comfortable) – was made up for in terms of the pure spirituality and awe I felt during those hours.

I don’t think I have ever noticed or appreciated how magnificent our shul is – the warm and smart red carpets, respectable wooden pews, the ceiling so high your neshama (soul) has ample room to expand and fly and the Bimah and Aron Kodesh majestic.

Only being able to hear the Shofar on the second day Rosh Hashana (the first day being Shabbos which takes precedence) made it extra special when the time came. Those raw and pure notes made me shiver and tears well up in my eyes – the Jewish people have made so many sacrifices throughout history to be able to hear the shofar on Rosh Hashana, sold so many pieces of bread during the Holocaust to ‘buy’ a Shofar, somebody risked his life to blow it in ear shot of the Nazis….so what I had to stand there wearing a face mask?!

Similarly again on Yom Kippur, what’s a bit of temporary hunger when we have ample food after the fast? And davening (praying) together with everybody else gave me strength. Hearing our beloved Chazan’s voice (not to mention the Rabbi!) filled the day with inspiration and a feeling of normality with familiar tunes of previous years.

However, the highlight for me (and I hope you will be able to tune in to my wavelength!) was something that I have probably witnessed many, many times but only now have I ‘seen’ it….the Sefer Torah being ‘dressed’ (gelilah). As Covid requires the Sefer Torah to be handled by the least number of people (preferably in the same household) it has been our 16 year old son who has been called up to do this mitzvah. My husband is sitting down holding the Sefer, it rests bare and vulnerable. One by one my son adorns it with its holy garments. This is also a metaphor for our bodies – our body is a holy vessel containing our soul – we do not expose it inappropriately. Finally the Sefer is dressed in its beautifully crafted garments, embroidery bearing the name of a generous donor and then…the bells…the Shul is silent, my son picks up the bells, they jingle gently, I can almost hear them singing, it is haunting and I am welling up again. Silence again for a few moments, and then a seagull caws above. Maybe the seagull is taking our thoughts and prayers up even higher.

I am humbled and in awe as I have this realisation – this Sefer Torah right in front of me is the same as every single one written before it and after it. It has not changed. It represents a constant value system and way of life for us as Jewish people in a scary world right now. We need its guidance, firm values and unwavering principles more than ever.

Next came Sukkot ‘Zeman Simchaseinu’ – a time when we are commanded to be happy….again it was just so lovely to see everybody and join together as a community.

Finally Simchat Torah when we finish the Torah and then immediately start all over again! I love these Sedras in Beraishis and Shemos – even if we think we ‘know the story’ we can always find something new and deeper to learn.

This morning I heard on the news the Mayor of London is warning this will be a ‘difficult winter’. How much despair, worry and anxiety can such a gloomy statement provoke?!

So I would like to suggest an alternative thought process. Let’s hold on to this inspiration from Tishrei as we head towards Cheshvan, into the winter as just when it can’t get any darker the Channukah lights come to cheer us up, literally and metaphorically.

Thank God for our Jewish year, there’s always meaning and wisdom to discover and Shabbat/Yom Tov to keep us going. And thank God our shul is open so we can all be in this together!

Love Anna xx