We are thrilled to announce the printing of Petaluma's JEWISH ART CALENDAR! See more information just below this letter.
Why is the Jewish Calendar so complicated?
Is Rosh Hashanah in September or is it in October? Will Passover coincide with Spring Break? Whose bright idea was it to have a calendar different than the rest of the civilized world?
There's a beautiful reason behind all the seeming confusion, and why Thanksgivukkah is such a rarity. The regular calendar follows the solar system with 365 days, while the Jewish calendar goes according to the lunar cycle of 29½ days.
Without getting into all the technicalities (did you know that your English and Jewish birthday coincide only once in 19 years?), the underlying question is why do we operate based on a moon centered system?
It's because the moon encapsulates the spirit of the Jewish People. At times things may not be so bright, the situation may dim, the reality that surrounds us may cast us into total darkness and oblivion. Yet we don't give up. Rather, out of the gloom and blackness, we experience a renewal, emerging once again as a waxing crescent, shining brighter every day.
In August of 1940, the Previous Rebbe used the following analogy to encourage Mr. Harry Hirsh, Chief-Editor of the newspaper Das Yiddeshe Licht (The Jewish Light). The newspaper had gone bankrupt, leaving Mr. Hirsh in a state of depression close to despair.
In Vienna, there is a famous attraction called the “Riesenrad”, a Giant Ferris Wheel, a landmark of the Austrian Capital. Its silhouette rises to the sky and is seen from afar. High above the ground, cabins with glass walls are attached to the wheel providing the rider a panoramic view. As the wheel begins to rotate the attached cabins turn too. At its pinnacle height, it offers a magnificent view of the entire city and the landscape beyond.
Life is like a cosmic Ferris Wheel. If we find ourselves at rock bottom, with those stunning views a faint and distant memory, we need only look at the moon and realize that the day will soon come when our cabin too will reach the top.
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