Jews around the world will be entering the Days of Awe (High Holy Days) of Rosh Hashanah (New Year) Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Sukkot (Booths) and Simcha Torah (Rejoicing on the gift of the Torah).
It is an intense two weeks beginning on 2 October. This year will be particularly poignant. Many Jewish students and staff will be absent on those days.
We wish all our Jewish colleagues a Happy and Healthy New Year.
– Dr Harrie Cedar, Jewish Chaplain
Hi everyone, my name is Ellen Clark-King, I'm the Dean of King's, and I wanted to send greetings to all our Jewish students and staff as we move into the High Holy Days of Judaism.
These days embrace great emotional highs and lows. The joy of new possibilities with the sweetness of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. The reflection on our human frailty and need for forgiveness that comes on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. The celebration of harvest and of God's sheltering that comes with Sukkot.
There are universal themes for all of us in these Jewish high Holy Days. What new possibilities and new sweetness are we seeing in our own lives? Where are there areas where we need to seek forgiveness from ourselves as well as from others? What do we want to celebrate that is coming to fruition in our life?
In the midst of a time of deep division and pain for many, it's good to remind ourselves of some of the universal human experiences that unite us all.
And to all our Jewish staff and students, may these High Holy Days bring strength and hope and togetherness.