Mending the world

“We owe our existence as a Jewish nation to Rabbi Akiva,” life coach and Jewish educator Ali Begoun tells me as we discuss the meaning of Rosh Hashanah this post-vaccine year.

After losing 24,000 students to a plague, Rabbi Akiva did not despair. Instead, he gathered five of his remaining disciples and rebuilt Judaism, providing a foundation that endures today. Begoun emphasizes the importance of Rabbi Akiva’s optimism in the face of tragedy, and the lesson it provides while we rebuild our lives in the wake of COVID.

“We really need to dig deep into optimism. We have to try and learn from the pandemic, and march forward in a compassionate and nonjudgmental way,” Begoun said.

Below are excerpts from our conversation.

Q: As we head into Rosh Hashanah, a year and a half after the pandemic first gripped our world, it’s daunting to think about how we move forward from here. How can we go about setting intentions to re-establish ourselves in a post-pandemic universe?

A: When I think intention, I think of the Hebrew word, kavanah -taking time and space to reflect on who you want to be before you act…I think that’s number one.

Number two is to understand the nature of what’s possible on Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah is called the “blueprint of the world.” The word shanah comes from shenui , which means to change…It’s the blueprint phase where you can actually reinvent yourself.

And number three is a very powerful Jewish principle-‘not too little, not too much.’ Change shouldn’t be so little that it’s imperceptible. But the Talmud says grasp too much and you’ll get nothing. So, it’s also important to not want to change everything all at once.

One of the biggest challenges we face now is the divisiveness around us – at both the global and personal levels. How can we rebuild together, despite our differences?

It is clear that one of the enormous challenges post-pandemic is disunity among people. Our sages tell us that the secret to Jewish weakness is disunity, dysfunction, and divisiveness. Paralleling that, the secret to Jewish thriving is unity. It does not mean uniformity. Unity does not mean we all agree. It means there’s a value that’s deeper and more important than the issues we’re confronting today around politics and the pandemic.

What are actions we can take to help ourselves and others heal, regardless of what point we find ourselves in our post-pandemic journey?

No real change happens until you’re ready to do change yourself. Change happens first and foremost internally, and that internal change reverberates throughout the world. If you’re upset by how politicized everybody is, then examine your own politicization. If you’re upset by how judgmental everyone has become, look at your own judgmental [behavior].

Then, from that place of healing yourself, take small actions that show respect for people who believe differently than you: Smile at people you come across when you’re outside walking. Try and reconnect with someone whose political beliefs are very different than your own. There are little behaviors that you can do to mend the world.

Mimi Sager Yoskowitz is a Chicago-area freelance writer, mother of four, and former CNN producer.