How can we go through all of Yom-Kippur without an appeal? No self-respecting synagogue would do that! We don’t want anyone to feel they’re not getting their monies worth at our High Holiday Services, so now as we stand at the close of Yom-Kippur, mere moments before the final 3 verses and the Shofar Blasts, here’s our Yom-Kippur appeal:
We are about to say “Shema Yisrael” one verse about the Oneness of G-d that is a fundamental Jewish belief. It’s actually a Mitzvah to recite this verse, once each morning and once each evening. Here’s our appeal, can we commit ourselves to saying this one line, every morning upon awakening, and each evening before bed. For those who already do so (and even better to do with Tefillin in the mornings) the challenge is to say it with a little more feeling, awareness, focus. Let’s for a short moment each day, connect with the Oneness of G-d, the Oneness of our People, and the unifying underlying Oneness in our lives.
There’s a lot more to this one-line than meets the eye. Chassidic thought reads a ton of relevance into it, viewing it as a keystone perspective in how to go about everyday life. We once did a two-part “Torah-Tuesday” class titled “The Bose Shema – Better Hear O’ Israel through Research”. Obviously, the more we know and understand, the more we will appreciate and connect with it.
That’s all deeper and richer. The main appeal here is to simply say this classic verse, twice each day, in your dorm room, in your apartment. Let’s try to do it!
P.S. Obviously, Shabbos House does have appeals and we wouldn’t be able to function without the generosity of parents, alumni and community friends. But that’s not the type of appeal we ask of students.