L'Shana Tova

[shewhomust]

Tuesday's Guardian carried a column by Sophie Heawood singing the praises of September, the sense of starting afresh after summer, the rentrée and so forth. September, she argued, is the time to start your new year.

I don't disagree; I occasionally produce a very similar rant myself. But as I read on, through references to France and the Chinese moon festival, I did begin to feel like the elephant in the room. I read the last two paragraphs to durham_rambler at rising pitch and volume, and then I wrote a letter to the editor:

Has Sophie Heawood's column (02.09.13) been savagely edited? Has it lost a final paragraph in which, having worked her way to the conclusion that the New Year "ought" to be in September, she notices that in fact, for Jews all over the world, it does?

Or does no-one at the Guardian know that Rosh Hashanah starts at sunset on Wednesday 4th September?

Even so, may you all be inscribed for a sweet new year!

They printed it in this morning's paper.

Inevitably, as durham_rambler read it out to me, I noticed that in the course of drafting I had mangled the wording the New Year "ought" to be in September ... it is? and the New Year "ought" to fall in September ... it does?, but this hasn't taken all the gilt off my gingerbread / honeycake.

Comments

[helenraven.livejournal.com]

That is a very good letter. I'm so glad they printed it.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Thank you. They phoned up to say they were considering it, which was an excitement in itself!

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Well done!

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

*is smug*

[sovay]

They printed it in this morning's paper.

Good for them!

Also, you. L'shanah tovah!

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[valydiarosada.livejournal.com]

And I read your letter aloud to D. :)

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

And he e-mailed Roger about it, and so it goes around...

[cellio]

Good job! And shana tova to you as well!

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I don't observe the festival, but even I know when it is...

[janni.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this. As someone who's celebrated the new year in autumn all my life, I'm continually amazed at how many people can't seem to understand the idea that -any- holidays of any importance would be in September and October.