By Ben-Gurion Matsas and Rachelle Fallas Matsas
As we move into October, the High Holiday season comes to a close and life begins to settle back into its usual pace. The kids are back in school, full workweeks return, and fall begins to make itself felt. The air turns cooler, the leaves begin to change, and the season brings a welcome change of pace.
Our cover story, Five-Alarm Fire, A Make-or-Break Moment for Our Future, by Eddie Esses, shares the Sephardic Community Federation’s perspective on the crucial upcoming election and highlights the campaigns of two members of our own community, Sam Sutton for State Senate and Joey Saban for State Assembly. New York’s general election is November 3, with early voting from October 24 through November 1. This is the time to get involved, make your voice heard, and go out and vote.
As the holidays come to an end, the reflection inspired by Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur should not disappear with them. We spend those days looking honestly at the year behind us and thinking about what we want to change. The challenge now is carrying those intentions into everyday life. This issue offers several perspectives on doing exactly that. Rabbi Meyer Laniado explores responsibility and teshuvah in An “Honest Man” Who Made Forgeries. Jeff Sitt’s The Mirror Principle asks us to recognize the blind spots we often see more easily in others than in ourselves. And Debbie Gutfreund reminds us in Five Microchanges that Can Transform the New Year that lasting growth often comes through small, daily changes rather than sweeping resolutions.
There is plenty happening throughout our community. More than 150 rabbis, rebbetzins, communal leaders, and young professionals gathered for the second annual Sephardic Conference in New York. MDYHS launched Propel Your Potential, Tomchei Shabbat continues its remarkable work helping families in need, Senator Sutton presented SAFE Foundation with a $500,000 state grant for its Brooklyn expansion, and our Community Photo Album celebrates Back to School.
Also inside, read Who Built the “Palestinian Mandela”? by Linda Argalgi Sadacka, which examines the campaign and messaging that helped shape Marwan Barghouti’s international image. Our review of Israel on Trial looks at Judge Roy K. Altman’s evidence-based approach to the historical, legal, and political claims made against Israel. For health and nutrition, When Healthy Eating Becomes Too Healthy by Laura Shammah, MS, RDN, explores when good intentions around food can become overly restrictive. And after weeks of holiday meals, A Fresh Fall Reset offers lighter, seasonal recipes designed to bring balance back to the table. As we settle back into our routines, we hope this issue gives you something to think about, something to enjoy, and something to carry with you into the year ahead. The holidays may be behind us, but the opportunity to grow, make a difference, and turn our good intentions into action is just beginning.
