Surviving an assassination attempt gave me a new appreciation for the High Holidays. [View all]

Gabrielle Giffords

Last year, I celebrated Rosh Hashanah services on Mount Lemmon, a small mountain that overlooks my home in Tucson, Ariz. We started doing this during the pandemic for safety reasons, but I hope we’ll continue to do it in years to come.

On Mount Lemmon, I look out over the desert landscape. I listen to the familiar voice of my rabbi with the noise of the mountain around me — birds and a buzzing mosquito here and there. We are celebrating the birth of the world in the world, starting the Days of Awe in awe of our surroundings. It is a profound gift.

I have always loved this time of year, but I’ve experienced Rosh Hashanah differently since I was shot ten years ago. Before January 8th, 2011, the New Year was a celebration, but a given — not a gift. It came around every fall, like clockwork.

After surviving an assassination attempt, learning to walk and talk again, and rebuilding a new life for myself, every new year feels like a small miracle, a victory over despair and defeat. I do not take a new year for granted now, and I never will again.

https://forward.com/opinion/475580/surviving-an-assassination-attempt-gave-me-a-new-appreciation-for-the-high/?