For the Jewish people, memory itself is a constant occupation as we breathe different moments of time into the pages of the prayer book each year. Think of Yom HaShoah, remembering the worst of times with the fervent hope that they do not come again. During the High Holidays, we have the Zichronot (memories) service, a whole liturgy at the heart of the Days of Awe devoted to the theme of memory.

Consider the personal moments, those from beyond the walls of the synagogue, that many of us remember: a first kiss, nostalgia for a place long gone, or a grandparent’s kind word. In our current world, remember the remaining hostages and the sacrifice of all who died on and since October 7.

In the striking words of this Israeli song from a bygone time, “Therefore: I will go to the light of the memories…there is hidden light in happiness that is gone.”

Song by Moshe Wilensky (1910–1997)
Arrangement by Oran Eldor commissioned by the PAS Music Center
Recorded live on Rosh Hashanah 2023
Music Director: David Enlow
AV: Oli Jung, Oscar Acevedo, Terrell Simms, Erik Van Batavia
Video Editor: Tami Shaham