Things My Shaliach Never Told Me

Usually, when leaving the company of someone like a store clerk, one would say "yom naim" (have a nice day).

These days, everyone is saying "Shana Tova" (have a good year). Everyone. The security guard at the bank, the waiters and waitresses, the receptionist at the newspaper office, the guy who came to fix my air conditioner, the mailman, taxi drivers . . . all are wishing me a happy new year these days. Because they know what Rosh Hashanah is.

Today I stopped for a late lunch at a coffee bar. When I went to pay, I saw that next to the cash register was a platter of apple slices, honey cake, and a bowl of honey, free for the taking. I pointed to it and told the (secular) waiters behind the counter "This platter is why I made aliyah. Because here you can walk into any coffee bar, and the people know what Rosh Hashanah is." They sort of blinked for a second, and then smiled broadly. And wished me a Shana Tova.