Good afternoon. My name is Sasha Levenson.

I'm named after my great-grandmother, Selma Rubin, a survivor of the Holocaust and a proud Central member. Last year, in my bat mitzvah, I read from the Torah that was dedicated in her memory. As I chanted the same text as generations before me, I felt even more connected to her and my Jewish ancestors. As I look out over our community today, I feel that same sense of connection.

On Yom Kippur afternoon, Jewish communities around the world read from the book of Leviticus. God spoke to Moses and said, “You shall be holy, for I, your God Adonai, am holy.” God speaks to Moses often in the Torah and instructs him to speak unto the children of Israel. Here, however, God says, “Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel.” Unlike many commandments, this one was given to the Israelites directly from God instead, rather than through Moses. Moses assembled the entire community to receive the mitzvot, which included instructions on how to observe Jewish holidays and treat one another with fairness and compassion.

Jewish historians and scholars have interpreted this to mean that the work that we put into constructing a community is holy, because these mitzvot need to be practiced not only individually but also as a community.

In addition to Central, I am also a member of other communities—for instance, my school. After October 7th, my school, like many others, faced challenges maintaining a supportive academic environment for all and balancing conflicting viewpoints. For example, I had a teacher who chose to display a slogan that could be perceived as promoting antisemitism. I was uncomfortable with it being on their desk, so I spoke up and asked them about it, which led to them putting it away. By standing up for what we believed in, my peers and I not only had an impact on that one class, but also on how the school responded going forward.

I noticed how my teachers and other members of the community worked very hard to make every member of our community feel seen and welcome. As a result of students like me, they now work with an organization called Facing History and Ourselves, where teachers learn appropriate ways to talk about world conflict in school, past and present.

We have also had a Shabbat dinner which had the largest turnout of any event of its kind. And last week, the lunch cafeteria had apples and honey so all students could celebrate a sweet new year. This shows how even when your community goes through a rough patch, it is important to do the holy work of helping to shape a stronger community than before.

Although things have been better since the first couple of months after October 7th, I know that we have to continue to strive towards maintaining an inclusive community.

The legacy of my ancestors, including my great-grandparents and the Central community, inspire me to strive for holiness every day. In this new year, my hope is that we all stand together as a Jewish community, united across generations, working towards a more compassionate and connected world.

Shanah Tovah.

Good afternoon. Hope everyone's having a meaningful fast.

On Yom Kippur, Jewish communities across the world recall God's instructions to Moses and all of Israel: Kedoshim tihyu — You shall be holy, for I, Adonai your God, am holy. Traditionally, our sages interpreted this verse to mean: you shall be separate, a distinct people, distinguishable from other nations based on religious and ethical conduct.

Our sages are quick to clarify, however, that “separate” does not mean withdrawn from the world, but rather the opposite. The Hatam Sofer taught that holiness means being mixed with all of God's creatures. Holiness is not confined by the walls of a synagogue. It's something concrete that can be encountered in everyday life.

The mitzvot in the Holiness Code articulate that we attain kedusha when we are involved and invested in the everyday affairs of life: when we pay attention to our behavior in every act and interaction, and when we actively create a compassionate household, economy, and agricultural system. Mitzvot such as revering our parents and showing deference to the elderly, leaving the corners of our fields to the poor, and not keeping a worker's wages overnight display a deep concern for every person in our society. These mitzvot ask us to practice compassion and build bridges with people from many different walks of life.

I have experienced kedusha in my life many times: when I visited Israel after October 7th to pack supplies for the IDF, when I picked fruit alongside the Bedouin community during Ramadan, and when I volunteered with elders in the Jewish community who made aliyah from all over the world. Locally, I’ve experienced holiness when hosting intercultural events at my school, engaging in respectful dialogue with those I disagree with, participating in rallies, speaking out against harmful rhetoric at educational events, volunteering through Central with children seeking asylum, and distributing supplies to people who live in shelters. These moments remind me that holiness is not an abstract concept, but a lived experience that happens in relationship with others.

These days, holy moments are increasingly scarce. Our world is more divided than ever. Too often, there's no room for nuance and no space for dialogue. Communities fracture and hate becomes normalized. This is especially true when it comes to antisemitism and Israel.

As Jews, we know what it means to be excluded, attacked, and held to a different standard. And we also know what it means to survive, push back, rebuild, and endure. We cannot control the hate in the world, but we can choose to combat it and add to the good by taking care of one another and reaching out beyond our community.

When hate and evil come at us, we cannot be discouraged. When they go low, we must go high. Holiness means not giving up on the world and on one another.

In this new year, may we strive to be a holy community — a community that stands together and builds bridges across divides. And may this be the year that all of the hostages are returned home. And I also want to say my thoughts and prayers, as should all of ours, go out to the Jewish community in Manchester in light of recent events.

G’mar Chatimah Tovah. Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Carson Wolfe.

The commandments we read in the Holiness Code teach us how we attain kedusha—holiness—in our everyday lives. Holiness is not about withdrawing from the world. It's about engaging with it. And for me, that has meant standing up for who I am as a Jew even when it is not easy or popular.

I became a bat mitzvah in January of 2023. Back then I was still learning how to navigate the world as a Jewish adult. And then suddenly, nine months later on October 7th, the world changed.

At school, many of my classmates were unsympathetic to the pain and grief I felt after October 7th. Some even celebrated Hamas terrorist attacks. I knew then that I had to stand up for myself and my people. Those early days of October 2023 pushed me to not just complain or post on social media. Holiness for me meant action.

Together with my friend and co-founder Remy, I created PAFA — Packer Actions for Fighting Antisemitism: a place to raise awareness about antisemitism and invite my classmates, both Jewish and not Jewish, to stand with us. I learned that year that holiness means allyship, seeing each other’s humanity, and fostering healthy conversations.

Some days the work feels overwhelming. So many people grow up indoctrinated with hateful ideas about Jews and Israel. Those ideologies spread like a mind virus. Even here in New York, when voices of intolerance and chants like “Globalize the Intifada” are framed as a call for liberation — for Jews, those words recall violent terrorist attacks that should be condemned, not celebrated or used as campaign slogans.

As a Jewish teen, it is deeply disturbing to hear these words, because I know that they are not about peace or coexistence, but about our right to exist. Words like “genocide,” a term coined in the aftermath of the Holocaust, have become weaponized against us. For my ancestors, genocide was their reality. To see such words now aimed at Jews is painful, and it turns peers and fellow New Yorkers against each other.

I am just beginning my battle against antisemitism with PAFA. This year our focus is building bridges with other student groups. Together we will create a holy community in which every person can live in safety and with dignity.

Holiness means building connections, not sowing hate and division. As Jews, we may not agree on every policy or political issue, but we are stronger when we stand together as one Jewish people — a holy community fighting for dignity, coexistence, and peace.

Thank you, and Shanah Tovah.

Good afternoon. My name is Olivia Meyer.

Beginning with the words, “You shall be holy, for I am holy,” the Holiness Code offers the Jewish people—all of us together—a road map for meaningful and compassionate engagement with the world. The mitzvot in the Holiness Code instruct us to care for people who are vulnerable, hungry, and fleeing danger.

Kedusha—holiness—is not about perfection, but about embracing our collective responsibility as Jews to create positive change and foster mutual understanding both within the Jewish community and outside of it, through the work of tikkun olam, repairing the world.

My Jewish identity has shaped how I approach the challenges that threaten our world today. Not as an outsider looking in, but as someone called to build bridges. Over the past three years, I have served as the co-director of Central's chapter of the Jewish Youth Climate Movement, or JYCM. Our goal is to inspire and lead Jewish communities in the fight to build a sustainable and equitable world for all.

In order to achieve our goal, we create spaces where we can address pressing climate issues from a Jewish perspective. Two years ago, we led a lesson with second graders about Earth Day and how our tradition instills in us the value of the earth and honoring the world. Last year, we led a Tu Bishvat seder honoring the fruits of the earth on the holiday of the trees, learning together about how Judaism is intertwined with this wonderful world created by Hashem.

When we organize together as one Jewish people around shared concerns for our planet’s future, we see that our diversity is a source of strength. While some of us may approach ritual differently or hold varying political views, we can unite around a shared commitment to leaving a better world for future generations—and leaving the earth itself better than we found it.

The Torah teaches us we are partners with God in the work of creation—a partnership that calls us toward active, respectful engagement with the world’s challenges. When we create networks focused on positive change, when we facilitate conversations that honor different viewpoints while working toward solutions, and when we connect Jewish values to contemporary issues, we are embodying holiness through our unity and engagement with the world.

Through my work with JYCM, I have learned that change happens through relationships, understanding, and community-building. Every time we choose collaboration over confrontation in order to care for the world around us, we fulfill the commandment to be holy together.