The Day After

by Audrey Lichter

The long holiday season is over. While the weather was glorious here in the Northeast, the shadow of the war in Israel pervaded all aspects of each of our holidays. The promise of a New Year was shadowed by the sadness of how painful this past year has been, both for American Jews and for our brothers and sisters in Israel – deepening our Rosh Hashanah experience. The normally difficult Yom Kippur was intensified with so much to daven for and seek meaning from the loss of life, the hostages and the “circle of fire” that is engulfing Israel. We didn’t need to be reminded of the fragility of life as we built and dwelled in our Sukkahs, though we did need to be reminded that it is ok to try to feel  joy on this Chag HaSmicha, this festival of joy, Finally the marathon – culminating  each holiday with Shabbat – ended with Simchat Torah. The release in our community was palpable. With a big communal meal and joyous Hakafot, while remembering that it was last Simchat Torah that our world came crashing down with the worst pogrom on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. 

So why, with all the meaning and effort this holiday season brought us, is it not unusual to feel blue, sad, and perhaps at a loss when it is all over instead of a sense of renewal and vigor?  The secular literature on moods and feelings after a celebration states “It’s normal to feel a range of emotions after a celebration, including sadness, disappointment, and loneliness. This is known as the letdown effect or post-event blues, and it can occur after any major event.

Some reasons why you might feel this way include: 

• The contrast between the excitement of the event and the return to routine
• The expectation that you’ll be happy after the event, which can lead to disappointment
• The brain trying to overcorrect to restabilize after a swing in your baseline state

Now there is no more “after the holidays” to speak of.
Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work on some of the very things we prayed for over the past weeks.

Understanding this  phenomenon was very helpful as I opened my eyes this Monday morning. Now there is no more “after the holidays” to speak of. Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work on some of the very things we prayed for over the past weeks. It is a daunting task, but as the wisdom of our sages remind us in Pirke Avot, “You are not required to finish your work, yet neither are you permitted to desist from it.”

So let’s get to work.