Desktop to tablet.
Feather quill to stylus.
Chariot to subway.
Postcard to FaceTime.
Discrimination to equality.
Progress.
Our world is constantly advancing. And yet, the most important advancement of all is one that is often overlooked: the progress of our own selves.
We are not simply bystanders in a world of growth and change; we have a responsibility to be a part of this progress. It is our obligation and our privilege to improve ourselves, to constantly strive to be just a little bit better than we were yesterday.
After all, how can we know what our best is if we stop trying? If we give up on ourselves, how will we ever know how much we can truly accomplish?
Focusing on improving ourselves is the only way to maximize our own potential and our own impact. Therefore, Judaism not only places great importance on this concept, but it also provides a framework through which we should attempt to achieve our own self-growth. This framework is based upon an important concept that is established by the pasuk, "כי האדם עץ השדה.” Man grows through the same process as the tree, starting out as a small, almost inconsequential seed and growing gradually into an incredible force of nature.
Growth does not happen in an instant. As they grow, trees use the seasons as their landmarks of time and of progress, and as human beings, so do we. Our Jewish tradition provides us with important guideposts: the holidays. These markings of time lead us on our path of improvement and guide our development through every step.
We broke out Color War 2013 with a special "Aliyah Assembly" and this video: