Redemption Song: Lessons from Rosh Hashanah & Ryder Cup

Prior to this past weekend, if you’d told me there was an interesting connection between the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah and the Ryder Cup, I would’ve given you a quizzical, sideways glance. Every two years this epic golf battle between Europe and America is hosted on one side of the Atlantic or the other. This year it was in the good ol’ U.S. of A., in New York. I’m a massive golf geek, so I was very excited to take it in. It only happens every two years; it’s a big deal. So where’s the connection between the High Holy Days and this mega golf event? Let’s see.

To frame it, we need some context. True story: the other night I had a clear, precise moment of epiphany. Not common for me. A thought arrived out of nowhere. I turned to Kathleen and asked, “Hey, what spiritual tradition offers a very clear framework for a specific moment of spiritual inventory, some kind of reset?” She answered without hesitation: “Well, tonight is the start of Rosh Hashanah. It’s the beginning of the Jewish New Year, which starts the Ten Days of Repentance. It’s essentially a ten-day spiritual inventory culminating with the most solemn day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur – the moment of full atonement, making amends, and starting anew.” How’s that for timing.

Despite being peripherally aware of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, if you’d asked me for details, I would have struggled. Turns out this was the perfect framework to learn from – the art of spiritual reckoning. A deep and meaningful reboot. Buddhism has the practice of Uposatha, another rhythm of confession and reset primarily for monastics (though laypeople can practice). But the ten days of the High Holy Days feel ordinary and accessible – an invitation anyone can use for a personal and spiritual reset. Apparently I’d tuned into the moment of the year when – for thousands of years – Jews pause to perform that very moral inventory.

To be clear, I am not Jewish, though I’ve long admired Jewish faith and traditions. Many of my closest friends growing up were Jewish; I attended their bar and bat mitzvahs. I definitely wanted to be part of the tribe. My wife’s grandfather was Jewish, and we’ve contemplated conversion many times over the past twenty years. So this isn’t out of left field. The admiration has been there my whole life.

What I found is a beautiful, ancient tradition: a yearly checkpoint when Jews around the world slow down for an inventory of habits, deeds, thoughts, and actions. The focus is on repair and making amends – traditionally, first with the people we’ve harmed, then with God. And there’s the sweetness of apples and honey – symbolic food for a sweet new year.

Now, back to the Ryder Cup. The narrative that quickly emerged from this year’s event was an embarrassing moment for this country. Not only did our team get worked, but some patrons decided it would be a good idea to hurl insults, vulgarities, and general bad behavior that crossed every line of etiquette and sportsmanship. It was wild. Even the event’s emcee on the first tee drew fire after leading a chant of “F*ck you, Rory!” What should have been a pure moment of competition – fans cheering for their team – became a sideshow of our worst impulses.

The fact that the Ryder Cup coincided with the Ten Days of Repentance merged these two events for me: the best of sport and the worst of us, side by side. Rosh Hashanah creates a moment to do soul-searching, to decide what needs to change and which habits or behaviors need adjusting. This Ryder Cup made clear that some serious soul-searching is due. I don’t have the answers for a more elevated national posture, but where we are right now feels bleak.

In a few days, this year’s ten-day arc culminates with Yom Kippur: a 25-hour span of fasting and prayer, all-day services of confession and atonement, and a final closing service, Ne’ilah. When that hour ends, it’s time to begin building again—entering the year with relationships, faith, and goals reset and realigned. If the Ryder Cup showed us anything, it was the stark contrast between the light and inspiration of competition and the darker edges of our culture. I hope we learn from it and take a real moment of reset. We could all learn a great deal from Rosh Hashanah. I did, and I’m grateful.

Monday Meditation: Today is day eight of the ten holy days. As I move through my day, I’m reflecting on habits, rituals, and routines. This is a moment when we are called to be better – and I’m grateful for that. On a slow ten count, consider your relationship to your higher power, or your highest values. Lean into the areas that need a reset. Make the amends. Let’s set up a strong finish to fall as we head into winter.