A Message From Our Editor October 2022

Oct 2, 2022

Written by Penina Taylor

I was recently invited to give a talk for a program called, “What I’ve Learned Since Last Rosh Hashana.” It’s a fabulous idea – not just for a few people to inspire others during this introspective time of the year, but really for everyone. Before we enter into Yom Kippur and Sukkot, to not just take the time to think about the things we did wrong during the previous year and the things we need to make better – the people we need to ask forgiveness from, and the way we want to change going forward. But also, to take time to reflect on what we’ve learned over the course of the past year.

UNORTHOBOXED was launched in the late summer last year, leading up to our inaugural edition which was published on September 1. As the founder and Editor-in-Chief, I can look back over the past year and see many things that I did wrong – articles that maybe shouldn’t have been published, potential writers I blew off, committed writers I drove away through harsh criticism, pieces I chose not to publish because I was afraid of how they’d be perceived (yes, believe it or not, we could have been much more controversial!). I can also look back and see things I did right – making choices that went against advice but in the end turned out to be 100% spot on, choosing to publish a combination of serious pieces alongside more “fluff” pieces, featuring a wide spectrum of Observant Jewish women to give the broadest scope of representation for a group often marginalized in Jewish publications and of course, many other things I don’t need to list here.

But what I learned during our inaugural year wasn’t about publishing an online magazine, it was about me. I learned that I was capable of so much more than I ever thought possible. I learned that I really don’t need to be on stage to feel fulfilled. I learned that just because others don’t think I’m qualified to pursue my passion doesn’t mean I can’t do it anyway (obviously there are exceptions to this, such as brain surgery). Publishing a magazine may not be brain surgery, but it’s affected my mindset in ways I could not ever have foreseen. But I would not have really understood how much of an effect it has had, had I not been asked to think about it. And this is something that I think is of great value for everyone. Jewish or not, religious or not, it’s really important to take time once a year to do a cheshbon ha-nefesh – taking a personal inventory, on what we’ve learned over the past year. Doing so will be an eye opener, and might even be a life changer. So – what have you learned since last Rosh Hashana?