Thursday, October 6, 2011

In Tribute to Steve Jobs - A Reflection for the New Year and Yom Kippur

Here are some inspiring words from Michal & Adina's Dad - I think you will enjoy them.
Building a Better Apple
I know you might not think of your iPhone or iPad as holy, but perhaps we can become better people by reflecting on their creation.

Steve Jobs, Apple’s former CEO failed better than anyone else in
Silicon Valley and perhaps in corporate America. Like most great entrepreneurs, he learned from his failures.

We think of Jobs as the genius who created iTunes, iPhone and Mac books, but think about what else he did. First, though, he designed Apple I and Apple II, which originally only sold in the hundreds. He introduced Lisa, a computer in the early 1980′s, which was deemed an epic failure.

Job’s future success was built on his ability to transcend one failure after another. Steve Jobs reminds us that failure is a good and necessary part of growth.

What were our “failures” from last year? Are we afraid to take risks for fear of failure?

Take a few minutes today to record three challenging experiences from this past year. Reflect on their meaning for your future. How can we build from them?

At the beginning of the Jewish New Year, we dipped apples into honey. Perhaps Steve Jobs gives new meaning to this custom.  The tradition reminds us that sometimes the greatest glories are born of catastrophe and, like Jobs, we can turn our Apples into sweetness for the coming year.

May G-d grant the Jobs family comfort and may Steve Jobs memory be a source of blessing and inspiration in the new year.

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

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