Shana Tova!

It’s a shorter week for many, with Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) sneaking up on us — as new years tend to. The clustering of holidays is always striking: from Rosh Hashana we move to China’s Golden Week (October 1), then Diwali (October 20), and before we know it, its Christmas and New Year.

Of course, Rosh Hashana isn’t a retail gift-giving holiday — unless you count Manischewitz sweet red wine as a luxury treat. But it does mark the start of a new cycle and a moment for reflection, something we can all relate to.

For me, it’s a time of gratitude and renewal. While I’ll save most of the resolutions for December 31, I try to do a little extra around this period, to be a little better moving forward — in both my personal and professional life.

Wishing you and your loved ones an abundance of blessings, health, and prosperity in the year ahead. Shana Tova!

This blog first appeared in the September 22 Pressing Matters Executive Memo. Read the full memo here, Pressing Matters, featuring the following sections:

• In Focus: Holiday Campaigns Begin

• Trend I'm Watching: Free Synthetics

• Poll Results

• The News That Matters

• Industry Voices: New Ritual, New Opportunity

• What I’m Looking Forward To

• The Week Ahead

• Pic of the Week: Argyle’s Last Light

Rio Tinto unveiled its final Beyond Rare Tender, Into the Light, showcasing 52 extraordinary diamonds from the Argyle and Diavik mines. The collection will tour Hong Kong, Australia, and Antwerp, with bids closing October 20, 2025. (Image credit: Rio Tinto