“Hit the road, Jack!” was popularised by Ray Charles in the 1960s who earned a No1 hit for his song, but many Jewish people will be familiar with it from a Jewish source.

Perhaps, Ray Charles – who was a big supporter of Israel, would say that when he sang “don’t come back no more,” he was referring to the antisemites who have been making a lot of noise in the last year.  I found it fascinating that, according to his website, “among the hundreds of awards Mr. Charles received in his lifetime, the award he claimed to have touched him the most is the Beverly Hills Lodge of B’nai B’rith’s tribute to its “Man of the Year” in 1976.”

With the month of Tishrei and all the Yomim Tovim in the rear-view mirror and the long winter evenings already setting in, the months ahead can seem daunting. In recent years there has been much more awareness about seasonal affective disorder, and it can be difficult to transition from the happy, inspirational days of Yom Tov to the daily grind of everyday life and work.

Fortunately, Judaism has a solution. The original “hit the road, Jack!” dates back over 3500 years to the times of our forefather Jacob. As he travelled back to the Holy Land after living for 20 years in Mesopotamia, his father-in-law waylaid him and threatened him. G-d intervened and we read that “Jacob went on his way,” continuing his journey with his family to the Holy Land, accompanied by protecting angels.

At Chabad Lubavitch it has been an uplifting Tishrei, with many events and mitzva opportunities, and culminating with a really busy Simchas Torah. We need to use this inspiration to continue moving forward throughout the year. As I said in my Kol Nidrei sermon, teshuvah – repentance, or more accurately return – is not a one-time a year or a static event, but rather the driver to move forward in our relationship with G-d and our Judaism.

Across the country, shuls were busier and more vibrant this year as Jewish people chose to express their Judaism in a positive and uplifting way. For long enough we have let the antisemites define who we are and how we should think and feel. This was an opportunity to let our souls sing and shine.

Just like our forefather Jacob packed his bags for his trip, so too we should be packing our metaphorical suitcases with provisions for the year. We should take note of an inspirational sermon, remember a friendly face who had made an extra effort for the holidays, or file away an uplifting prayer that we remember. Perhaps we might have even been moved to take on a new resolution to strengthen an area of mitzva observance or join in some additional Torah study. It should all get packed into our suitcases and taken along so that we can access it whenever times are getting more challenging.

While Ray Charles didn’t want us to “come back no more,” in Judaism, it is our previous experiences that shape us, and we recognise their value in our future growth.

In this week’s parshah, Hashem grants us a visible reminder, in the rainbow, of the destruction of the flood. Yet, every time we see a rainbow we make a blessing because we are grateful that mankind is not the same as it was 4000 years ago and while some people, somewhere, are not following G-d’s ways, the world is now moving to more caring relationships with each other and a stronger bond with G-d.