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It’s that time of year. Synagogues are mailing about High Holy Day tickets, entries in Yizkor books, and other things that help each year feel shorter than the Mets’ tenure in first place. Therefore, it’s their fault — and not this column’s — that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur feel so close. In the 1980s, in New York, Crazy Eddie’s would have Christmas sales in August. In the spirit of Christmas sales past, this is a High Holy Day column in July. One of the unique prayers in the Yom Kippur service is the Hineni. Literally, it means “Here I am.” It’s an introductory supplication sung by the cantor, as the representative of everyone. Even that guy who disbanded UAB football. (Who needs to atone more?) It begins “Here I am, deficient in good deeds, trembling in awe…” You get the idea. Lots of praise of the Big G, leading up to a plea for mercy and return while reflecting on mistakes — on moments of straying — during the past year. It’s a lovely prayer, often chanted as the cantor enters from the back of the sanctuary, IT’S CRAZY approaching the ark from among the people. EDDIE’S HIGH But people today don’t always get into even the more grand liturgy. Even those who do HOLY DAYS sometimes don’t really get into what it means. COLUMN IN So, in an age of inclinations to modernize JULY! melodies, services, and the trendy colors for kippot, this column proposes a change. This 12:52 PM proposal is early enough that there’s plenty of time for religious committees around the world to carefully consider how quickly they will reject it outright. Proposition: Replace the Hineni prayer with Air Supply’s 1981 hit song, “Here I Am.” Before going further, a point of clarification. Most of our three readers are probably confusing this with the other Air Supply hit from the same album, “The One That You Love.” That song’s chorus begins “Here I am, the one that you love…” This confuses an absurd number of people. The actual song “Here I Am” merely begins with those three words. The chorus is “Just when I thought I was over you…” which is the song’s subtitle. There’s so much confusion about most prayers, that this confusion makes the song fit right in with them. But if that’s not qualification enough, consider the underlying meaning and intent of the Hineni prayer as you read the lyrics of “Here I Am”: Here I am, Playing with those memories again And just when I thought time had set me free Those thoughts of you keep haunting me. Holding you, A feeling I never outgrew Though each and every part of me has tried Only you can fill that space inside So there’s no sense pretending, My heart, it’s not mending. Just when I thought I was over you continued on previous page