The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: September sixteenth, celebrating the New Year in Moscow.

Today marks the start of the month of Tishray on the Jewish calendar. Jews around the world are gathering to celebrate the holy day of Rosh Hashanah, the new year. With shrill blasts on a ceremonial ram's horn, they'll mark the beginning of the year 5763. One place the coming of the new year is particularly significant is the stately synagogue on Arkhipova Street.

On a bustling Moscow boulevard just half a mile from Red Square and the Kremlin walls is the oldest synagogue in Russia. Some of the world's best cantors have been and still are trained there. Built in the early 19th century, the synagogue's classical facade blends in with those of its neighbors. The only identification, gold leaf Hebrew letters over menorahs on either side of the entrance, is hidden by the colonnade. On the street, Muscovites are busy buying and selling herbs and tree seedlings. Inside, life of another kind is thriving, especially during these high holy days.

The main sanctuary can hold 2,000 worshipers. Chandeliers ring its curving wooden balcony. Gold leaf and brass dazzles the eye, but the room retains a homey, well-worn feel. What's most amazing is that this center of Jewish life remains rooted here, despite 70 years of Bolshevik repression and subsequent high tides of Russian anti-Semitism. The tenacious spirit that fills the old sanctuary is a testament to the power of faith's ability to outlast adversity. As such, it is inspiration to all. And to all, a l' shanna tova.

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