A Sweet New Year

(IDEX News) - The WeWork IPO feels like old news already - and in fact, co-founder and CEO Adam Neumann this week announced he was stepping down and the company's IPO has been postponed - perhaps indefinitely. 

Back when it was all people could talk about though, one of the common stories in the press was how the WeWork roadshow was being rushed to get finished by September 29 - aka the start of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). This was in all the papers, with serious analysis being done about the timing and effect of the Jewish holidays on this huge undertaking. 

It seems that someone, somewhere, got their timing wrong. 

In the diamond industry, we take it for granted that we are guided by the ebb and flow of the year - religious (whatever your religion) and secular. 

When Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Succot come around each autumn, there's a lull in trade. Indian manufacturers rush to fulfill orders before Diwali and then work shuts down and workers take a well-earned vacation. Christmas is the make-or-break time of year for many. Following a short break, orders pick up again in anticipation of Valentine's Day and then for Mother's Day and then it's Wedding Season again. And then comes Rosh Hashanah again…

Unlike December 31, Rosh Hashanah isn't a time for making resolutions or promises. It's a time for reflection and for looking ahead - of trying to see the positive in the world. No matter how hard that can sometimes be.

We live in seemingly complicated and difficult times. Forget the wider world and all the craziness going on. Even within the industry we are assailed from all sides by bad news: of downturns in trade; of bankruptcies; of workers in Surat being so badly affected by the economic situation they feel they have no choice but to end their lives. With news like this, it can be hard to keep the good stories in mind.

But there are good stories in abundance and we should do more to remember them: Jewelers for Children just kicked off its annual Hope for the Holidays program, which is a cornerstone of this incredible charity's work. A waiter gave a donation at an industry event and ended up with a job offer. Diamonds are doing good all over the world. And, no kidding, when I went to publish this I got a press release in my inbox about how De Beers and the UN have trained over 700 female micro-entrepreneurs in Southern Africa.

One of the most popular - and tasty - Rosh Hashanah traditions - is indulging in sweet foods in the hope of a sweet year to come. On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, I want to wish all our readers, no matter if you celebrate or not, a sweet and happy year. And while Rosh Hashanah is not the time for making resolutions, I hope we can all try to see more of the goodness and abundance of the world. I know that that's what I will try to do in the coming year.

Have a fabulous weekend.