A Soulful Beginning to the High Holiday Season

Having observed a second month of Adar this spring, our holidays fall later than usual this year.  I feel it more acutely as Labor Day approaches, and we have yet to enter the Hebrew month of Elul.  However, I find these years particularly meaningful.  As the leaves change, swimming pools close, and summer whites get packed away, we can’t help but sense that change is all around us.  These physical transitions remind us that our souls, too, must undergo transformation – and we can’t put it off any longer.  Labor Day feels like an additional marker, alongside Elul, signaling that our spiritual journey toward the High Holidays must begin.  

Tuesday night, September 3, marks Rosh Chodesh Elul, the beginning of the 40 days leading up to Yom Kippur.  As you likely know, we do things a little differently at Temple during this time.  In Elul, we incorporate melodies and readings that evoke thoughts of the High Holidays.  We blow the shofar and read Psalm 27.  Over the past few years, I’ve shared several ways to deepen our connection to the Days of Repentance.  As we near Elul, I wanted to remind you of some of my favorite resources and opportunities.  

1. Engage with Elul-focused social media: Participate in #BlogElul or #Elulgram.  Check out @imabima or visit imabima.blogspot.com for this year’s list of topics. 

2. Sign up for daily Elul reflections: Visit Jewels of Elul for a collection of short inspirational insights from both well-known and under-the-radar personalities. Whether in song, video or written word, these jewels offer moments of reflection as we prepare for the High Holidays.   

3. Listen to an Elul playlist on Spotify:  There are many to choose from, and here are just a few:  

• Playlist 1 

• Playlist 2 

• Playlist 3 

4. Explore your feelings through reflective writing.  Lisa Feld offers reflective writing prompts to help you begin journaling. Visit Derekh for guidance: [https://www.derekh.org/elul/exploring-elul.] 

5. Read a book related to the themes of the high holidays:  

• This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared by Alan Lew 

• Resoulutions: A Practical Guide for Self-Repair by Rabbi Heather Miller 

• Opening Your Heart with Psalm 27: A Spiritual Practice for the Jewish New Year by Debra Judith Robbins 

• On Repentance and Repair by Danya Ruttenberg 

• The Book of Jonah: A Social Justice Commentary by Shmuly Yanklowitz 

• Jonah and the Meaning of Our Lives by Rabbi Steven Bob 

Wishing you all a meaningful holiday weekend and a soulful beginning to the High Holiday season. 

[if you need these, here are the original links to spotify playlists: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2z3Mdn1RSEevLiOEFs6yH3?si=5b28fadbd45246c1 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1H3Zdp9U4fpRcqHxT12Ob8?si=97d234bdcd7c48a6 ]