The Month of Elul

The High Holy Days are not an event; rather, they are a process.  We approach God, we approach each other, and we move toward the next stage of our lives through a combination of teshuvah (sincere repentance), tzedakah (acts of righteousness) and t’filah (prayer). Some of these are done in community, but mostly these tasks are personal in nature, each of us on our own path. 

The Hebrew month preceding Rosh Hashanah is Elul.  During this month, we are reminded that the Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim) will soon be upon us and that it is time to prepare our souls for this holy process. Over the years, many ritual practices have been created to help us to do this, the most prominent being the daily sounding of the shofar during Elul. In the coming year, 5785 (2024), the month of Elul begins the evening of Monday, Sept. 2 and last through the daytime of Wednesday, Oct. 2 (that evening is Erev Rosh Hashanah). 

This year, we share with you a reflections from clergy each week during Elul.

Sept. 4, 2024, by Rabbi Ellie Steinman

Chaverim,

I write this message to you, dear congregants, with a broken heart. Like you, Saturday night I learned of the murders of Ori Danino, 25; Carmel Gat, 40; Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23; Alexander Lobanov, 32; Almog Sarusi, 27; and Eden Yerushalmi, 24—all of whom were held hostage in Gaza for 329 days. Since October 7, 2023, we’ve prayed for the release of the hostages. The funerals for these precious souls were held on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Their families are in the shiva period, and we, the people of Israel, support the mourners and weep with them as they grieve. One of the texts cites the prophet Jeremiah: "...a cry is heard in Ramah, wailing, bitter weeping—Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children, who are gone," (31:15). We are weeping like Rachel, our matriarch, like Rachel Goldberg, Hersh’s mother. The pain, the sadness, the anger are abundant. And through our multifaceted emotions we must persevere. We have no other option. 

The month of Elul begins today. This Hebrew month is a month without holidays. Instead, it is a month of preparation for the next Hebrew month, Tishrei. The first day of Tishrei is better known as Rosh Hashanah. In just four weeks we will welcome 5785 together as a holy community. We will gather together in our sanctuary as our people have done for millenia. We will come in grief, in joy, in brokenness, in fragility, in pursuit, to recite the words and perform the rites that connect our people to God and our tradition.

And we need to prepare ourselves. Therefore, each Wednesday over the next number of weeks, your clergy—Rabbi Freedman, Rabbi Hall, Cantor Gostein and I—will share messages to assist our congregants with their preparation for the High Holy Day season, from Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah. We will share teachings about texts of this season and describe changes to our High Holy Day worship to prepare you for the season. 

This is the season of teshuva, repentance or return. At this season, we commit or recommit to trying to be the best version of ourselves. We do this by teshuvah, the acknowledgment of where we missed the mark, through a process called cheshbon nefesh, accounting of the soul. We engage in this work daily as Tishrei approaches so that we do not procrastinate and are ready to stand together and, as a community in one voice, atone for our wrongdoings before God. It is important to remember the teaching from the Mishnah, "Yom Kippur atones for transgressions between a person and God, but for a transgression against one's fellow, Yom Kippur cannot atone, they made peace between one another," (Yoma 8:9). 

My teacher, Rabbi Richard Levy, z”l, taught me a part of his own cheshbon nefesh, accounting of the soul, work. Rabbi Levy would go through his calendar (his calendar was paper and pen) to recall the encounters, the conversations, and the day-to-day happenings. This would guide him to the people with whom he needed to make amends. He described this process as a way to spark his memory, to recall where he missed the mark and could approach the people he met with to ask for their forgiveness. This might be helpful as you consider your own process.

May we begin this time of return, renewal, and repair with compassion for ourselves and for those who come to us seeking forgiveness. May the Holy One bless us, the people of Israel, with wholeness, and may we and all peoples of the world know peace.

Am Yisrael Chai.

Chodesh tov,
Rabbi Ellie Steinman

Sept. 11, 2024, by Cantor Abby Gostein

Reenvisioning Avinu Malkeinu in 5785 (2024)

One of the most beloved and anticipated moments of the High Holy Days liturgy is the singing of "Avinu Malkeinu." Both the traditional melody and the Max Janowski setting, popularized by Barbra Streisand, refer to God as Avinu Malkeinu, which, literally translated, means Our Father, Our King. It is one of the many names we use for God.

For some of us, the image of God as Father or King, or the idea of coming before a fatherly or kingly figure to ask for forgiveness, may feel uncomfortable or out of sync with our theology. This year, during the High Holy Days, our people's important time of self-reflection and of t'shuvah, repentance and return, we will have the opportunity to experience an alternative.

Last year, Jewish composer Beth Schafer introduced her "Avinu Malkeinu" rendition, called "M'kor Hachayim," which keeps the words of the liturgy as written in our machzor, except for the name she uses for God.  She refers to God in the text as M'kor Hachayim, meaning Source of Life. You can see and hear her singing it here. This Rosh Hashanah, the Temple Beth Shalom Kol Hakavod Ensemble will sing this rendition and will also sometimes sing the traditional melody with the words M'kor Chayeinu (Source of our Lives), rather than Avinu Malkeinu. For those of us used to the traditional words, this will likely feel strange and even difficult.

I encourage us all to use the opportunity to think about how we relate to God, especially during these Days of Awe. What is the name for God that resonates for you today and as we enter into this season? Throughout the year, how does that name or image or relationship change? And how does that reflect on your inner being and relationship with other people and your larger community?

May these High Holy Days be ones of new experiences, ideas, and connections, as well as continued engagement in deeply ingrained and meaningful traditions.

B'Shira (In Song),

Cantor Abby Gostein

We hope you find meaning in the resources shared below to guide you through your Elul journey.

Learning

• Elul Information and Teachings from My Jewish Learning
• Elul: Five Things to Know About the Lead-Up to the High Holidays (ReformJudaism.org) 
• Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies: The Pardes Community Education program offers courses that provide in-depth, Jewish text study on a flexible schedule to meet students’ interests and availability.
• Shofar Blowing: Rabbi Denise Eger, our wonderful ba'alat t'kiah, will teach techniques for sounding the shofar and engage in Jewish study about shofar sounding! Our Shofar Corps members also lead the congregation in sounding the Shofar calls at High Holy Day services. No experience necessary. Learn more, including the dates of rehearsals.

Kavanah (Spiritual Awareness)

• Jewels of Elul: A collection of short inspirational insights from both well-known and under-the-radar personalities who influence our global community. Whether in song, video or written word, Jewels provide a moment to reflect on our past, present and future. 
• Renewing Our Communities and Ourselves: An Elul Workship Series from RitualWell
• URJ's Reimagining the High Holy Days: Here you will find a few ways to reflect, reconnect, and renew over this year’s High Holidays. Each activity can be completed alone or with family and friends.