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I am truly not quite sure where the summer has gone. It is hard to believe that August 21 begins the Hebrew month of Elul. The Hebrew month of Elul is the last month of the Jewish year. As such, it is considered a month of spiritual preparation for the High Holy Days. During this sacred time on the Jewish calendar, we take stock of the many blessings in our lives and offer our thanks to God. 

All the more so, THIS YEAR, when the days, weeks and months blend together - how grateful we are for the rhythm of the Jewish calendar to provide structure. This year, the high holidays feel as though they are the only thing helping me mark time, during the sometimes blurry days and months.

Over the next 4 weeks, we hope to help you mark this sacred time. You will be receiving emails crafted by the Temple Sinai Spirituality Committee to help you dive into Elul. Our hope is to provide you with structure and rhythm as you navigate these most holy of days. 

Each week you will receive a video from a clergy, followed by activities, readings, questions and insights. Our website will share recipes, holiday cards to color, and more. Check it out here. We hope you’ll dive into this month of Elul with us, on your own or with your families. With an open mind, who knows what kind of transformation might happen.  

As we enter Shabbat,  Elul and ultimately Rosh Hashanah,  we pray that this can be a time of change for us.

Rabbi Richard Steinberg teaches: 
Rosh Hashanah. The Hebrew word Rosh means "Head" in English.  The Hebrew word "Shana" means "Year" in English.  However, you may know that Hebrew is made up of three letter roots.  And the root of the word "Shana" literally means "change."

This spiritual period of time gives us an opportunity to fix that which is broken and find new ways of doing things.  When we "change" our "heads," our thinking, our approaches to issues, relationships and challenges in our lives then the new year becomes sweet.  This year has been so hard, for so many of us, on so many different levels. How can we change our heads to make the world a little bit easier for us to comprehend.  As we kick off this month of Elul, and  this New Year, we pray it  brings us happiness, blessing, resilience and good health as we all "Change our Heads." Shabbat Shalom and Shanah Tovah.