Category: Month of Elul

Grief begins to feel like the humidity of northeast summer: a ubiquitous discomfort that we’ve come to accept as normal. 

Whenever I teach about ritual or work with people to prepare for a life cycle transition, I always stress that what makes a ritual powerful and effective is the preparation and intention with which we approach the event.  While there is a certain “magic” to liminal moments, we cannot simply show up and experience a transformation.  The same is true for how we experience the holidays of the Jewish year. Not only must we appropriately prepare for each holiday, but we must also consider how we want to connect this year.

What if we could derive a practice from the story of the King in the field—breathe life into it and into our own souls? How can we, in the midst of our busy, self-conscious lives, find the cozy, loving intimacy with God that is hinted at in this tale?

Jewels of Elul is a project created by Craig Taubman that offers 29 inspirational insights for the month of Elul. The following was the Jewels of Elul theme of 2012.