Preserve the memory of your loved one with a plaque on our Yahrzeit Wall. Learn More ->

Search
Close this search box.

Writing and Reflection Prompts for Elul

A person in an orange checked shirt wearing a ring writes in a red journal
 
Writing can be a profound spiritual practice. In the days of Elul, leading up to the High Holy Days, use these questions each day as a way to practice the soul accounting essential to teshuvah.
 

 
1. What do you hope for in the New Year?
2. What is forgiveness and how do we forgive?
3. What makes a good apology?
4. What do you regret?
5. What does teshuvah mean to you?
6. What would it look like for the United States of America to do teshuvah for slavery? For the crimes against indigenous peoples?
7. What would it look like for humanity to do teshuvah for our abuse of the earth?
8. Have you ever changed for the better? If so, how?
9. What are your bad habits?
10.  What’s one good habit you aspire to embrace? When will you start?
11.  Imagine High Holy Days three years into the future … 20 years …
12.  Pick your favorite prayer, story, or practice of the season and drash (interpret) it.
13.  What have you learned since last Rosh Hashanah? About yourself? About the world around you?
14.  What sustains you in times of challenge?
15.  What does it mean to be good?
16.  Which virtue do you value most and why?
17.  Who inspires you and why?
18.  What is one thing you are ashamed of? One thing you are proud of?
19.  If your soul could speak, what would she say?
20.  What can you do if your loved ones make a mistake?
21.  Who do you yearn to be?
22.  What do you need to release or embrace in order to shine more brightly?
23.  Who are you remembering this year?
24.  What are your sins?
25.  Write your own eulogy.
26.  How are you being called to take responsibility?
27.  Where do you need to heal?
28.  What are you turning away from and what are you turning toward?
Facebook
Email

Honor the memory of your loved one with a donation to support Ritualwell

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Rituals

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Join the Ritualwell community to read and discuss examples of hope expressed in writing through song, story, humor and metaphor that will stir you to think about where hope lives within you.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.

The Reconstructionist Network