Each year as summer fades into fall, Jewish tradition invites us to turn inward. The month of Elul precedes the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We dedicate this time to preparing ourselves for the holidays so that we can experience them as fully as possible. During Elul we are asked to look into ourselves. We think about who we are and who we want to be. Whose forgiveness do we need in order for us to enter a new year with a clean slate? Judaism offers help for this period of introspection in several ways: The shofar sounds daily, awakening us from complacency; later in the month, prayers of repentance—selikhot—are added to the daily liturgy. Perhaps most important, during Elul, we can support each other through the process of requesting and offering forgiveness with full and open hearts.Â
“When I feel most broken / pulled apart / when every door unhinged / is opened / but feels closed”
As we prepare to trace the world’s beginnings, may we choose life
Intentions, blessings, and poems to read upon immersing in the mikveh before Rosh Hashanah
To connect the physical with the mental, emotional, and spiritual, Mayyim Hayyim provides Seven Kavanot (intentions) as a guide to help you slow down, center, and be present in the moment
A poem about what the blast of the shofar does to bring us out of past and present
“For the Regretter, a regretting song”
A tashlikh ritual to affirm one’s wholeness after a divorce
Take time to prepare your personal prayers for the high holidays
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