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Month of Elul

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. 

Latest Rituals

Blow a mean blues shofar! 

shot of a vinyl record and a turntable
The Queen is in the field. / The King is in the field. / They have come together, / To bless us
a groom and bride hold hands by a field of sunflowers

A song for Elul and the high holidays

the back of a person with short hair who is looking out at a body of water

Alternative shofar blasts using everyday sounds

a person stands on a wooden bridge in a forest

A reminder that we have Elul to return to ourselves, the people we have wronged, and each other

a moon is obscured by dark blue clouds

An invitation to open our hearts to prepare for the reflection of Elul

a straw hat with a black band sits in a field of wheat on a sunny day

A prayer and poem asking to return us to ourselves and our source

silhouette of a ballet dancer in arabesque position against a dark blue sunset

A ritual to help begin the transformation of a bad habit to something that is healthy and life-affirming

a stone entrance with open gates

Celebrating the Torah while keeping our loved ones memories as blessings

a blue mural of people dancing with Torah scrolls

A poem based on Psalm 27, highlighting a few additional requests from God

a child with short hair and earrings smiles, holding up and looking at a couple of cherries

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