Elul marks the beginning of our journey into the High Holy Days, a sacred season to take honest stock and prepare our hearts for the work ahead.
This year, we will move through Elul in a simple four-week rhythm: paying attention, telling the truth, turning toward what matters, and making room for change.
Elul is the Hebrew month that leads us into Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. It gives us time to pause, notice where we are, and consider where we hope to go.
Throughout the month, prayer, music, learning, and personal reflection help us realign our lives with our deepest values. Each Shabbat invites us more deeply into the work of return, while S’lichot opens the gates of the heart through music, prayer, and soulful reflection.
You do not need to arrive with answers. Elul simply asks us to begin paying attention.
Elul begins by asking us to notice where life has become automatic, distracted, or numbed, and to wake up again to what matters.
This week: Slow down long enough to notice one thing you have stopped seeing clearly.
What is asking for my attention?
This week invites us to name what is real beneath distraction, performance, and self-editing.
This week: Name one feeling, habit, or truth you have been avoiding or softening.
What becomes possible when I am honest with myself?
This week asks us to move toward the people, conversations, and responsibilities we may have kept at a distance.
This week: Do one real thing. Make a phone call, write an overdue note, reconnect with someone, offer an apology, or show up in one meaningful way.
What have I kept at a distance?
As Elul draws to a close, this week invites us to make room for mercy, renewal, and the possibility that something in us can still change.
This week: Release one expectation, distraction, or old story that no longer leaves room for growth.
What am I ready to make room for?
Elul can be experienced quietly and personally, but we do not have to make the journey alone. Join us for learning, reflection, prayer, and opportunities to prepare in community.
What does it mean to belong? How do we honor the many identities that shape us while finding our place within a community?
In Heart of a Stranger, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl reflects on her journey as the first Asian American ordained as both a rabbi and cantor in North America. Through stories of family, faith, and identity, she explores what it means to be both insider and outsider, and how our encounters with difference can deepen our understanding of ourselves and others.
As we prepare for the High Holy Days, we will gather over four sessions to consider our own experiences of belonging, otherness, and community.
Register by Thursday, August 6.
Gather in community to welcome the month of Elul through prayer, music, and a shared meal.
Register by Monday, August 10.
Young adults in their 20s and 30s are invited to Rabbi Erdheim’s home for dinner and a hands-on block-printing workshop led by Rachel Glazer. Create a personal “seal” for the new year while reflecting on what you hope to leave behind and what you want to carry forward.
Register by Wednesday, August 19.
Step into the sacred stillness of the Blumenthal Sanctuary for a quiet moment of personal reflection before the open Ark.
Spend fifteen minutes breathing deeply, offering your own prayers, and reconnecting with yourself, with God, and with what matters most. Come alone or with members of your household. No special preparation is required.
Registration is required.
Join us for an evening centered on reflection and restoration through different modalities. We will begin with light snacks and guided journaling, using the Elul journal included in this year’s High Holy Day materials. Then, we will transition into a meditative sound bath experience, creating space for stillness, reflection, and renewal.
Participants are welcome to attend either portion of the evening or stay for the full experience.
Register by Sunday, August 23.
As the month of Elul nears its close, we gather at Temple Israel for S’lichot, an evening of reflection, prayer, and preparation for the journey into the High Holy Days.
We are honored to lead this in partnership with the clergy and community of Temple Israel as we open the gates of the heart together.