Elul Thoughts Return starting August 14th

The Hebrew month of Elul is the last month of the Jewish year. As such, it is considered a month of spiritual preparation for the High Holy Days. Special meditations are added to the daily service for some, known as S’lichot, or penitential prayers. (*The Saturday before Rosh Hashanah is also known as S’lichot, and it is used as a night of contemplation and study.) For several years, a group of Reform clergy and educators has collaborated on a series of Elul Thoughts. These are shared with our congregations in a daily blogpost (and available on social media, see below) throughout the month. 

It is with great honor that we once again bring Elul Thoughts to our congregations across the United States and Canada this year. We have been sending Elul Thoughts to our congregations since 2008 when Rabbi David Young worked with Rabbi Alan Litwak at Temple Sinai in North Miami Beach, FL. This project was his brainchild then, and it has taken on a renewed life again and again as we connect with colleagues and friends who want to contribute. Every year we invite cantors, rabbis, and educators. Some years we invite congregants or teachers from other areas of expertise. We hope that you find inspiration for positive change from these messages, and we wish you a blessed Elul full of discovery and renewal.

Elul Thoughts are also available on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/elulthoughts

https://www.instagram.com/elulthoughts/

Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Temple Israel, Tulsa, OK

Rabbi Erin Boxt, Temple Beth Shalom, Ocala, FL

Rabbi Michael Churgel, North Country Reform Temple - Ner Tamid, Glen Cove, NY

Rabbi Alan Cook, Sinai Temple, Champaign, IL

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, Temple Emanuel, Winston-Salem, NC

Rabbi Glenn Ettman, Congregation Or Ami, Lafayette Hill, PA

Rabbi Neal Katz, Congregation Beth El, Tyler, TX

Rabbi Rony Keller, Temple Solel, Paradise Valley, AZ

Rabbi Daniel Kirzane, KAM Isaiah Israel, Chicago, IL

Rabbi Bradley Levenberg, Temple Sinai, Atlanta, GA 

Rabbi Eric Linder, Congregation Children of Israel, Athens, GA

Rabbi Alan Litwak, Temple Sinai of North Dade, North Miami Beach, FL

Rabbi Laurence Malinger, Temple Shalom of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, NJ

Rabbi Andrew Rosenkranz, Temple Beth Torah, Wellington, FL

Cantor Jenna Sagan, Temple Beth Israel, Pomona, CA

Rabbi Simone Schicker, Temple B'nai Israel, Kalamazoo, MI

Rabbi Jeremy Schneider, Temple Kol Ami, Scottdale, AZ

Rabbi Benjamin A. Sharff, Temple Israel, Omaha, NE

Rabbi Michael Sommer, Har-Shalom, Northbrook, IL

Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, Temple Israel, Omaha, NE

Rabbi Stephen Wise, Shaarei-Beth El Congregation, Oakville, ON, Canada

Rabbi David N. Young, Temple Emanu-El, Birmingham, AL