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15 Elul, 5782 | September 11, 2022
Rabbi Glenn Ettman

The Talmud teaches that we "must first improve ourselves, then seek to inspire others to improve themselves." (Baba Metzia 107b). Socrates reminds us, "An unexamined life is not worth living." The entire month of Elul challenges us to look at ourselves and continue to do the sacred task of determining how we can correct ourselves so that we can inspire others. 

Before we gather to celebrate Rosh Hashanah we must ask ourselves, "How will I be ready?" "What can I do to strive to be a better person this coming year?" and "What can I do to improve myself so that I can help and inspire others to improve themselves?" These are challenging questions, but I am confident that we will be ready to enter the New Year with renewed purpose, energy, and conviction when we take this opportunity to look at ourselves honestly and authentically. In the therapeutic models, the first step towards becoming the best version of ourselves is to admit that we must change in the first place. Then, while we may be unable to solve or heal the fractures we feel, we can work on ourselves. That is the greatest gift we can give ourselves and the world.

May we all have the strength, faith, and courage to live meaningfully.

16 Elul, 5782 | September 12, 2022
Rabbi David Spinrad
Climate change. An interminable pandemic. An American creation myth built on genocide and enslavement. Economic inequity. Systemic racism. Antisemitism rises from White Nationalists on the Right. Antisemitism masquerades as anti-Zionism on the Left. An endless loop of massacred of school children followed by impotent politicians whose “thoughts and prayers” paper over moral cowardice. Reproductive rights stripped away. A seditious insurrection unmet by justice.

Some days, the weight of the world crushes me. I raise my eyes to the heavens. I cry out. God’s voice answers my cry:

“Davidel, this reminds me Yankel, who went to the tailor for new pants. A week, two, three weeks go by, and they still are not ready. Finally, after six weeks the pants are ready. They are gorgeous and fit perfectly. But, Yankel can’t resist a jibe at the tailor. ‘You know, it only took God six days to make the world. It took you six weeks to make just one pair of pants!’

“’Ah,’ said the tailor. But look at this pair of pants, and look at this mess of a world!’

“Davidel, I don’t ask you to carry this burden alone. Nor do I expect you to carry it all the time. I gave the world tears. But I gave it laughter, too. I see you down there. I still have faith in humanity. But lighten up a bit, will you? A little humor and some laughter will help you to endure the bad so that you may live to see the good.”

17 Elul, 5782 | September 13, 2022
Rabbi David N. Young
Years ago my parents improved their backyard with a beautiful, wood back-patio. Once they added a grill and a table with an umbrella and comfy chairs, their summer hangout was complete.

As wonderful as our back patio was, the trend we Americans started of moving from the front stoop to the backyard was an early step toward the divisiveness we see now. When we stopped sitting in front and moved to the back, we became less aware of our neighbors and what was happening with them. The people with whom we shared news in the past became “other,” and we drifted away from them.

With cell phones in all of our pockets, we have become so focused on what is happening on social media and who is texting us, we forget to look up and engage with the world.

In the Talmud, Rav Kahana changes how he prays based on what is happening in the world. When there was strife in the world, he would remove his cloak and pray with his hands clasped. When there was peace, he would keep his cloak on (Shabbat 10a).

This awareness of what is happening in the world is critical to how we operate as Jews. We need to go out into the world, engage with our neighbors, and behave according to what we learn from each other. Engagement breeds compassion, and compassion will lead us to heal one another rather than compete with each other.

18 Elul, 5782 | September 14, 2022
Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin

One Whole Note16th century Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz inspired these words:
Tekiah – One whole note
Sh’varim-Truah – Three broken notes; nine staccato notes
Tekiah – One whole note
My return to the right path has the power to make me whole again.
Tekiah – Once I was whole
Sh’varim-Truah—In the wear and tear of living, I became broken and shattered.
Tekiah—My t’shuvah has the power to make me whole again. 

    Now, more than ever, these words ring true. So many of us feel a sense of brokenness, of disconnectedness, from our communities and from each other. As we seek to re-enter spaces that were once home, we find that they are not the same. Or maybe we are not the same. 
    As we approach the High Holy Days, we have dedicated time to simply be – to breathe, to reflect, to wonder, to question, and to take stock. Elul invites us to turn inward as we seek to make ourselves whole once again, and it challenges us to consider what is keeping us from being the best versions of ourselves. 
May the sound of the shofar pierce our souls and awaken our senses. May the haunting sounds of these notes, broken and whole, side by side, remind us that even when the wear and tear of daily living threatens to bring us down, we have the power to become whole once again. 

19 Elul, 5782 | September 15, 2022
Rabbi Heidi Cohen

This summer, friends called and said, ‘we know it’s last minute, but come join us camping off the beach.’ Camping? I haven’t been camping in years except for going to our Jewish camps with our youth and that I would not necessarily call camping; cabins, a big kitchen staff preparing the meals, and showers that don’t take coins for two minutes. And life is so busy that to drop everything and go somewhere with little internet access seems extravagant. But instead of just giving a ‘no thank you, maybe next time’ answer, we immediately said yes.

We packed some clothes, blankets, guitar, and chairs and headed to the beach. We were very happy that we were not going to sleep on the ground but rather in a surprisingly roomy pop-up trailer where everything has its place when stored. The weather was perfect and yes, there was no cell service at the site. We were going to disconnect for 24 hours.

Had we done what we typically do, say we’re too busy, we would have missed the night sky filled with more stars than we can count, the sounds of animals singing their nighttime songs and the sun kissing the earth good morning. We would have missed spending time uninterrupted with friends over a camp fire and s’mores. Yes, life is busy, but life is short. Rather than spending our days checking off the items on the get-to-do list, create spontaneous moments to stop, breathe, and be. 

20 Elul, 5782 | September 16, 2022
Rabbi Eric Linder

Our tradition teaches us that visiting a sick person restores 1/60th of their health. 
Even though I don’t think this is meant to be taken literally, we all understand the power of a visit and some kind words, a hug, a prayer, or simply holding hands in silence.
We can debate the mathematical accuracy of our tradition’s claim, but one thing that is a certainty is that each of us can help to bring about healing and hope, and even a sense of peace, to others. 
If your synagogue reads aloud names during the Mi Sheberach prayer, I invite you to call or visit someone on that list. It will bring healing. 

21 Elul, 5782 | September 17, 2022
Cantor Joanna Alexander

I look at you, you human filled with hopes and dreams and fears. 
I look at you and I see that you too are
B’tzelem Elohim, you too are a part of Godliness in this world. 

One human to one human, one conversation at a time, 
I seek to understand your fear and pain, your joy and happiness. 
I seek to see your humanity. 
 
One human to one human, can I find love for you? 
One human to one human, can I find patience with you? 
One human to one human, can I remove you from the labels and politics and overlays of expectations? 
Can I see what you choose to show me? 
Hear who you are in what you choose to tell me? 
One human to one human, can I find the God in you? 

Now, tell me dear human, who I see in the mirror, 
what is your story, your voice, your expectation? 
Tell me, mirror me, what small fear, resentment, or pain can you wash off your face today? 
What armor of patience, fortitude, and understanding will you add to your daily routine? 
Mirror me, can you find the compassion and understanding you seek one human to another, can you find that also for yourself? 
Mirror me, can I find the God in you? 
 
How do we find healing in a fractured world? 
One human to one human. 
How do we find healing in a fractured world? 
By finding God in humanity.