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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 email 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. This year our participants were asked to write on the theme of “Healing Rifts Between People.” We hope that you find inspiration for positive change from these messages, and we wish you a blessed Elul full of discovery and renewal. 

This year’s Elul Thoughts include contributions from:
Cantor Joanna Alexander, Temple Israel, Omaha, NE
Rabbi Batsheva Appel, CABI Boise, ID
Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, Temple Israel, Omaha, NE
Cantor David Berger, KAM Isaiah Israel, Chicago, IL
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-Urbana, 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 S. Keller, Congregation B’nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL
Rabbi Daniel Kirzane, KAM Isaiah Israel, Chicago, IL
Rabbi Brad Levenberg, Temple Sinai, Atlanta, GA
Rabbi Kelly Levy, Congregation Beth Israel, Austin, TX
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, Aberdeen, NJ
Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld, Congregation Albert, Albuquerque, NM
Rabbi Andrew Rosenkranz, Temple Beth Torah, Wellington, FL
Cantor Jenna Sagan, Congregation B’nai Tzedek, Fountain Valley, CA
Rabbi Simone Schicker, Temple B’nai Israel, Kalamazoo, MI
Rabbi Benjamin Sharff, Temple Israel, Omaha, NE
Rabbi Judith Siegal, Temple Judea, Coral Gables, FL
Rabbi Don Weber
Cantor Laurie Weinstein, Temple Israel, Tulsa, OK
Rabbi Michael Weinstein, Temple Israel, Tulsa, OK
Rabbi Stephen Wise, Shaarei-Beth El Congregation of Halton, Oakville, Ontario
Rabbi David N. Young, Congregation Beth Israel, Austin, TX
Shaliach Tzibur Raymond Zachary, Congregation B’nai Tzedek, Fountain Valley, CA
 

1 Elul 5784 | September 4, 2024 
Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld
This has been a hard year since October 7. The pain of knowing the hostages were taken and brutalized. The massacre of innocent Israelis. The pain and destruction in Gaza as Israel tries to eliminate as much of Hamas as possible.

But more, we now have to live with the divisions these events have created in our own country, on top of the ones we already have. Everyone is talking, but no one is listening, really hearing the other. How do we begin to build bridges of understanding?

We can look to our Jewish tradition for the answer. The Rabbis in the Talmud, seemingly argued about everything. The amazing beauty of those arguments is that the Talmud recorded both sides of the argument, and the final decision. The ancient Rabbis most often went into these debates with the expectation that there might be wisdom in what the “other side” argued AND were open to the possibility that their “opponent’s” argument would have wisdom and validity just as much as their own.
At the end of the discussions, with rare exceptions, the arguments remained respectful and, at the end of the day, once a decision was reached, they still respected each other, dined together, studied together, and returned the next day to resolve more issues.

Would that we, our leaders, and the leaders of the peoples of the world, could do the same.

2 Elul 5784 | September 5, 2024 
Rabbi Andrew Rosenkranz
I imagine Esau was devastated by the betrayal of his twin, Jacob, upon learning his birthright was stolen.
 
The siblings couldn’t have been more different. Esau was a man of the field, a red-haired, tough, cunning hunter. Jacob was simple but smart, intelligent but crafty. Even while in the womb together we learn how different they are from one another. It was no surprise that given Jacob’s conspiracy with his mother, Rebecca, the twins ultimately went their separate ways.
 
Torah doesn’t tell us how Esau fares after the brothers split up. Many years later, however, Jacob gets spooked upon hearing that he is about to encounter Esau after so many years. He expects that Esau will try to kill him, but the opposite happens. Esau throws himself at Jacob and kisses him. Much has been forgiven.
 
Reconciliation only happens when two people are willing to accept that the experiences of the other person may have had a profound impact on who that other person has now become. It’s not just a matter of forgiveness. It’s also a matter of understanding that people rarely are the same after so much time has passed. Esau understands this, and once he weeps on Jacob’s shoulder, Jacob understands this about Esau as well.
 
It’s true that sometimes people’s natures don’t change. But sometimes they do.
 
Just look at Jacob and Esau.

3 Elul 5784 | September 6, 2024 
Rabbi Judith Siegal
Want to know a terrible and badly kept secret? Almost every family has rifts and estrangements. It is not often discussed, but we notice these difficulties at life's transitional moments - B'nai Mitzvah ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. This month of Elul gives us ample opportunity to do the hard work of repair (teshuva) and to reflect on our lives. Another secret is found at the very beginning of Kol Nidre liturgy: "And God responded: "I forgive, as you have asked." One might wonder why those words are found at the beginning of the service and not at the end. Why do we pray all day if we already know we will receive forgiveness from the Eternal? The rest of the 25 hours of Yom Kippur give us time to think about where the real work needs to be done - which relationships need repair. It forces us to ask ourselves important questions about the people in our lives:  

"Have I asked forgiveness from someone I have hurt?" 

"Have I granted forgiveness to one who hurt me?"

"What more do I need to do to mend the rifts I have with these loved ones....?"

The lesson of Yom Kippur is no secret: we do not know what lies ahead. Yom Kippur reminds us that death looms for all of us mortals. The time is now to restore our connections to one another and to repair the brokenness in our relationships. Don’t wait. Let go of resentment. Start anew. That is no secret. 
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 4 Elul 5784 | September 7, 2024 
Rabbi Glenn Ettman
Our family has a tradition: after Rosh Hashanah services, we gather for dinner at my brother-in-law’s house. Each of us in our family hosts one holiday, and we enjoy each other's company (and often scotch).

My brother-in-law usually keeps the patio screen door open so people and dogs can move freely. One Rosh Hashanah evening, it was lovely outside, and the patio door stayed open. That is, until I went to put away my plate and get a glass of wine. I did not realize someone had closed the screen door. When I came back out, I walked right into it, spilling wine everywhere. I exclaimed “Who would put a door in an open doorway?”

This incident made me think about the approach to the High Holy Days when the doors and gates are wide open and there's nothing preventing us from entering. The doorways to forgiveness, newness, and change are wide open. The preparation of the entire month is when we can change, connect to God, and find new meaning in our life. The spiritual doorways that have been closed all year are open now. God welcomes us back with love, hoping we'll become better than last year. 

Chasidic masters teach that we each have seven doorways to our souls: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and one mouth. Everything we encounter enters our consciousness through these personal doorways. They allow us to interact with the world consciously. 

This time of year, we turn inward, focusing on how we can enter through doorways in our lives. How can we heal? How can we find a pathway toward others who may not agree with us but are still human? And in what ways will we enter these open doorways with hope, and the desire to be the best versions of ourselves. 

Today, may we open the doorways of our consciousness and understanding, confront what we see, and be guided by wisdom. May we walk through doors of compassion and forgiveness without fear of stumbling (or bumping into it). We can all succeed if we try.