Elul is a special time–it’s the last month on the Hebrew calendar, leading up to the Jewish High Holidays and the beginning of a new year.
And it’s a powerful time. I like to think of Elul as a chance to wear the graduation goggles–to sit back and reflect on how far you’ve come, to think back on both the beauty of the past year and the struggles. It’s a chance to think about how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go. And most importantly, it’s a chance to commit to doing better in this year to come.
It’s a beautiful thing to think about: built into Judaism is an annual opportunity to turn inward and reflect on the ways that you can become a better person–both for yourself and those around you.
I encourage you to try it out this year, in whatever way feels comfortable. Find a quiet beautiful place in nature to write in your journal. Or find a comfy corner in your home with some tea and make a list of the ways you want to try to show up this year. Or reach out to people you’ve lost touch with and try to reconnect.
To get started, there are some incredible resources in our Elul Reflections booklet.
Here are some of our favorites:
- Guided Meditation for Elul
- The Beginning, a poem by Rachel Kann
- Heshbon Ha’nefesh, a video by Rabbi Lori of Open Temple
- An Elul Writing Exercise by David Wolkin
Good luck on your Elul journey this year! I hope you find it meaningful, freeing, and empowering.