Tuesday, September 23, 2014

#blogElul 29: Return

Today is the last day of Elul.
The last day of 5774.
The last day of the last year in which Sam lived.
And I can't quite get myself to the end.
Obviously, it will come. The time will tick by, the calendar will flip over, and 5775 will be here.
Will I ever be ready for another year to come in?
Will I ever feel the press of time without wishing I could stop it, and return, go back, to the days before?
Time moves forward.
The world carries on.
And we carry him in our hearts....into this new year and for always.

I feel just as fragile now as I did when we turned the calendar over to 2014.
And so I'll say the same thing:

...So we face 5775...our first Rosh HaShanah without Sam.
I am paralyzed when I think of all that he will miss. I am overwhelmed and breathless when I imagine the future and he's just not there. Yet I know that we will awaken each day, and we will move forward, even if it feels like we're slogging through a thick fog, even if it feels like we're just moving for the sake of moving, even if it feels like we're faking every moment...we will keep going.

5775, here we come. Be gentle on us, please.


Photo by Martha Abelson

Monday, September 22, 2014

#blogElul 27: Intend {Guest Post}



#BlogElul Guest Post by Rabbi Stephanie Alexander

Rabbi Jack Riemer relates the story of three demons who set out to corrupt human beings, and then come back together to compare their results. The first one describes his approach: “I tell people that there is no God. But it doesn’t work. People are too smart. They see the wonders of the world and they don’t believe me.” The second one says: “I tell people that there is a God, but that She didn’t give the Torah. But it doesn’t work. People are too smart. They look into the Torah and see how much wisdom it contains, and they don’t believe me.”


Then the third one says: “I tell people that there is a God and that She gave the Torah. But then I say to them, ‘What’s the rush? You have time to do what God wants tomorrow.’ And that almost always works.”


The best of intentions can bring out our worst.


At this time of new beginnings, perhaps we can learn from the first beginning. “Vayomer Elohim y’hi or, va-y’hi or – God said: Let there be light, and there was light.” According to the great sage, Maimonides (in his philosophical dictionary of the Torah), “Vayomer” means God “thought” or “planned.” A thought, a plan, an intention, and then – Bam! – the thing itself.

No, we can never fully imitate God … but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. This year may we work to shorten the gap between intention and implementation. And when the creative, helpful, noble deed is done, may we too have that wonderful moment of realization: “And it was good.”


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Stephanie M. Alexander has the honor and privilege of being called mom, spouse and rabbi – three simple titles whose terseness belies worlds of joy, challenge and fulfillment.

Stephanie likes the idea of the beach more than the place itself, and prefers to travel by book as opposed to plane, train or automobile. She lives with her husband, son and adorable Cockapoo (who’s really a monster) in Charleston, SC – a city rich in beauty, charm … and stories. Her blog can be found at http://storiedlifeillustrated.wordpress.com
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The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

#BlogElul 25: Begin {Guest Post}


#BlogElul Guest post by Kim Phillips
Three women-friends of a certain age spend a day at a friend’s lake house. He tells us there is a great cliff for jumping into the lake, that we should take the boat over there. We do, and we scramble up the hill like not-so-young she-goats. The cliff is about 30 feet high but, from the top, looks like we’ll be jumping off the Empire State Building. Two of us walk up to the edge and immediately decide against it. The third friend never hesitates—just walks straight to the edge and steps off. Huge splash. What’s a gal to do? We jump. It was so much fun we did it over and over, just like kids.
I teach adult Hebrew and am always in awe of my students. Learning a new language gets harder as we get older, and Hebrew is a bit more challenging than most: it reads from right to left, has a whole different alphabet, and operates on system of word-roots that are somewhat inexact and hard to translate. But adult learners are tentative for other reasons. Unlike kids, who are a bit more absorbent and who understand that they haven’t had an opportunity to know a thing, adults are fearful. Shouldn’t I know this already? What if I look like a dummy? This is the self-talk.
Moses sent scouts into Canaan, wanting to know “what kind of country it is, are the people who dwell in it strong or weak?” (Num. 13:18) The midrash says that if the inhabitants of a land live in the open, it shows they are strong; living in a fortress is a sign of fear.
It is Elul. We are poised on the brink. This year, what will we do? Will we remain on the edge, or will we have new physical and spiritual experiences? Will our bravery be an example for someone else?
Go ahead: jump.
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Kim Phillips is a Nashville-based Judaica artist, marketing consultant, certified pararabbinic and mom to Jacob the Most Awesome Cat. Her work and blog are at www.hebrica.com.
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The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

#blogElul 23: Love {guest post}

Once in a while, I consciously remember love is a verb. Feelings--such as happy, sad, grumpy—are adjectives. But love is a verb and verbs require action.

Sometimes, I ask what action love requires. And the answers used to come clearly and quickly. Hugging. Encouraging. Sewing. Laughing. And sometimes even cooking (sigh).

But recently the answers seem more varied than I used to think. Because waiting is an action. So are standing patiently and holding my breath. Keeping silent is an action too.

I’m an active person. I run. I go. I do. But children get older and so do parents. And love asks more.

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Ellen, Phyllis's wise and wonderful cousin, wrote this and then read it back and realized just how middle-aged she really is. (This bio is a mashup of my bio and hers!)
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The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

#blogElul 22: Dare


Dear Abraham,
How dare you????
I would never
ever
ever
ever
have given him up willingly.
No matter what God said.
No matter what anyone said.
Sincerely,
Me

The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! This year, I'm not doing a linky or anything like that -- I'm conserving energy! So be sure to tag your posts on Twitter and Facebook so I can catch them with my alerts....

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

#blogElul 21: Change


A year ago on the Jewish calendar, on the 21st of Elul, was a very big day of change for our family.

Change
is
hard
painful
and enormous

and yet sometimes
exciting
enriching
and full of blessing.

Sometimes
I'd rather
just
stay
the
same.

The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Monday, September 15, 2014

#blogElul 20: Judge


The Divine Judge.

That's the "judgment" that we talk about on the High Holy Days.

God as Divine Judge.

One of the days for Rosh HaShanah is Yom haDin, the Day of Judgment.... "when even the hosts of Heaven are judged."

I have no idea how I'm going to read those words this year.
I have no idea how I'm ever going to consider God to be a fair and true Judge.
I have no idea how justice plays into it at all.

But I've got the rest of my life to ask the questions.
Which doesn't seem fair at all.

The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

#BlogElul 19: Ask {guest post}

BlogElul guest post by Rabbi Anne Persin

Ask

When I first started writing this post, I kept focusing on the curiosity type of asking.  What it means to ask others about themselves, to be asked about yourself. I have always tended to be a curious sort and I have always been delighted to have others be curious about me.  So, this concept of asking was not only easy for me but welcomed!

But what about the other kind of asking?

What about the request kind of asking?

The request kind of asking has never been all that easy for me - asking for things... for help, for time, for people, for attention.  Deep inside the recesses of my mind, I have convinced myself that I should be able to handle things on my own.  If I truly needed something that would be one thing, but what more do I need than food, clothing, shelter?  Back in those recesses everything else are merely wants!  Of course, consciously, I know full well that I need a lot more than the just the basics.  All of us need help, time, people, attention.  All of us need care, consideration, forgiveness, love.  If only we were able to ask for all of that.

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Rabbi Anne Persin is my very good friend and one of the best tantes my kids could ever have.

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The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

#blogElul 18: Pray {guest post}


#BlogElul Guest Post by Stacey Robinson

I am reminded of the midrash of King David and the origins of the Adonai S'fatai, which is the prayer we say at the beginning of the Amidah. David, the rabbis tell us, had sent a man to his certain death, all for the sake of satisfying his own selfish desires.  The man, Uriah, was a general in David’s army, and David sent him to the front, knowing that it was certain death. But he really wanted Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. And he was king, so he gave the orders. On the night before the battle, he had a sudden attack of conscience, and so sent Uriah a note, telling him to return home. But Uriah was an honorable man, and he would not be dissuaded by David’s sudden change of heart.  He was killed in battle, along with most of his troops.  David got word of Uriah's death just before evening prayers.

What was he to do?  He knew that he would have to talk to God, to ask forgiveness.  But-- and here's the hard part-- David's fear: what if God said no?  What if God refused?  David ran into the fields, running from himself, from his fear, from God, until he could run no farther. How could he ask God for forgiveness, when he couldn't forgive himself?  He stopped, just as the setting sun hit the horizon, staining the sky with the colors of royalty: crimson and gold and deep purple, and he cried out, in his fear and longing "Adonai s'fatai tiftach ufid yagid t'hilatecha..."

God, open my lips, that I may declare your praise...

And with that prayer-- filled to its very edges with pain and humility and hope and despair, David was forgiven.

Well sure, the voices in my head whisper, God can forgive David.  Let's face it: he's, well, David.  His very name means "beloved." And me? Not even close. All bets are off.

It is my greatest longing, my unrequited quest-- to be redeemed. To be forgiven. To dance in the palm of God's hand. To believe, if even for an instant, that though I may not be David, though I may not be Beloved, I may find a small piece of that forgiveness, and that that may be enough.

I have spent a lifetime yearning for redemption. I have spent an eternity of lifetimes searching for God. I have declared my disbelief in God even as I feared that God didn't believe in me. I have shouted my rage and demanded answers and whispered my praise.  And the thing I come back to, again and again, like a gift of impossible and breathless wonder--

It is not what I pray that matters.  It is that I pray.

For all my yearning, for all my longing, what I don't ever realize is that I am redeemed. I have not been abandoned by God. Neither have I been forgotten. David had it right in his psalms: we cry out to God and so we are healed. He didn't tell us "God only hears the pretty words.  Therefore, speak only of love and praise, for only then will you be heard." No, it's pretty clear: we find healing and redemption because we cry out in our anger and our fear. 

There was a time when I stood in prayer and my knees began to buckle from the weight of my sorrow, when I was filled with an ocean of pain and loss, when I wanted to curse God-- when I did curse God-- there were hands that reached out to hold me steady, and strong arms to carry me through to firm ground.  When I demanded of God, to God-- where the hell are You?  I was answered: here.  No farther than the nearest heartbeat, in the still small voices of all those around me, who showed me, again and again, that I was not alone.  Even in my pain, even in my doubt and despair, I was not alone.


In my faith, in my prayer, what I find, again and again-- what I am given, again and again, is grace.  What I get is strength and courage to face what life has placed in front of me in that moment...even if that thing is the death of my beloved brother.  My faith is not a guarantee that I will never know fear, or that only good and happy things will happen.  My faith, my prayer allows me to put one foot in front of the other and know that I will be carried through.  And in that exact moment, the moment I take that step, I am enough and I am redeemed.  And in that moment, I dance in the palm of God's hand.
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Stacey is a poet, an essayist, a mom, stumbling about, searching for God and a decent cup of coffee. Her digital home is at http://staceyzrobinson.blogspot.com.
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The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

#blogElul 16: Understand {Guest Post}


#blogelul Guest Post by Cantor Penny Kessler

I'm always grateful when people "like" or comment on my Facebook/Twitter posts, blog posts, and synagogue bulletin articles. But I do wonder if maybe their doing that takes the burden off them of the hard work we do as Jews, especially as we get ready for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It would be as if I "liked" someone's Pinterest-pinned recipe for challah but never made one myself. Yes, I learned something about challah, but I don't have the hands-on experience. Or if someone asked me what a rose smelled like but never stopped on their own to smell the flowers.

A few weeks ago, I saw a mini pack of gum, and I haven't stopped thinking about the imprinted message since then. It struck me as a parent, a cantor and a teacher: I can explain Judaism, prayer, God, teshuvah as I understand them, but I cannot understand it - or do it - for anyone other than myself. Teshuvah is an "inside job;" every person has to do it on her own. 

Inline image 1

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Penny Kessler is the Cantor at the United Jewish Center in Danbury, CT (plus she's a mom, a wife, and a host of other things). She talks about life and such at www.cantorconfidential.blogspot.com.
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The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

#blogElul 15: Learn {Guest Post}


Guest post by Vicki Weber, one of my classmates in the HUC Executive Masters in Education program:

Have brains changed? When I was young the standard knowledge about the brain was that it started out with all the cells it was going to get, and that the best we could do was to hope not to lose too many to profligate living along the way. I recall especially a public service ad of an egg frying: "This is your brain on drugs."
Then in the 1980's and 1990's researchers began to find evidence of brain cell regeneration--'adult neurogenesis.' According to  an article in New Scientist by Moheb Costandi, neurobiologist turned freelance writer, "it is now taken for granted that adult neurogenesis occurs in humans, and the idea has revolutionized the way we think about the brain. It is widely believed that physical and mental exercise can stimulate hippocampal neurogenesis that offsets age-related cognitive decline and may protect against depression and Alzheimer's."
Well that would be neat.
And while it's not clear this has all been proven, it is hopeful to think about, as are all the even more recent studies in neuroscience in which brains can be observed at work. Neuroscience is beginning to give us better clues about how humans learn, what kinds of  environments enhance learning, what kinds detract. For example there are studies that show that video games (especially the fast-paced shooting games every mother hates) not only increase time on task, but actually improve certain kinds of vision, train people to be better able to ignore distractions, help students learn new tasks faster.
Dan Levitin, neuroscientist at McGill University and author of The Organized Mind tells us about the vital role adequate sleep plays in learning by improving the procesing of our memory. "If you struggle with the language during the day, investing your focus, energy and emotions in it, then it will be ripe for replay and elaboration in your sleep." 
Dina Maiben, author of Alef Bet Quest, reminds us of the role that repetition plays in learning. "Distributed practice, doing small pieces repeatedly over a few days, leads to greater success than massed practice, doing a large amount at once time.
We've mapped the genome, and now we seem to be in the process of mapping the activity of our brains in real time. Perhaps it will take us to someplace brand new--perhaps it will simply reinforce the wisdom of ancient tradition. I've been embarked on several new learning ventures lately, and there is certainly power in that. I'm not sure I've grown any new brain cells, but I can feel a few cobwebs being shaken out, perhaps a few more synapses are firing, and certainly some excitement has taken hold. Especially when I get enough sleep!
This is my brain on learning.


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Vicki Weber now creates books and materials to introduce children and adults to Jewish thought, values, and practices. You can read more of her writings at http://www.behrmanhouse.com/blog/

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The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

#blogElul 14: Remember


We are the sum of our memories.
We are the stories that we tell.
We are the lives that we live.
We are our mother's smile.
We are our father's hands.
We are the sum of our memories.
So let's not forget.

The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Monday, September 8, 2014

#BlogElul 13: Forgive


From the Machzor (Prayerbook for the High Holy Days):
For transgressions against God, the Day of Atonement atones; but for transgressions of one human being against another, the Day of Atonement does not atone until they have made peace with one another.

Transgressions against God....transgressions of one human being against another....

But what about God?

How does God ask MY forgiveness for the most horrible of transgressions against me and my family and my loved ones?

How do I forgive God for what has happened?

I don't know that I can.

I'm not ready.

I'm not even interested in being ready.

The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

#BlogElul 11: Count


Count means so many different things.
It's not just about counting numbers.
What does it mean to count, to matter?
What does it mean to be counted upon?
What does it mean for someone to depend on you...
and for you to depend on someone else?

So in the year that has passed....have we taken the time to recognize that which actually matters, that which actually counts? Have we taken the time to consider how many people count on us? Have we taken the time to consider how many people we can count upon?

with gratitude to Count-Rabbi von Anne Persin for the inspiration...

The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Friday, September 5, 2014

#BlogElul 10: See


I see
shadows
glimpses
echoes
glances
whispers
mists
wishes
dreams
of what might have been.

The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

#BlogElul 9: Hear



Blessed are You, our God, who makes us holy with commandments and commands us to hear the sound of the shofar.

The mitzvah here is in the hearing, not in the sounding.
And so we hear....



The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

#BlogElul 8: Believe


I believe in breakfast at any time of the day.
I believe in letting children choose their own clothes.
I believe in fresh air whenever possible.
I believe in ice cream at any time of day.
I believe in giggles.
I believe in stories, all kinds of stories.
I believe in early morning yoga stretches.
I believe in good solid hugs.
I believe in comfy pajamas.
I believe in naps.
I believe in holding hands.
I believe in love in the darkest of places.

What do you believe in?

The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

#BlogElul 7: Be


One of my favorite movie quotes is from Aladdin, when Robin Williams (z"l) as the Genie has turned himself into a bee, and he's buzzing around Aladdin.

"Beeee yourself!" he proclaims.


Isn't that what this process of Elul is all about?
Reminding us to be ourselves, to be our best selves, to find the self that we want to be....

Be yourself....
It's exhausting work trying constantly to be someone else.

The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.

Monday, September 1, 2014

#BlogElul 6: Search



My hand searches for his,
reaching into the empty place.
I search my mind 
for more fleeting moments, more memories.
I search the faces 
of every almost-9-year-old I encounter and I wonder.
I search the eyes 
of my living children, worried and afraid.
I search my heart 
for the courage to honor his life.

The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Read more about #BlogElul here.