It's here! It's here! Today is the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul, and once again, Rabbi Phyllis Sommer has generously provided us with a template for reflection and growth. The High Holy Days are just a month away, and there is lots of spiritual work to be done. This is my fourth … Continue reading #BlogElul 1: Prepare
Category: BlogElul
#BlogElul 28 – Give
Today I had the immense pleasure of reading a book called "The Art of Possibility", by Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander. I was stunned to discover that the book is 15 years old - where have these people been all my life? Ben is a world-renowned conductor and teacher, and Roz is a family … Continue reading #BlogElul 28 – Give
#BlogElul 25 – Intend
Well, it's not hard to figure out how my intentions for this blog post series have not been working out very well. But today I will follow through on my good intention and post! One might say it was inevitable. As the days became steadily busier, approaching school and the actual holidays, my posting frequency … Continue reading #BlogElul 25 – Intend
#BlogElul 23 – Begin
So I went to look at my old blog posts about this verb, and I had to laugh. September is clearly the new January here, here and here. So many cycles end and then begin this time of year. For me, this year, there's the beginning of my new coaching career. I think I've always … Continue reading #BlogElul 23 – Begin
#BlogElul 22 – End
Well, that was a gap. But today's word is End, and today I've chosen not to end my BlogElul series prematurely, despite its imperfection. For some reason I got completely stuck on the word Ask, and then Judge, Dare and Love just went by with me pretending time wasn't moving on ... but today I … Continue reading #BlogElul 22 – End
#BlogElul 17 – Awaken
Wow. The obvious metaphor for awakening this time of year is the shofar, but I think I've written enough about that. Who or what else awakens during the month of Elul? It's September. School will be starting soon, and we cast an anxious eye to see whether the trees have started turning. The mornings and … Continue reading #BlogElul 17 – Awaken
#BlogElul 16 – Pray
Today's verb is Pray. In my two previous blog posts on this subject (here and here), I mused on the thought that prayer is a good thing to do whether you believe there is Anyone on the other end of the line or not. So what's the big deal about prayer, especially if we may … Continue reading #BlogElul 16 – Pray
#BlogElul 15 – Change
Newsflash: Change is hard. OK, now that you've picked your jaw up from the floor at that astonishing revelation, let me elaborate. Having change thrust upon us is hard, of course. If somebody takes your job away from you, for example, there will be much anger and grieving and so on. Changes in circumstances can … Continue reading #BlogElul 15 – Change
#BlogElul 13 and 14 – Remember and Learn
So, it happened. Friday was a crazy day, we spent three hours at IKEA (but we found what we wanted, mostly), I had to cook and I was tired and the blog didn't get written before Shabbat came in. In a way, it's a relief. Now that the shiny new car is dinged, I don't … Continue reading #BlogElul 13 and 14 – Remember and Learn
#BlogElul 12 – Forgive
Today's word is Forgive, a word we use repeatedly in the High Holy Day liturgy, asking G-d to give us a chance to make things better in the new year. Looking back at my posts from 2012, 2013 and 2014, I discussed the importance of forgiving a person who has wronged us, if we can … Continue reading #BlogElul 12 – Forgive