Friday is the end of the work week, tomorrow is Shabbat again, yay! I cannot believe how close we are to Rosh HaShanah. Where did Elul go?

Many people have commented that September feels more like a new year than January. Who puts the new year in the dead of winter anyway? Makes much more sense to have it in one of the transitional seasons, either in spring (which is when the Jewish new year used to be and the Persian new year still is) or in fall.

Summer is drawing to an end, and there begins to be a sense of closure in the air – just the slightest hint of yellow in the green leaves, a little coolness at night, a little mist in the morning. In Manitoba especially, with six months or more per year of snow on the ground, we appreciate summer fully. While there is an undercurrent of eagerness to start the new year, there is also sadness that the summer is nearly over.

This is the time of reckoning of the year 5773, as we review our life in the past 12 months in preparation for the transition to a new year.

What new things, victories and breakthroughs did you experience in 5773? What hopes and dreams do you take into 5774?