elul etudes 5786

20 Elul: I Am Six by Micah Noe

I am sixWaves are lapping at my feetI am enthralled by the peaceThe steady rhythm of the riverUnchanging in its presence and promise.

I am fourteenPlunging into the lake from the rocky outcrop aboveSwallowing fear borne of horrifying memoriesTrusting that I am safeSurrounded by those who love meAs serene blue … Read the rest

19 Elul: Brand New World by Shana Hausman

I’ve spent a lot more time with kittens than with human children. I realized this when I held my infant niece and found myself slow-blinking at her like a cat would. She’s two now, still as playful as a kitten, and I still sometimes have to remind myself that she … Read the rest

18 Elul: God in Cats by Dev Singer

Back in April 2024, I emailed Cantor Vera Broekhuysen asking for a copy of a resource she’d created listing all the names of God in Congregation Beth El’s siddur. My cat got in the way while writing the email, so I included a little … Read the rest

17 Elul: Rain As Earth’s Mikveh by Ander Jones Berasaluce

The rain in July — in Tammuz, in Av — comes like a crescendo ahead of Elul and all that follows. Rain reminds me of teshuvah for some reason. Perhaps as a metaphor or stand-in for teshuvah itself — rain reminds me of repenting, for the … Read the rest

15 Elul: The Music of the Earth by Alan Sugar

When I stand still and open up my eyes,I see the sounds of life that fill the trees.I see each blade of grass that softly sighs.And suddenly, I dance with grace, with ease.

I race the breeze. I chase away the clouds.The world itself spins round inside of me.I’m not … Read the rest

14 Elul: Teshuvah: Return by Lisa Greber

Teshuvah is returning to our original holiness, said a rabbi I once knew, when we have missed the mark. The journey back from extreme states, those sometimes called mental illness, is one of relearning how to live on … Read the rest

13 Elul: Summer on the Lower East Side by Rebecca Raush

It is so hot outsideI keep trying to peel off layers of my skin Anything to get cool Anything to escape.Even the Hudson River looks refreshing In heat as tantalizing as this one.

Tattooed on the handOf the guy on the bus It says: “Don’t become a Victim of your … Read the rest

12 Elul: Summer: An Obituary

Summer faded slowly that year, like a sunflower bowing its heavy head. I reminded myself to enjoy the meandering of mind, the swooning of soul. 

I waited for you, I whispered to Summer. At times, the chilled air of waiting stung my cheeks pink and cocooned me in my … Read the rest

11 Elul: Little Chipmunk by Rabbi Katy Allen

As I sat with words of prayer, a chipmunk raced toward me along the pathway,stopped a foot in front of me,looked all around, then in the blink of an eye swiveled and raced off the way it had come.

Had you suddenly realized you had forgotten something, little chipmunk? Had … Read the rest

10 Elul: Ahavat Olam (Eternal Love) by Rabbi Louis Polisson

אהבת עולם

הרב לואיס פוליסון

מוצאי ט׳׳ו בְּאָב תשפ״ו

נורת’המפטון, מסצ’וסטס

אדמות ילידיות של שבטי הניפמאק, הפוקומטאק, והנאָונוטוק

באַגַּן הַסַּהַר

אחרי הגשם והשמש

שרנו שירי אהבה

אהבת חסד

אהבת האדמה

אהבת העולם

תשובת היהודי

תשובת כל אדם

הוא לחזור לשורשים

כי עָפָר מִן־הָאֲדָמָה אנחנו

עם נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים 

נשמת השכינה

הופכים, … Read the rest