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Preparing for the Days of Awe
During the year I spent studying in Jerusalem as a rabbinic student, it was impossible to escape the upcoming High Holy Days.
It's Elul: 6 Ways to Get Ready for the High Holidays
Elul, the Hebrew month that precedes the High Holidays, is traditionally a time of both rejoicing and somber reflection when we take stock of our spiritual selves and our lives. Elul rituals prepare us for the many acts of repentance and forgiveness that are hallmarks of the upcoming Days of Awe, starting with Rosh HaShanah.
Discovering Israel Beyond Its Borders
Growing up in rural Massachusetts, Judaism held a much different context in my life than it does now. Until college, I did Judaism, mimicking the motions of being a "good Jew." I didn't combine milk and meat in my house because my father told me not to.
More Than Words on a Page: Social Justice in our Prayer Books
When I left for college my freshman year, I was nervous about exploring a new Jewish community. However, I immediately felt at home as I walked into my university’s Hillel’s Conservative Friday night services and saw the Siddur Sim Shalom, the prayer book that I had grown up with. The siddur offered me a sense of comfort and familiarity in an otherwise completely new setting.
Lessons in the Mirror
Late in the evening of September 28, 2009, following very introspective and rewarding Yom Kippur services at Congregation Ohabai Shalom in Nashville, I took a hot shower and then stood, wrapped in a towel, in front of the bathroom mirror. As I brushed my teeth, I reflected on my experience of this most prayerful of days, when Jews throughout the world come to grips with their mistakes and seek atonement.
Wrestling with Forgiveness
It is very hard to say you are sorry – and even harder to really mean it. It is not any easier to truly forgive.
Sounds of Kol Nidrei
The melody that stirs the heart of Ashkenazic Jews is of unknown origin, but is part of a body of music known as "MiSinai melodies" that emerged in Germany between the 11th and 15th centuries.
Year Long Commitment to Tikkun Olam
Social Action calendar was created to allow congregants to choose activities that fit in their schedule. Community Contact Information: Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation Indianapolis, IN www.ihcindy.org Goals: Make social action a flexible “one stop shopping” for the congregants.
Sowing Bread in the Sea: A Psalm for Tashlich
This piece of liturgy was written for Jews For Racial & Economic Justice in New York City. Its themes will be resonant for residents of so many of our cities and towns. It may be used in your congregation's High Holiday services or Tashlich ceremony, or in other gatherings for worship or protest. You may want to use this psalm as part of the service Tashlich for a Just City.
Tashlich for a Just City
This piece of liturgy was written for Jews For Racial & Economic Justice in New York City. Its themes will be resonant for residents of so many of our cities and towns. It may be used in your congregation's High Holiday services or Tashlich ceremony, or in other gatherings for worship or protest. You may also want to include Sowing Bread in the Sea: A Psalm for Tashlich in this service.