The Hebrew month of Elul is the month preceding the High Holidays, and is therefore a time to get ready for the new year.
Temple Beth Hatfiloh is offering a series of workshops and experiences throughout the month of Elul to help you prepare, including spiritual study, explorations of the liturgy, family education, cooking and crafts. May this be a month of growth and learning as we deepen our connections while we stay physically apart. This schedule is subject to change--check for updates in the weekly email and calendar.
Spiritual Preparation
The Shofar Project: An Elul Intensive Thursday August 27, September 3, 10, 17 at 7:00 - 8:00 pm
A Free Four-Week Online Program from the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and its Partner Organizations
TBHers are encouraged to register for The Shofar Project to deepen their Elul experience. Rabbi Seth will host a weekly Thursday night group from 7-8 p.m. to correspond with the program and be a local support and facilitation group.
From IJS: “The upcoming High Holidays will be unlike any most of us have known. We have woken up to our deep interconnection to all people and our own fragility. We have seen more clearly the deep injustice of systems and power structures in our country. We have heard voices pleading for life. Perhaps we are awake in a way we have not been before. How can we maintain and even deepen this awareness as we enter a new year?
“The Shofar Project is a free program open to people of all backgrounds who want to make this a year of continued awakening, responsiveness, renewal, and transformation. It takes place during the Hebrew month of Elul, the month preceding the Jewish High Holy Days, a traditional period for intensive spiritual reflection, introspection, and moral accounting (August 21 – September 18, 2020).”
Week 1: Opening the Heart
Week 2: Hearing the Pain of the World
Week 3: Returning to Compassion
Week 4: Becoming an Instrument of Justice
Two Mussar Elul Programs Monday, August 24 & 31 at 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Facilitated by Michele & Richard Jackman. Elul is called “the month of repentance,” “the month of mercy,” and “the month of forgiveness.” We are offering two Mussar opportunities this month in preparation for the High Holy Days at Temple Beth Hatfiloh.
On August 24, we will explore Forgiveness. Forgiveness is a step we can take toward healing ourselves and our relationships from the inevitable wounds that come our way. Join us on Zoom as we study and practice together.
On August 31, we will turn our Mussar study and practice to the parashat of the week, Ki Tavo, Deuteronomy 26:1-29:18. The middah/soul trait for this parashat is Gratitude/Hakarat ha tov, acknowledging the good. Please plan on joining us on Zoom for an engaging Mussar practice.
Wake Up and Tend the Temple Sunday, Sept 6, 5:00 - 7:00 pm
On this 17th day of Elul, let us wake ourselves up to be present as collaborators in our own transformation! Join Kohenet Nomy Lamm in creative exploration including song, journaling, prayer, and reflection, as we prepare the temples of our bodies and spirits for the High Holy Days.
Rosh Hashanah is Coming! Sunday, August 23 at 9:30 am
Enjoy a story time, featuring the book Rosh Hashanah is Coming!, followed by a peek at what preparation for Rosh Hashanah looks like in Israel. We'll finish up by making apple prints for Rosh Hashanah cards. Please have an apple, paper and tempera paint available when logging in.
Yubba Dub Dub - Thanks For The Grub:
Special foods and how we bless them for Rosh Hashanah Sunday, August 23 at 11:00 am
A family and food workshop. Join Sara Eve Sarliker to learn about (and eat) some special foods for Rosh Hashanah, beyond apples and honey. We will learn about Jewish foods from around the world that are used to bring sweetness, success, and plenitude into our lives, and help us express gratitude for our blessings. We will also prepare a holiday recipe or two together.
Sara Eve Sarliker has been providing quality Jewish Education since her Bat Mitzvah in 1982. She has taught at Temple Beth Hatfiloh’s Beit Sefer since the mid-late 2000s.
Zoom information:Register >> **Note: previous Zoom meeting information shared in the Elul workshop emails has been updated. This gathering requires pre-registration.
The World's Birthday Sunday, August 30 at 9:30 am
Celebrate Rosh Hashana with us with a reading of The World's Birthday. Learn about what it is we are celebrating Rosh Hashanah and what it means to start a year anew.
What's In Your Pocket? Sunday, August 30 at 11:00 am
Join Reyna Jasmer for this activity, based on the teaching of having two pockets to reach into. Participants will be invited to create two different lists to keep in their pockets. One list will be personal qualities that they should be proud of and the other list will contain values they wish to work on in the coming year.
Advancing in Hebrew: High Holiday Edition! Tuesday, August 25, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Our regularly scheduled Hebrew classes will focus on aspects of the Mahzor (High Holiday prayer book). Advancing in Hebrew assumes a reading ability (decoding), but all are welcome regardless of Hebrew level as Rabbi Seth guides us through a close look at the language, grammar and meaning of the High Holiday liturgy.
The Music of the Holidays Tuesday, September 1, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
The liturgy of the High Holidays comes alive not only through the words, but the music. In this workshop we will learn about the music of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Brad Smith will review some of the traditional tunes, as well as provide insight into the history of the compositions. We will focus on Kol Nidre (of course), Unetaneh Tokef (“who by fire…”) and an overview of nusach (traditional chanting modes).
High Holiday Origami Saturday, September 5, 7:00 p.m.
Join Leslie Goldstein for an informal gathering and sharing as we get into the spirit of the holidays though craft. Grab some paper and scissors (and your own snacks and drinks) as Leslie introduces some Jewish-themed origami. We will also close off Shabbat with the singing of Havdalah.
Honey Cake Baking Tuesday, September 15, 6:00 p.m.
What is a Jewish holiday without special foods? Honey cake is one of the traditional Rosh Hashanah foods, eaten as a blessing for a sweet year. Just in time for the holiday, Lisa David from Nineveh Assyrian Food Truck will teach you how to bake honey cake.
Throughout the month, look for videos of High Holiday stories as told by Nancy Snyder
Leil Selichot
Leil Selichot Saturday, September 12, 8:00 p.m.
High Holiday services begin with Selichot, an observance and service on the Saturday evening prior to Rosh Hashanah. This night serves as an introduction to the themes and liturgy of the holidays as we begin with Havdalah to end Shabbat, then engage in study, song and prayer led by Rabbi Seth.
