This evening we enter into the last day of the Jewish month of Av. Tomorrow evening we begin the journey through the month of Elul, leading up to Rosh HaShanah and the Days of Awe. Tomorrow evening we begin the process of spiritual preparation, and on Tuesday morning for the first time we hear the sound of the shofar, reminding us of the call to teshuvah, to return – return to the Holy One of Blessing, the Merciful One.

To help us along our journey, we at Ma'yan Tikvah will once again be posting Earth Etudes for Elul most evenings during the month. These reflections have been written by a variety of people and reflect many points of view and ways of looking at the world and the process of teshuvah. I hope you will find them meaningful and useful.

May your journey through Elul and the Days of Awe be rich and fulfilling, and may you find new wisdom, strength, and courage.

Shalom,

Rabbi Katy Z. Allen