Category Archives: Elul
MAY THE CALL OF THE SHOFAR CALL US TO ACTION! BY Sarit Wishnevski, Kavod v’Nichum
Dear Chevra, Friends,
Along with festive meals, sweet round challah, and the sound of the shofar being blown, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, brings with it infinite possibilities.
Every year, as the Hebrew month of Elul comes to a close, I wonder if I’ve done enough – if I’ve used the time I’ve been granted to prepare adequately for the Days of Awe. Have I reflected, planned, and taken stock enough for the days ahead?
Once Yom Kippur is over, we will have fully transitioned into a new year. Am I ready?
This gift of time to prepare and ready ourselves for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur can be seen as a parallel to our lives. The U¬netanah Tokef prayer that we read on both holidays reminds us of the liminal space the 10 days in between the holidays exist. We read:
“…On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed,
And on Yom Kippur it is sealed.
How many shall pass away and how many shall be born,
Who shall live and who shall die,
Who shall reach the end of their days and who shall not…”
What if we viewed the month of Elul as a microcosm of the journey that is our lives and the Days of Awe as the end of that journey, a space of transition? We might then see every day of our lives as an opportunity to live intentionally and fully. To connect spiritually and with those we love. To check-in, take stock, amend, and plan.
Because so many of us are engaged in thinking about end of life, serving others, and connecting deeply with the Jewish end-of-life framework, this community is filled with awareness and curiosity about living a full and meaningful life.
With gratitude for all that you do to bring honor and comfort to others, I wish you a Shanah Tovah, a good year. May we continue to provide support, care, and teach others the power of end-of-life rituals, so that all may access them when they are most needed.
In sweetness,
Sarit Wishnevski
Executive Director
Kavod v’Nichum
SHANNAH TOVAH!! FROM RABBI RUZ GULKO
Shalom, friends!
I’m sad not to be joining you yet again for HH. I hope everyone is doing well!! Such strange and challenging times we live in!
Wishing you all a healthy, sweet year, one where we continue to grow, learn, and heal ourselves and our world.
❤️💜💙
Rabbi Ruz Gulko
LAST-MINUTE DINNER NOTICE: TOMORROW EVENING … PLEASE COME!
- WHAT? Dinner tomorrow evening, September 19, 2022, 23 Elul, 5882, 6:00PM
- WITH WHOM? Patricia Salkin, the Provost at the new Tuoro medical school being built in Great Falls
- WHERE? Celtic Cowboy Pub and Restaurant, 116 1st Ave. S.
She would like to meet as many members of our Jewish community as possible. Yes this is last minute, but we did mention it at the last service.
Submitted by Aaron Weissman
aaron@weissman.com
THE U.S. AND THE HOLOCAUST PREMIERES TONIGHT, SEPTEMBER 18, 2022, ON PBS
The U.S. and the Holocaust premieres Sunday, September 18, 2022, at 8:00PM, 7:00PM Central, on PBS.
This 3-part, 6-hour Ken Burns series examines America’s response to one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history.
The new film from Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein examines the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany in the context of global antisemitism and racism, immigration and eugenics in the United States, and race laws in the American south. It is inspired in part by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s “Americans and the Holocaust” exhibition and supported by its historical resources.
For more information, click here.
AITZ CHAIM COMMUNITY ROSH HASHANAH SCHEDULE 2022, 5783
The following is the Aitz Chaim community Rosh Hashanah schedule 2022, 5783.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Please bring your reading glasses if you need them.
- 9/25/2022, 29 Elul, 5782, 7:00PM: Erev Rosh Hashanah services, led by Wendy weissman and Devorah Werner at the Bethel. Oneg with apples and honey to follow (thanks Nadyne!)
- 9/26/2022, 1 Tishrei, 5783, 10:00AM: Rosh Hashanah Morning Services led by Wendy Weissman and Devorah Werner at the Bethel. Tashlich to follow ON THE *WEISSMAN BRIDGE. (Note change in location).
The address for the Bethel is 1009 18th Avenue Southwest. click here for map and directions.
*The Weissman Bridge is part of the Rivers Edge trail connecting the 2 sides of the river next to Central Ave West. You may park at the Federal Courthouse, 125 Central Ave. West.
Shana tovah u’metukah!
READY FOR ANOTHER JEW CREW HIKE? Devil’s Glen, Augusta
Our next north-central Montana hiking adventure will be Devil’s Glen. We will be caravanning from the Smith’s parking lot on September 10, meeting there at 8:00 AM and leaving there no later than 8:30 A.M. For anyone who wants to meet us at the trailhead, please make a point to be there by 10:00 A.M.
The Dearborn 206 trail, also called Devil’s Glen, is a spectacular hike at the headwaters of the Dearborn River and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The hike, which will total about six miles there and back, is considered to be easy, but features incredible views of limestone cliffs and waterfalls.
- Please make a point to bring your own lunch, sunscreen, water, and bear spray.
- dogs are welcome, but must be kept under the owner’s control at all times.
- There are latrine facilities at the trailhead.
- Aaron will prepare an appropriate adult discussion for Elul during lunch.
- Those interested may also decide to gather for a beer after the hike in Augusta.
Please get in touch with Aaron at aaron@weissman.com or phone: (406) 868:8982, with any questions, or for directions to the trailhead.
TO ACCOUNT FOR OUR ACTIONS, NURTURE OUR SOULS, AND SEEK HEALING, DR. ANDREW REHFELD, PH.D., PRESIDENT, HUC
Dear HUC Community,
The month of Elul is traditionally a time of reflection, preparing us for the Jewish New Year. It is a time to account for our actions, nurture our souls, seek healing, and prepare for the possibilities of the future. These days provide an opportunity for personal self-study, repair within ourselves and our communities, and reconciliation with others.
HUC-JIR is proud to be joining the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), American Conference of Cantors (ACC), Association of Reform Jewish Educators (ARJE), and the Women’s Rabbinic Network (WRN) in presenting a meaningful learning program on the theme of teshuvah as we enter this season.
“On Repentance and Repair: A Reform Movement Program for the High Holy Days and Beyond,” available for free download, will explore our understanding of teshuvah, as we continue to grapple with the hard legacies of our past. This program includes a 45-minute video resource and discussion guide featuring Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, author of the forthcoming book, On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World, in conversation with Rabbi Jill Maderer, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Rodeph Shalom, Philadelphia. It is introduced by Rabbi Mary Zamore, WRN Executive Director; and includes closing reflections by Rabbi Rick Jacobs, URJ President, Rabbi Hara Person, CCAR Chief Executive, and me. I hope that you will find this program a source of support during this period of reflection and growth.
I also encourage you to explore the HUC Connect High Holy Days Playlist, comprised of College Commons podcasts and HUC Connect webinars, in which our faculty scholars and other experts illuminate significant contemporary themes and issues related to this season of study, introspection, and repentance. The programs range from discussing optimism in a time of uncertainty, gender and liturgy, and Jewish thought and reparations, to reflections on freedom and social justice, and guiding the emotional needs of children and one another. They will enrich your understanding and support your aspirations for the New Year.
May our learning together prepare us for the hard work of the weeks ahead. My wishes to you and your family for a New Year of blessing and peace.
Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D.
President
The Aitz Chaim Ram's Horn 