Elul has arrived

The month of Elul is the month that precedes the High Holy Days. In the Sephardic Tradition, a daily prayer service is held before sunrise during Elul called Selichot. In the Ashkenazic Tradition, selichot is held on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah. Basically speaking, Selichot and Elul get us ready for the High Holy Days by getting us in the right mindset to seriously evaluate our year and our relationship with others and with Gd.



In America, Elul seems to be more like a week than a month. However, in Jerusalem, it is difficult not to feel the spirit of Elul every day. At HUC, Rabbi David Wilfond has been blowing shofar every day for students along with several HUC Rabbinical Students who are taking part in this wonderful tradition. The first time I heard the shofar blown this year was a powerful experience, and there is something very meaningful about hearing it every morning.



This morning, we had the wonderful opportunity to attend a Sephardic Selichot service. Now remember how I said that it must take place before sunrise? I may be a morning person, but I think waking at 4am for a 5:30 service was a bit too early. However, I am grateful to have had the experience to Daven in a Sephardic Synagogue for the first time! When we left home to head to synagogue, we heard various communities around us praying and blowing the shofar, it was a pretty cool experience.

All feminist issues aside (davening at an orthodox synagogue is a difficult experience for me, more on that later) it was a great experience.

Shanah Tovah!