Elul: Your Daily Dose of Inspiration

At the end of this month, another summer full of pool parties and outdoor barbecues will fade away as we enter the time of reflection. In the Jewish faith, we traditionally dedicate the 29 days in the month of Elul to studying and preparing for the coming High Holy Days. The time is supposed to challenge us to use each day as an opportunity for growth and discovery.

For the past seven years, Jewish musician Craig Taubman and his group Craig & Co. have collected short stories, anecdotes, and introspections from some fascinating people, distributed in their daily Jewels of Elul emails throughout the month of Elul. Starting the night of August 18, you can receive 29 days of spiritual enlightenment direct to your inbox to celebrate each day of the month. This year’s theme is “The Art of Aging,” and guest bloggers will include Herb Alpert, Peter Yarrow, Donna Shalala, and Zalman Schacter Shalomi,  among others.

Want to get into the spirit of Elul?

• Sign up to receive Jewels of Elul’s daily emails throughout the month of Elul.
• Sample Jewish music from the Milken Archive, which co-sponsors Jewels of Elul.
• Download Jewels, Vol. 1: A High Holiday Music Sampler, a 14-track album from Craig & Co. on Amazon
• Read “jewels” from Eluls past.

The social media junkies among you might also want to join Rabbi Phyllis Sommer in BlogElul and ElulGram, two separate but related annual social media projects with daily prompts to inspire introspective blog posts and Instagram photos. Rabbi Sommer writes, ” I hope that our shared preparation for 5773 brings meaning and hope, inspiration and enlightenment for all of us.”

How do you observe the month of Elul? Leave a comment to share your ideas and suggestions with others!