Elul Unbound 2024
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What the
heck is Elul?
You've probably heard about the fall holidays of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). But far fewer people know about Elul, the month that precedes them.
We think about Elul as an “on-ramp” to the High Holidays. Because it’s the final month of the Hebrew calendar before the Jewish New Year, Elul is typically treated as a time of heightened personal and spiritual introspection. Traditional observances that some Jews practice during the month of Elul include listening to the sound of the shofar daily and reciting Psalm 27 during prayer.
What the heck is
Elul Unbound?
Judaism Unbound proudly presents Elul Unbound, a month of special programming designed to offer additional opportunities and ‘food-for-thought’ to our listeners during this month of reflection. Our multi-modal menu of Elul experiences includes weekly bonus mini-podcasts, emails featuring curated Elul content, and live Zoom gatherings, all of which are accessible via this page.
Elul Unbound 2024: Three — a Magic Number
This year’s Elul Unbound theme, “Three is a Magic Number,” is inspired by Year 3 of the current Shmita* cycle, which will begin on Rosh Hashanah this year. Join us as we explore the significance of all things related to the number three, in Jewish practice and beyond.
*Shmita is a once-every-seven-years Biblical observance which revolves around connection to land and to a radical recalibration of society. Learn more about Shmita here.
As part of our Elul programming, we will be sending our bi-weekly emails to listeners with specialized Elul content curated by the Judaism Unbound staff. Fill in the form below to sign up for Elul Unbound emails:
Elul Zoom Gatherings:
We are excited to be hosting four synchronous Zoom gatherings throughout the month of Elul. We have intentionally varied the meeting times in the hope of accommodating different schedules. Our Elul Zoom Gatherings will take place:
Elul Zoom Gathering #1: Friday, September 6th from 8-9 pm ET/5-6 pm PT.
Elul Zoom Gathering #2: Friday, September 13th from 3-4 pm ET/12-1 pm PT.
Elul Zoom Gathering #3: Friday, September 20th from 3-4pm ET/12-1 pm PT.
Elul Zoom Gathering #4: Thursday, September 27th from 8-9:30pm ET/5-6:30pm PT (NOTE: this final Elul Zoom gathering will also be a Shabbat Unbound and serve as part of Judaism Unbound’s year-long Kabbalat Shabbat service)
Click the button below to register for our Elul meetings:
UnYeshiva Elul Mini-Course
Don’t miss this UnYeshiva course offering, “Elul: Your On-Ramp to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,” with Wendie Bernstein Lash.
This mini-course includes 3 sessions designed to help participants develop Elul practices which are meaningful and particular to their own experience.
Mondays - September 16th, 23rd, and 30th
7:30 pm - 9 pm ET / 4:30 pm - 6 pm PT
Interested? Learn more or sign up here.
Elul Mini-Podcasts
Each week of Elul, we will be releasing a bonus podcast episode as part of our Elul Unbound series, airing in the Judaism Unbound podcast feed! Join co-hosts Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein-Lash in these mini-episodes for conversations about spirituality, Shmita Year 3, and more.
You can find our special Elul episodes on Spotify or wherever you stream Judaism Unbound regularly, and they will also be posted here as the episodes are released.
Check out our Elul mini-episodes from previous years below:
Spiritual Direction
Jewish spiritual direction (also called hashpa’ah) is a spiritual practice where a trained guide/mentor companions a spiritual seeker in the exploration of their spiritual life. We are offering one free spiritual direction session to Judaism Unbound listeners during Elul as part of our Elul Unbound. These sessions are confidential and can be done over the phone or zoom. If you are interested, fill out the contact form below and we will be in touch with you.
Contact Us
Remember, we love hearing from our listeners! So please, in addition to utilizing our resources at the links above, we would be thrilled if you shared your Elul plans and resources with us. You can do so by sending emails to Elul@JudaismUnbound.com. Chodesh Elul Tov -- have an amazing month!