A New Year has been given to us We speak of a new year as though a door has opened before us. Yet none of us knows what lies beyond it. There will be things we choose and things we cannot choose, opportunities we recognize and others we miss,moments of joy and moments we would never have asked for. The question is not whether we can control the year ahead. We cannot. The question is what we will do with the portion of it that is ours to shape. We have reflected during Elul o

The world was not created finished. Neither are we. A new year does not erase the year that came before it. We bring our memories, our choices, our accomplishments, our regrets, and the people we have become. Beginning again does not mean beginning from nothing. It means recognizing that what comes next has not yet been determined. Creation is not only a past event — it is an ongoing process. We are invited to be partners in it: in our families, our community, our work, and t

A Meditation for Tashlich A brief JCM reflection for the Days of Awe — a moment to pause at the water, consider the year that has passed, and prepare for the work of teshuvah: return, repair, and renewal.

Intention: Purpose, Direction, Becoming Life will not always follow our plans. There will be joys and challenges, the unexpected and the unknown. Kavanah is not about controlling what happens, but about choosing who we want to be — and how we will meet whatever comes. Our days are limited. That is not a reason for despair, but a call to live more intentionally. When we number our days, we can give our time to what truly matters — the people we love, the values we hold, the w

Now we can ask a different question: What do I love? What do I want to draw close to? Sometimes returning is not about correcting something that went wrong. Sometimes it is simply coming home to what truly matters — the people we love, the community that sustains us, the values that guide us, the traditions that connect us across generations, and, for some, our relationship with God. In the busyness of life, even what is most important can drift to the margins. Elul invites u

Forgiveness does not change what happened. It changes what we carry forward. During these days of reflection, we can ask whether anger, resentment, guilt, or an old injury is still occupying more of our lives than it deserves. Some wounds require time. Some relationships require distance. Yet there may also come a moment when holding tightly to the hurt costs us more than releasing some part of it. We may also need to seek forgiveness. A sincere apology begins not with expla

Relationships Teshuvah does not end with looking inward. It eventually asks us to look across the table, across the room, or across the years at another person. Jewish tradition recognizes that some wrongs cannot be repaired simply through prayer. When we have hurt another person, we must turn toward that person. We may need to acknowledge what happened, apologize without qualification, listen, or try to repair what can still be repaired. Relationships are not only about rep

Teshuvah literally means "to return" — to turn toward what is right, what is good, and who we want to be. It is not simply about regret, but about change. No matter how far we may feel we have strayed, the path back is open. Jewish tradition reminds us that we can always return - to our values, to our better selves, to the commitments and relations hips that give our lives meaning. Teshuvah gives us the opportunity to make a different choice, to repair what we can, and to mo

We are on day 6 of our countdown. Here is the bare beginnings of what to focus on for Gratitude. Many people mention this as an important issue to think about every day. And not only for spiritual reasons, for self improvement and health. As we stand on the threshold of Rosh Hashanah, practicing gratitude can be a powerful part of teshuvah. When we notice what is good, we are more able to let go of what is harmful, to repair what needs fixing, and to move forward with a mor