Archive | Echoes of Elul

I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the contributors and readers of the 5781 Echoes of Elul. A heartfelt thanks to all, whose generosity and effort keep the Echoes alive! May we all have a healthy and happy new year. L’shanah tova Risè Kirbo Special thanks to: Soni Sanberg, Yanir Dekel, Ruth Irving, […]

Anonymous Elul, a time of dread to me. Like in a movie when you hear the ominous background music while people are having fun. Something dreadful is about to happen and everyone is oblivious. I am headed for the High Holy Days where something profound “should” happen. But unlike my movie friends, I know it. […]

Cantor David Reinwald One thing that some of my TBS community may not know about me is that I also have a degree in media, was an award-winning news radio competitor in high school, and from that, have continued a hobby in radio and podcasting to this very day. My off-and-on podcast Tropeful (www.tropeful.net) was […]

Barry Levinson How to describe my mom? She was a giving, caring mom who throughout my life was always there for me. My mom’s early years were filled with much hardship. Her mom and dad divorced during the depression. She was about 15 at the time. Much of the responsibly of raising her younger sister […]

Anonymous Elul, a time of reflection, “soul accountability,” time to take stock of thoughts and conversations of the past year. This Elul sends me to thoughts of isolation. Isolation leads to an increase in inner thought, that then leads to the opportunity for inner reflection that is wrapped inside of silence. If true, we have […]

by martin nakell shofar as oceans are mountains are skies are winds are rivers of languages gush forth are pressures are release are lost are opened are eons to now’s are timeless are sourceless are inevitable are what we have been waiting for are turbulence are crazy speed are poems are yourself are yourself are […]

The following piece was submitted by Alan Shebroe. He suggests it may speak to many with regard to our Jewish values. Alan says he found it “enlightening” and hopes you will too. WHO AM I? Anonymous Big Cheeks. A grandson of slaves, a boy was born in a poor neighborhood of New Orleans known as […]

Mike Rubin This question has dogged me. I have 5 grandchildren, ages 1 through 7. So, I decided to lead a Torah Study this year focused on the question. During these days of reflection, I think more about it. I focused on “live a Jewish life”1 rather than “be Jewish” because many of our children […]

Cindy Grossberg How things have changed in a year! Last August I wrote about experiencing the birth of my first granddaughter, Libby Jane. I reminisced about holding her for the first time, how I cherished rocking her in the wee hours of the night while her parents slept. Living so close, I have been blessed […]

Anonymous Once upon a time, there was a semi-sweet young woman in despair. Meg (pseudonym) was a serious eighteen year old. She experienced severe symptoms of anxiety. Her family, boyfriend, and friends did not recognize the depth of Meg’s disorder.  She came from a tumultuous home and the loss of two young aunts and her […]