Tag Archives | Elul 2022

By Rabbi Sharon L. Sobel I arrived in Southern California three months ago, full of excitement and hope to begin this new journey as your new senior rabbi. That was the inspiration for the theme of this year’s “Echos of Elul: New Beginnings.” At the same time, each one of us is beginning our own […]

By Alden Solovy G-d of sacred moments, G-d of endings and beginnings, Hear this prayer for guidance and deliverance As my life moves in new directions, Onto new paths, Into uncertain water. Grant me courage as an answer to fear, As the winds blow, Strength as an answer to doubt, As the storms gather, And […]

By Martin Nakell i walk on an unpaved pebbled dirt road. someone walks beside me. on either side, stubble growth abandoned stone and cement buildings, bunkers. a little boy named martin nakell with arm outstretched comes running up behind me. he calls out daddy! daddy! turning, taking him by his outstretched hand, i bring him […]

By Arielle Ohls Starting over, year after year, always begins with reflection on the past. What worked, what didn’t, what I could do better, what I learned from this, etc. I believe we all have the tendency to dwell in the “what we could have done better realm.” We hope that it will, in turn, […]

By Lori Griffin That morning of June 14, 2021, when I received an email from Mitch Cohen asking me to chair the Settled Rabbi Search Committee, was the beginning of something new for me.  I have been on many TBS committees, over the years, but I have never been responsible for something so monumentally important.  […]

By Donna Wolffe Just last month, August 2022, I joined a HIAS Welcome Circle to assist in resettling Ukrainian refugees. It was a sea change for me, as I’d been thinking about committing to joining such a project for over a year! So, why now was I able to pick up the phone and tell […]

By Ethan Winston (age 10) One new thing that I recently learned was scuba diving. First, I had to complete online course work. The online courses were long, hard, and fun. Then, I learned how to assemble my gear together. Assembling my gear was hard and challenging. Once my gear was assembled, I learned how […]

By Monica Engel Five years ago, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. It came as a big surprise because I was hospitalized with what the doctors thought was a lung issue. Needless to say, my first thought was how much longer will I live. After arriving home and adjusting to the bad news, I […]

By Mary Gonzalez I miss my parents so much that it hurts sometimes. It is so strange going through life not being able to call or see them. My mom has been gone for more than nine years, although it feels like yesterday, while my dad passed away only 4 months ago. And now, with […]

By Shani Boone As the mother of an almost 20 year-old and almost 18 year-old son, new beginnings are apparent in our home. The boys are independent, no longer needing a parent home to “watch” them or drive them around, and this means lots of adult time for Roger and me. We are not necessarily […]