Welcome

Summer is now coming to a close and many of us are coming back to our places of work and/or study. That might mean returning from a different country, a hometown, or even mean changing locations in your mind, turning once again as the seasons do.

I wish everyone stillness during this month. That might sound strange with all of the changes the come about in the end of one season and in the beginning of another.  However, it is the stillness within us that keeps us in balance and gives us a foundation upon which to draw strength.  Stillness is needed with any process of change.  And that is what I ask for us to think about: the inner stillness that is needed within change.

Welcome Home, Welcome back!  Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, ‘We are glad you have come!’

- Laura

The New Month

ELUL - This month of Elul is a month of “Returning to the Inner Stillness Within Change.”

(from Kabbalah Month by Month p. 299)

“Through the spiritual grace of Elul it is easy to get in touch with what is pure and constant within us.”

Zodiac Sign (Mazal) of the Month: Virgo

* Virgo, a beautiful independent young woman, is characterized by the embodiment of the individual in the world.  She carries the ability to change and adapt, has an awareness of conflicts with others, and has a desire to make self-improvements as part of her quest in understanding the “gives” and “takes” required by life.

Essence of Elul (compiled from www.ritualwell.org)

Elul is the sixth of the twelve months in the Jewish Calendar.  It is taught that the Hebrew letters ELUL (aleph, lamed, vav, lamed) are an acronym for the verse from Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs), Ani L'Dodi V'Dodi Li – “I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.” In Elul we celebrate women's ability to maintain our independence, individuality, and uniqueness at the same time that we enter into relationships and recommit ourselves to those we love.

Elul is a time of intense spiritual preparation for the coming year and the upcoming High Holy Days (in Tishrei).

In Aramaic (the language spoken by Jews living at the time that the months were given names), the word "Elul" means "search." Elul is a time to search our hearts.

Features

It is customary to:

Blow the shofar every morning (except on Shabbat) from Rosh Hodesh Elul until the day before Rosh HaShanah. The blasts are meant to awaken our spirits and inspire us to begin the soul searching which prepares us for the High Holy Days. As part of this preparation, Elul is the time to begin the sometimes-difficult process of granting and asking for forgiveness.

According to tradition, Moshe went up to Mount Sinai on Rosh Hodesh Elul to receive the second set of tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. Moses then spent the next 40 days on the mountain, returning to the people on Yom Kippur. The first time Moshe went up to the mountain the people worshipped the Golden Calf because they miscalculated the 40 day period after which they expected Moshe to return. When Moshe did not come down at the appointed time, the people created the Golden Calf to lead them in his stead. Tradition teaches that when Moshe went up to the mountain the second time, a shofar was sounded throughout the encampment, so everyone would know exactly from when to begin counting the 40 days until his return.

Recite psalm 27 every day from Rosh Hodesh Elul through the middle of Sukkot (in Tishrei). Psalm 27 begins with the words "God is my light and my helper, whom shall I fear?" The challenging spiritual work of Elul is made easier when we feel that God is with us as we strive to bring out the best in ourselves.

Recite selichot – special penitential prayers – either every morning just before sunrise during the week before Rosh HaShanah (Ashkenazic tradition) or every morning during the entire month of Elul (Sephardic tradition). Ashkenazi Jews begin the recitation of selichot with a special service held at midnight on the Saturday before Rosh HaShanah.

Visit the graves of loved ones throughout the month in order to remember and honor those people in our past who inspire us to live more fully in the future.

Begin all letters written during the month of Elul with wishes that the recipient have a good year. Others write that expressing these wishes can be done at the end of the letter as well. The standard blessing is K'tiva V'Chatima Tova (a good writing and sealing), meaning that the person should be written and sealed in the Book of Life.

Foods

In Europe, Elul arrived when the plums were purple and ripe and the pears were ready for picking. Jews called Elul the time of the "Flaumen un die Beren" (the plums and pears). In Yiddish these two words have additional meanings: "Flaumen" means flames, and "Beren" means to burn. Thus Elul is a time to search our hearts, and to seek God with fiery, burning intensity. Enjoy plums and pears as you do so!

EuroJews News / Events

“Chanukah in Paris!" The next EuroJews trip will be Chanukah in Paris, on the weekend of December 15th-18th 2006. It should be a very exciting event - book your flights now! There are lots of cheap offers at www.skyscanner.net. Paris is, of course, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and it also has a rich Jewish life and heritage. We are coordinating with local synagogues and a liberal young adults group, and are hoping to light our Chanukah candles on the Eiffel Tower (or in other romantic spots)! If you would like to come, please let Nathan (nathan@eurojews.org) know - the sooner the better. And if you would like to be part of the group planning and organising the event, that would also be fantastic – please get in touch!

Membership

If you would like to be a member of EuroJews please send and e-mail to Beatrice Richman <beatricerichman(at)hotmail.com> You will get this on-line newsletter, discounts on events and other great things!

*If you would like to receive a reminder link to our monthly newsletter, please send an email to the following address, within the brackets: [eurojews-subscribe(at)eurojews.org

Members' Forum (see the link from http://www.eurojews.org/members.html)...a virtual space for our community to gather - room for online discussion, fun, announcements, recipes, learning - something we have been hoping to create for a long time is now finally with us!

If there are any problems viewing the site please contact makopolok(at)rediffmail.com

To ensure a safe space for all of this, we are restricting it to members of EuroJews only. If you haven't paid your 20 euros, you are still welcome to sign up for a month "trial", and we hope that you will join EuroJews within that month. As you know, the money is used to support our activities including to help increase attendance at our events - a small price to pay for a worthy cause! If you would like to join EuroJews please contact beatrice(at)eurojews.org" also see membership below.

- Nathan

News from Community Folks (happenings, questions, etc…)

It has proven to be a good summer for EuroJews despite the lack of a summer event. We’ve welcomed a few new members to the EJ community and are already seeing a great deal of enthusiasm about the upcoming Chanukkah event in Paris. Plans are not finalized yet, but so far we know we’ll be working in cooperation with “Aviv,” the local young adult organization and should have lots of stimulating workshops for the holiday weekend. There has also been interest coming from the Liberal Jewish student movement in the UK which should result in increased participation. I hope that you’re all planning to attend! Before the High Holidays, Nathan and I will write up an official advertisement for the Chanukkah event. We need help translating the advertisement and circulating it to the progressive communities throughout Europe. Anyone who is willing to help with this, please contact Nathan (Nathan@eurojews.org) or myself (beatrice@euroJews.org.)

To all of the students in the EuroJews community, I hope you’ve enjoyed your summer holidays and are excited to get back to University. I’m getting ready to move to Amsterdam and am very much looking forward to being a student again.

- Beatrice Richman

* The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) is the public and legal advocacy arm of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism. IRAC's mission is to advance religious freedom and pluralism, tolerance, social justice and civil liberties in Israel, based on the belief that these values are intrinsic to and stem from a liberal understanding of Judaism. Since its establishment in 1987, IRAC has been a leader in the struggle for freedom of religion and conscience in Israel.

E-mail: joel@irac.org Telephone: +972 (0)2 625 6261

Website: http://www.rac.org/irac

donate to IRAC's Emergency Campaign

* 4th Conference of the European Jewish Women, Activists, Academics, and

Rabbis 23-27 August, 2006 - Central European University, 1051-Budapest Nádor 9)

Visit our website: www.liberaljudaism.org

* _EuroJews CD_'s on-sale now in some of your communities! The cost is about?10 Eu each. Contact Nathan if you would like more info!

* Listen, I'm organizing this _International Queer Shabbaton_. It's gonna be a wonderful weekend full of workshops, events, lectures, performances and loads of nesjomma and food:

www.queershabbaton.org <http://www.queershabbaton.org/>. Right

now, we are doing the PR and really need people to spread the word

worldwide. Thanks so much, Gideon Querido van Frank.

*_EuroJews Late Bar/Bat Mitzvah Project _ Have you had a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah, or are you one of many EuroJews who, for one reason or another, missed out?  It is never too late. We are planning an intensive learning programme leading, if appropriate, to a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony.  Please get in touch if you are interested in this, either as a student or as a teacher. Contact: Nathan

* EuroJews _Jewish/Moslem Dialogue Project._ Fed up with negative and stereotypical journalism, from all sides. Anyone interested in participating in a EuroJews/Moslems interfaith project should get in touch - let's break down some barriers. Contact: Nathan

* eurojewsboston.org - check them out

<mailto:e.museri@liberaljudaism.org>