We emerge from Elul with a sense of love and desire to be closer to God, inspired by the possibility of change, and with honesty and vulnerability, eager to do the work of returning to our purest essence. As we prepare to enter Rosh Hashanah with prayer, melody, ritual, and poetry, we invite you to go deeper. We hope that this extraordinary collection of resources might transform these holy days, allowing the power of the liturgy and ritual to crack open our hearts and souls.
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The haunting melody and intense emotional language of Avinu Malkeinu have made this prayer a signature moment of the Yamim Nora’im, inviting us to call out to God as both an intimate parent and a majestic ruler. Join us as we explore this prayer more deeply with Rabbi Elie Kaunfer and others. →
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Hagar and Avraham. Isaac and Ishmael. Hagar and Sarah. Our reading from the Torah introduces not only these pivotal and volatile relationships but also the themes of trust, jealousy, fear, hope, and redemption. Learn here with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, Sally Gottesman, Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, Khaled Abu Awwad, and more. →
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Desperate for a son, Hannah offers an intense prayer, misunderstood by a priest as a drunken mumble. With this unusual moment now considered a model for how we might pray today, we invite you to dive into the meaning of this Haftarah. Go deeper into this text with Rani Jaeger, Peninnah Schram, and more. →
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In Genesis 22, we read the powerful and deeply challenging narrative of Akedat Yitzhak: Avraham binding and nearly sacrificing his son. Join us as we uncover its complexity and profound meaning with Rabbis Erin Leib Smokler, Dov Linzer, Ethan Tucker, and more. →
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Jeremiah, known as “the weeping prophet,” offers a rare moment of hope in this text. Despite the destruction he has witnessed, Jeremiah affirms God’s love for the people of Israel and imagines a future in which they are restored to the bountiful land. Learn here with Rabbi David Silber, the team from the Judaism Unbound Podcast, and more. →
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One of the most striking parts of the High Holy Days liturgy is this piyyut (liturgical poem), which features a narrative of God’s scrutiny of humankind. Here God is described as “apportioning the destinies” of each person, to be written on Rosh Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur: “Who will live and who will die … who by water, and who by fire.” Explore the meanings of this piyyut with Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, Imani Romney-Rosa Chapman, Leonard Cohen, and more. →
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These are the themes that permeate and punctuate our Musaf service for Rosh Hashanah. Go deeper as we explore majesty, memory, and the transformative sound of the shofar with Judith Plaskow, Nigel Savage, and more. →
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A favorite in the BJ community, this piyyut (poem) is sung as we arrive at the close of our morning services. The words speak to a sense of confidence in the efficacy of our own prayer, the communal lines asking God directly for what we desire: “Strengthen us, bless us, exalt us today: amen, amen, amen!” Learn here with Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, Mira Cohen (Jewish Life Coordinator on the BJ Teen Executive Board), and more. →
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One of the most recognizable Jewish symbols, the shofar is an essential element of Rosh Hashanah. In fact, hearing the blasts of the shofar is the primary biblical commandment of Rosh Hashanah, leading to the holiday’s ancient name: “Yom Teruah” (Day of Blasting). Internalize the sounds of these blasts through discovery and learning with Nethaniel Berman and more. →
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There is a spiritual practice of symbolically casting off sins—symbolized by breadcrumbs—into flowing water. Sprinkling crumbs into a body of water, we let the tide carry away the mistakes of the last year, letting go of the things we have repented. Open yourself up to new ways of experiencing this practice with Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow Grace Gleason and former rabbinic fellows Rabbis Sarah Krinsky and Tobias Moss. →