The month of Elul, which begins with the new moon on August 25, is traditionally a time for self-reflection and preparation as we move toward Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays. In Jewish tradition, the very name Elul (א–ל–ו–ל) forms the acronym ani l’dodi v’dodi li, “I am for my beloved, and my beloved is mine,” from the Song of Songs. Some interpret this as symbolizing the love between God and the Jewish people. Others see it as a reminder of the importance of connection, comfort, and renewal in our relationships and communities. However we approach it, Elul invites us to pause, take stock, and reflect.
Here in California’s Gold Country, that spirit is embodied by the Mother Lode Jewish Community (MLJC). MLJC’s mission is to nurture a vibrant and enduring Jewish identity, culture, and community across Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, and Tuolumne counties. Even without a synagogue of its own, MLJC brings people together to celebrate holidays, mark life-cycle events, and weave Jewish connection into the fabric of our region. Just as Elul calls us to strengthen our inner lives, MLJC strengthens our shared Jewish life—reminding us that belonging itself is a form of renewal.
On a personal note, I have a milestone birthday approaching this year, and I’ll admit I have mixed feelings about it. I am grateful for my health, and I know not everyone is blessed to reach this age, but it is still sobering to watch the years accumulate. Each summer, my family spends time in Hailey, Idaho, where my father and stepmother were part of the Wood River Jewish Community. They are no longer here, but many of their friends remain. Each year, we all grow a little grayer, but the continuity and warmth of community span the generations, reminding me that aging is not only about loss but also about belonging. I see the same truth here in the Mother Lode: MLJC connects generations, ensuring that Jewish identity and tradition continue to thrive.
Jewish tradition offers wisdom about the passage of time. The Mishnah teaches: “At five, the study of Scripture; at ten, the study of Mishnah; at thirteen, subject to the commandments; at fifteen, the study of Talmud; at eighteen, the bridal canopy; at twenty, livelihood; at thirty, strength; at forty, wisdom; at fifty, counsel; at sixty, old age; at seventy, fullness of years; at eighty, strength; at ninety, bent body; at one hundred, as good as dead.”When this was written, life expectancy was short. Today, with many living into their nineties, sixty hardly feels like “old age.” Instead, our added years give us more time for reflection, purpose, and joy. Communities like MLJC help sustain that joy, reminding us that Jewish life flourishes when people show up for one another.
When I look up at the night sky, I’m reminded of how the passage of time is grounded in the rhythms of the Jewish calendar. Each month begins with the new moon, grows into fullness, and wanes again. Just as the moon changes, so do our lives. Elul, in particular, is a wake-up call to reflect on the past year and consider what we want to be different in the year to come. During my years in Jerusalem, an elderly neighbor would blow the shofar each morning of Elul, stirring the whole neighborhood awake. Now, in San Ramon, I sound the shofar myself: a reminder to my neighbors and to me that it’s time to wake up and prepare for renewal. I hear echoes of this call in the way MLJC gathers people together—stirring us to recognize the beauty and possibility of Jewish life wherever we are planted.
I take comfort, during the season of Elul, in remembering that our lives matter, we are capable of change, and we are not alone as we navigate transformation. There are many tools for reflection to help with this process: meditation, journaling, conversation, prayer, or simply quiet moments of honesty with ourselves. However you choose to approach it, I encourage you to embrace Elul as an invitation to see that change is within our reach. Reflection, renewal, and return are gifts, reminding us that we each have agency to shape the year ahead.
And when renewal requires practical support, I am grateful to serve with Hebrew Free Loan, which helps people take the next steps in their lives with dignity and hope. But above all, I celebrate communities like MLJC that embody the closeness of Jewish connection and the richness of reflection here in the Mother Lode.
May this Elul be a time of comfort, growth, and awakening for all of us. May we embrace the gift of community and step into the year ahead with courage, clarity, and hope, ready to create the lives we imagine for ourselves.
~Rabbi Jamie