At the end of August, we will begin the Hebrew month of Elul. This month before the High Holy Days is a time for self-reflection, in Hebrew “cheshbon hanefesh” or “accounting of the soul.” We prepare ourselves spiritually for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by balancing our behavior books, reflecting on the various impacts that we have made on other people and the rest of Creation since last year.

One might go back through the calendar and consider any changes in habit since last Elul. What trends have we started or ended? In what ways are we better now than we were, and in what ways are we worse? Savvy social media users have an easy way to balance their books – it’s all written and recorded and, thanks to the cloud and the permanence of digital data, sealed right there. This is the month to consider “How have I spent the past year, and how will I do better in the year ahead?” Progress is rarely a straight line, and it is natural to see ups-and-downs over a year. A year gives a clearer understanding of trends than does a month or a week, so we can think of this balancing of the behavior books as our annual audit – have we added more to, or subtracted more from, the betterment of our world?

Looking backward since Elul 5781 can be daunting and disheartening. But it needn’t be so. If a look backward teaches us nothing, then we have not progressed. If we have done nothing of consequence, we will have no regrets. And if we have done things that we should regret and do not regret them? There’s a seat waiting for each of us on Yom Kippur. No year is without triumph and tragedy, and both must be examined.

Instead of being discouraged by our imperfections, we are meant to learn from them. Ray Dalio, the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, posits this formula: pain + reflection = progress. The pain that we experience from our own failings and the failings of others is only productive if we reflect on it, learn from it, and then move forward.

May we each have a meaningful accounting of our own souls and begin the New Year better than we did a year ago.

Registration is now open for the Chadash 2022/2023 school year. You can register by filling out our online registration form through the Temple Israel website or the Chadash website. Below are some important dates to remember, and the complete school year calendar is available at both websites, as well.

Sunday, September 11 - 1^st Day of Chadash

Sunday, October 2 – Chadash meets off site at the Alliance Cemetery

Sunday, October 9 – Chadash Sukkot celebration

Sunday, October 30 – Consecration

Temple Israel: www.templeisraelcanton/chadash

Chadash: www.chadashcanton.org/forms

For more information, please contact Chadash director, Julie Zorn, at chadash@jewishcanton.org.

Sisterhood is asking that any congregants who have college aged students in the Armed Services send in their addresses for the 2022-2023 school year. Also, if any grandparent would like to send a Rosh Hashana goody box to their college age grandchild, please send in their address and a check made out to Temple Israel Sisterhood for $10 by September 1, 2022.

For more information or to register, visit www.templeisraelcanton.org/israel

Save the Date - August 11th  

The Jane Altman Zoldan Blood Drive   

Please join us Thursday, August 11 from 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm at Beit Ha'am as we resume our Annual Blood Drive. Janie loved greeting all of the donors and thanking them for their life-saving donations. This year, we will gather in her honor. Please reach out to Debbie Sinopoli at debbie.sinopoli3@gmail.com or call Debbie at 330-323-4540 or Randi Smuckler, randismuckler@yahoo.com with any questions and to schedule your donation time.