In this month of Elul, the month preceding Rosh Hashanah, I hear my father of blessed memory blowing 100 shofar blasts, I breathe the fruity scent of tzimis simmering on the stove top and through the oven window I see golden honey cakes rising.
Rosh Hashanah celebrates the birthday of humankind. At this time we get in touch with G!d's plan for us. In advance we join a congregation, reserve our seats and prepare to contemplate and process the previous years deeds which in traditional art is depicted in the image of a set of scales balancing positive and negative deeds. The Jewish New Year is the time for Din, Judgment. With loving kindness and mercy we are judged and also awakened to realize G!d's plan - our potential.
The shofar is sounded on Rosh Hashanah and at the closing service of Yom Kippur. It is also blasted throughout this month of Elul on week day mornings, to stir our soul and summon us to teshuvah - repentance and spiritual renewal. We have forty days between Rosh Khodesh Elul and Yom Kippur, to consciously create changes in our lives. The Kabbalah teaches us that it is possible for us to make changes in our lives if we work on ourselves daily during these forty days. It is also customary during this month to mend broken relationships with family and friends and to ask for forgiveness as well as to increase our efforts with respect to giving tzedakah - charity - and doing acts of righteousness.
After Ruach Hamidbar’s "Cool Kabbalah" ecumenical outreach effort which attracted over 6,000 participants to week long lectures,workshops and concerts, there has been relentless interest by both participants and those that missed the events to provide more. Jews, affliliated, unaffiliated and spiritual seekers, wrote to me and called me to describe ways that their lives were deeply touched.
The birth of the universe, Tishray 5769, Rosh Hashanah, September 2008 also marks twenty years of Ruach Hamidbar - Spirit of the Desert’s impact on yiddishkeit in the valley. We continue to provide relevance and joy in your experience of the Divine with egalitarian services infused with interactive prayer, meditation, chanting, drumming, dancing, and storytelling. Passionate Hassidic reverie co-mingled with twenty-first-century modernism, universalism and egalitarianism aptly describes Jewish Renewal. We are able to personally experience G!d, know G!d, become One with G!d and the Creation. We feel the sparks, become G!d-like and do our part in fixing the world - tikun olam.
As we embark on our twentieth anniversary event I am delighted to invite you to the first Kabbalah High Holy Days services. In addition to the usual Ruach Team, Pinna Joseph, Mark Broder and Victoria Mogilnar, we are all blessed to receive guest spiritual Kabbalah leaders and musicians at our services and celebrations.
Some of you may remember the riveting songs of Yofiyah who chanted in services several years ago. Rabbi Leah Novick has chosen our community to celebrate this new year which witnesses the publication of her book "On The Wings of Shekhinah - Rediscovering Judaism's Divine Feminine". Desert Wind, Alan and Andalin Bachman and Rajab Juma of the world fusion band whose original songs we sing, are joining us as well. Please invite your friends and family to our first Kabbalah HighHoly Days.
To our members I say that I am so glad that you have chosen to be part of Spirit of the Desert - a community in which we can be supportive of one another in our yearning for spiritual Jewish connection. Membership to Spirit of the Desert benefits you with many advantages such as Shabbbat, Sukot, Cool Pool and all holy day services and celebrations; New Moon celebratory gatherings; direct access to me with my cell phone number; and now we offer you all who maintain membership in good standing, an invitation to join free of charge the Kabbalah Fellowship - year round Kabbalah classes to begin in mid- November. In addition we are also beginning a healing group, meeting regularly to study, pray and visit the sick and a hands on tikun olam project.
I greatly appreciate all members of our congregation, some who have been with us since our 1988 inception and those who have joined after that. With integrity, sensitivity and commitment our lay leadership, president and board ensure that respect and support is displayed to those that join us in our spiritual awakening.
Spirit of the Desert is a safe space for every Jew and G!dfriendly person. We welcome new members who seek to find meaning in life. With warmth and respect we greet children, singles, couples, families, elderly, GLBTQ’s, Jews by choice, non-Jews and all spiritual seekers. I am pleased to open the door and welcome you all to become members and experience our Ruach family.
The first Kabbalah High Holidays 5769 present an opportunity for renewal for us, our families, our Spirit of the Desert community and all Jews and non-Jews seeking to study and practice Kabbalah. As we join together as one congregation, may we feel all our prayers accepted by G!d. May we be blessed with a sweet, happy and good year; a year of peace, a year of change and awakening. So may it be, Amen Selah!
Let us remember what the the Zohar (main book of Kabbalah) states: "The shofar below awakens the shofar above and the Holy Blessed One rises from the Throne of Judgment and moves to the Throne of Compassion." Be sure to hear the call of the shofar during this month of Elul. Dial 602-420-1700, press 3.
K’tivah v’khatimah tovah b’sefer khayim tovim.
May you and your loved ones be written and sealed in the book of good life.
Looking forward to reaching joyful new heights together with you this coming new year,
Rabbi Ayla Grafstein
To become a member or to buy High Holy Day and Boat tickets by phone NOW
call Jennifer Blohm: 480-206-5078.
To volunteer at our High Holy Day services
and/or to decorate our magnificent sukah, all Deb Weinstein: 602- 617-5838.
All flyers, forms and information are available this website.
