#BlogElul Preparing for 5772

Dear Friends,

The month of Elul is beckoning...it's coming. I know it's not nearly here...but there's an occasional chill in the air that reminds me of fall, school bags are being packed, the floors at the synagogue are being shined up...yep, it's almost Elul.

Last year, I tried to "Blog Elul" - a daily post. Here's what I wrote at the beginning of the month:
"...come back daily for a dose of pre-holiday thoughts. Some will be long. Some will not. Some will change your thinking about teshuvah and preparation. Some may be like a visit with an old friend, comfortable and memory-provoking."

This year, again, I'm going to Blog Elul. Perhaps not every day, but as close to daily as I can, I'm going to post thoughts about preparing for the Yamim Noraim, the High Holy Days. (Except on Shabbat, of course.) It's a hard time of year to be a rabbi. We're very consumed with preparing. But I'm hoping that this Blog Elul will offer me (it's all about me, right? After all, it is my blog, you're just here for the popcorn, right?) a chance to think daily about how I feel, how I'm getting ready, how I'm setting myself up for a season of repentance and renewal.

This year, I've invited others to participate with me. Would you like to Blog Elul? (We're going to use hashtag #blogelul on Twitter, by the way, thanks to @edibletorah!) All you have to do is make your own commitment to yourself and your own readers (daily? weekly? randomly as you feel like it? It's your Elul too). Feel free to grab my pretty badge to announce to the whole world that you're Blogging Elul. If you let me know that you're doing it, we can cross-post, or guest-post, or even just do some virtual hand-holding as the days grow closer to Tishrei.

Let me know in the comments here or in an email to imabima at gmail.com or a tweet to @imabima and I'll make sure to pay special attention to your blog throughout the month.

If you're not already subscribed to this blog, feel free to do so by clicking HERE. If you'd prefer to receive this blog via email, click HERE to set that up. (Simple and spam-free!)

While you're setting yourself up for a month of inspiration, why not also go ahead and subscribe to theJewels of Elul, a really lovely daily email for the whole month.

I'm looking forward to sharing this journey with you. Elul starts at the end of August (the 30th) so come back here regularly or set up your subscription now. I hope that my preparation for 5772 brings meaning and hope, inspiration and enlightenment for me and for you as well.