Join us next week — live or online – as we renew and rediscover

Shalom Friends,

Gazing at the lunar eclipse last week reminded me of the universe’s endless ability to amaze us and inspire wonder. The next evening, I looked up at the billowing full moon—a glowing reminder that the High Holy Days are almost here. There is something reassuring about the steady rhythms of nature. They remind us that amid all the uncertainty of our lives and our world, there are moments that call us home again—to our traditions, to one another, and perhaps most importantly, to ourselves.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver (1935–2019) often found that kind of reassurance in the natural world. In her beloved poem Wild Geese, she uses the migration of the geese as an image of life’s continuous journey forward:

“Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again.”

There is something particularly resonant in that image as we approach Rosh Hashanah. The geese know when it is time to begin their journey home. So do we!

I encourage you to watch the wonderful new PBS documentary Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World, a film that explores the delicate balance between the profound ecstasy Oliver discovered in being alive and the turbulent currents of trauma, pain and resilience that were also part of her life.

And so, as 5787 begins, my wish for each of us is this: May we have the courage to release what no longer serves us, the wisdom to recognize what truly matters, and the resilience and wonder to keep reaching toward the life we still hope to create.

If you have not yet registered for in-person services or our livestream, please go HERE.

May 5787 bring you and those dearest to you a healthy, meaningful, sweet and peaceful New Year—and many moments that still possess the power to fill you with wonder.

Shabbat Shalom,

Jan

P.S. A reminder: This year’s Rosh Hashanah service takes place on a Saturday morning, and warm temperatures may make beachgoing especially attractive. Consider arriving early to ensure parking if you are joining us in person at the Annenberg Community Beach House.