#BlogElul 3 Prepare: #whatjewisheducatorsdo

Prepare is really my theme for the whole summer!  I am preparing for the first day of school, first teachers' meeting, ordering supplies, making lists and trying to make sure everything is ready for the new year. If you have not registered for school or even High Holy Day tickets at Lakeside not to worry.  I can always order more books for new students and you can still order your High Holy tickets! There are many details and I do have help, thank goodness, in this area.

Special Todah Rabah to Margaux Friend, our office administrator who keeps our office running and me as well.  My admin, JoAnne is fantastic and school, flyers and so much more would not be ready if not for her.

I know that Rabbi Serotta is preparing for the High Holy days and sermon writing is just a part of what he does.  Getting the year going again takes many different steps.  When the High Holy days and Labor day align as they did this year it gives us a few more days to keep preparing.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year and I hope to re-connect with everyone as the school year starts and we begin again.

(I know that I am behind in blogging but I hope to blog most of Elul!)

#BlogElul 2: Search

Every year I join with Rabbi Phyllis Sommer and try to blog Elul.  Elul is the month that proceeds the High Holy Days and it is a time we prepare for them.  (Tomorrow's cue is Prepare...more on prepare later).

Blogging Elul helps me to write more, blog more and just put my thoughts together during a busy time of year.  It is also a chance to participate in a project which links me to an even larger community.  It is a daunting task and this year I want to try and do this in smaller pieces.

Today's word Search makes me imagine searching for peace.  In our world filled with hate  and sometimes it takes searching for your own peace and where to find peace.  I know that this summer I have found peace as I always do at OSRUI and I think the place that is most peaceful at camp are the Beitei T'filah, where we pray.  Being able to pray twice a day is a gift when I am at camp.  It is right there, I don't even have to search it out.

I also find peace on vacation especially when we go to the ocean. This summer we were at Cape Cod went to the beach every day for a week.  I loved listening to the sound that the waves made as they crashed on the beach.  It is a soothing sound and a great place to take a nap.  It reminds me of the words of poem/song Eli, Eli:

This is my first blog Elul for 5777, Looking forward to a good month!