Elul - Holidays, Standing Together and More
Oy Vey offers Jewish activities and learning opportunities in the Netherlands.
Elul is the only Jewish month with no holidays, which gives us time to prepare for the coming season. Recently we learned that many believe that the name Elul (אלול) comes from the erotic sacred text Song of Songs:
אני לדודי ודודי לי
Ani ledodi vedodi li: “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine”.
Elul is a reminder of the power of love, of its radical nature. And if ever there was a time for radical love, it’s now. Many of us are feeling heartbroken and overwhelmed by grief during this time, and there is nothing that can be said to make it easier. All we can do is remind ourselves that we don’t have to bear this alone.
Love and solidarity to all of you.
There’s a lot to catch up on in this newsletter. Let’s get started.
What’s Coming Up?
Sun. Sept 8: Deviant Yeshiva: Judeo Christianity
Sat. Sept 14: Havdalah Reimagined
Prepare yourself mentally for the high holidays with Havdalah Reimagined, led by Lievnath Faber with original music by Tali Gross.
Sat. Sept 21: Havdalah Potluck Dinner
Join us for a potluck dinner and a short Havdalah ceremony.
Sept 24-29: Standing Together in the Netherlands
Oy Vey is proud to announce that we are bringing Rula Daooud & Alon-Lee Green, co-directors of Standing Together to the Netherlands. They will be giving the Freedom Lecture at de Balie, presenting at Movies that Matter, and at the LJG. Click for more information.
The High Holy Days
Sun. Sept 29: How to… Rosh Hashana
Just before the start of the High Holidays – in which we mark/celebrate Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah – we will gather to explore what it is all about. How do these holy-days interconnect and what are we supposed to be doing? We will be focussing on the Jewish new year Rosh Hashana and our goal is that you can walk away feeling empowered to organize your own Rosh Hashana celebration.
Fri. Oct 4: Tashlich Gathering and Shabbat Potluck
Join us this year as we mark the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with the Tashlich ceremony. This is a new ritual for many of us, so don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it before or participated in it. You can join us. It’s family friendly and single friendly – so, as usual, come as you are! In Amsterdam on Friday 4 Oct.
Mon. Oct 7: Returning / Teshuva
How do we sit with this date of (re) triggered Jewish grief in tension with the war in Gaza in the midst of the 10 days of return / teshuva to self between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur? Join us as we let ourselves be gently guided by the waves of Jewish time which hold us and move us towards introspection – exploring where we can grow, and what beliefs we need to let go of to return to ourselves, broken and whole, in this new year.
Sun. 13 Oct: Local Lulav Workshop
We will be creating lulavs using local materials grown in the Netherlands. This is fun for all ages.
Details coming soon
- Save the date! November 21, we will be celebrating the Jewish Manifesto with a Jewish Manifestival.
Please Contribute
Some of us may have grown up in Jewish communities that did a lot of fundraising during the High Holy Day Season. You might have heard the head of the temple board ask for contributions to the electric bill, to fund speakers, and to keep the community running. If you can, please contribute to Stichting Oy Vey. We need to pay some bills.