The holy month of Elul has begun. It is the final month of the Jewish calendar, and it is a period of reflection and self-assessment before Rosh Hashanah.

For Jews, it marks the leadup to the three-year anniversary of the most deadly day – Oct. 7, 2023 – since the time of the Holocaust. We are still grieving the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, which has led to a years-long war where Israel has faced missiles from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Iranian-back militias in Iraq and Syria, and Iran – where Israel conducted two wars in the last 18 months.

This has all taken its toll on Diaspora Jews, and in Greater Boston and throughout America, with public opinion shifting against Israel. It is now a central focus of the fall elections, and the anger against Israel has transposed into open Jew-hatred that is all but normalized in American cities. Radicals now target Jews everywhere – from synagogues, public schools and restaurants to law firms, universities and hospitals. Social media influencers target Jews with conspiracy theories daily.

While some local elected officials and law enforcement authorities speak out against antisemitism, we hear almost nothing from our congressional delegation on this matter. AIPAC has become the whipping boy for all of our America’s wrongs, and since Oct. 7, 2023, hate crimes against Jews have doubled throughout New England, according to the ADL. Meanwhile, many of us have lost friends simply because we are Jews. Or we have lost Jewish friends, or become estranged from relatives since Oct. 7, 2023.

Still, the arrival of Elul appears as a blessing. During this month, it is customary for Jews to meditate on the past year and take stock of our actions. Not every Jew may care about the holiday or the month, but for many, it is a gift that allows us to pause and consider all that has transpired in the last year. The Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, and other rabbinic scholars have described Elul as a time when “The King is in his field;” a time when God leaves his palace and finds every Jew and hears their hopes and dreams and requests.

Here’s an Elul primer to lift the soul as we prepare to begin the new year:

According to tradition, we pay our respects during Elul to relatives and friends who have passed on. At the cemetery, we place stones on graves to honor the deceased and to let others know that the grave has been recently visited.

In Elul, every morning service ends with a blast of the shofar – save for Shabbat and the day before Rosh Hashanah. According to scholars, one reason the shofar is sounded in Elul is to commemorate Moses’ second ascent of Mount Sinai. That ascent, which stretched from the first day of Elul through Yom Kippur, was complemented by shofar blasts. If you can, find a rabbi or someone who has a shofar. Close your eyes, and listen to the notes drift to the heavens. It can be an otherworldly experience.

Elul is a period of introspection. In our prayer books, we read that teshuva (returning to God), charity and prayer can nullify harsh decrees. These are simple ways of repairing the soul: when we talk directly to God, we release our burdens, anxiety and pain; when we give charity, we generally feel better; when we pray, we meditate, and can reach new spiritual heights.

Words can elevate others, and during the month we offer the greeting, “Ketivah vachatimah tovah,” or “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.” This is an affirmation of life, and who doesn’t like to bestow or receive a positive message or blessing? It can change a person’s day.

Try one or more of these customs. It seemed to work for a lot of our relatives as they prepared for the new year.

Maybe you’ll find there’s an innate wisdom to these traditions. Θ