The next four Shabbats are something special because we ’ re in the Hebrew month of Elul, aka a holi-month (yup, a holiday every single day!)
Elul is a time to pause, reflect, and get real about how we’ve shown up this past year. We actually blow the shofar (ram’s horn) daily to wake up our souls and start preparing for the High Holidays.
Are you inspired to host your own Permission to Unplug dinner this month? Consider applying for Nourishment+ to elevate your Permission to Unplug dinner
PERMISSION
HEBREW LETTER
Yud ’
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN STONE
Amethyst
GREGORIAN DATES
Sunset on Saturday,
August 23 through
sunset on Monday, September 22 (Rosh Hashana)
Tablescape Ideas
Elul is a time of reflection. Taking that literally, think about utilizing mirrors, water, or another reflective material into your table display
Not quite a tablescape, but when your guests come to the door, consider asking them to leave their phones in a basket, drawer, or another receptacle
Activity Ideas
Elul is all about waking up our bodies and souls.
Consider a cold plunge or group mikvah (ritual water immersion) in a nearby body of water before your meal as a spiritual wake up call.
We blow the shofar (ritual ram's horn)
every day of Elul to begin the process of teshuva (repentance or return) that culminates during the High Holidays.
If a rams horn is not so readily available to you, consider a drum circle, kazoo-chestra, or other loud musical event to honor the shofar call that happens throughout Elul
Journaling is another popular activity in Elul to prepare for the High Holidays.
This is a time to reflect on the past year, where did we succeed, where did we miss the mark, and how we plan to be better next year.
To help you lean into this sacred time, we’re bringing back Permission to Unplug our annual invitation to try a more mindful, tech-free Shabbat Let this season be one of intention, reflection, and deep connection.
ThingstoconsiderwhenplanningyourPermission toUnplugShabbat:
It’snotaboutditchingscreens.It’saboutfillingyourFriday nightwithjoy,connection,andintention.
As you plan, consider asking your guests:
What are a few things you wish you did more of (that don’t involve screens)? Could you turn one (or more) of them into an activity to do at your dinner?
How are you utilizing this spiritually charged time to also charge your Shabbat dinner? How can this meal help prepare you and your guests for the coming High Holidays? What is the intended impact of leaving your phones and screens behind for this evening? When planning your evening, start there and then design your Friday night with this impact in mind.
During Elul, there is a phrase "the king is in the field, " which means that we have heightened spiritual access to the Divine during this time.
Consider an outdoor picnic in a field to get closer to nature and closer to the Divine during this month
The first day of Elul is also known as the “New Year for the Animals, " so this might be the time for a pet-friendly Shabbat!
Taking care of another being tends to keep us more grounded in the present moment, so a pet-party is a great way to keep our focus on the present moment rather than on screens
If you want to give your Shabbat a meditative vibe, check out the meditations at the back of our Shabbat Guide.
