Rabbi's Blog: A Season of Return and Renewal- Aug/Sept 2025

By Rabbi Jason Holtz

August is here, and many of us are starting to return: from summer vacations, from slower days, from time spent with family and friends. Kids are going back to school, and soon our religious school will be back in full gear.

This is also the time when many people start to find their way back to synagogue. Some return after a summer away, some after many years, and some are coming for the first time. It is always moving to see people coming together again.  The High Holy Days always sees a few new, or newly returned, faces.

On August 25, we enter the month of Elul, a time to prepare for the High Holy Days. During Elul, we focus on teshuvah, which means “return.” But returning isn’t only about going backward. In Hebrew, the word kedem gives us a beautiful lesson. Kedem can mean “the past,” as in yamei kedem — “the days of old.” But it can also point us forward, like kadima — “ahead.”

When we return, we hold both meanings at the same time. We look back at where we came from, and we also look forward to who we want to become. We return, but we don’t stay in place — we move forward.

The Hebrew word for “year,” shanah, also teaches us something important. Shanah shares roots with shinui, meaning “change,” and mishneh, meaning “repeat.” As we enter a new year at Rosh Hashanah, we hold this tension: some things repeat, and some things change.

Earlier this summer, I spent a week at Camp Coleman with my kids and many wonderful campers and staff. It was a return for many of us. There were returning campers and counselors. But it wasn’t exactly the same. The campers had grown. The songleaders shared some new music. The programs had fresh ideas. We returned, but we moved forward at the same time.

This is true for us as we return to synagogue and to Jewish life. We might sit in the same seats and sing the same songs. But each year, we come back a little different. We bring with us new experiences, new growth, and new hopes. We are always balancing repetition and change, past and future.

As we prepare for the High Holy Days, we ask: What do I want to return to this year? And where do I want to move forward? How have I changed, and what parts of me are ready to grow even more?

Whether you have been here every week or are finding your way back after time away, I look forward to welcoming you home. May this season of Elul help us all return — and move forward — together.

Wishing you a meaningful Elul and a sweet, healthy New Year.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Jason Holtz