New prayers, artwork, and poetry for Rosh Hodesh Elul / the New Year of the Animals
Judaism’s ancient New Year for the Animals — Rosh Hodesh Elul — can remind us that we’re all stewards of the Earth and all her life. It can remind us that we too are animals, part of the web of life. It can remind us of the special love we feel for companion animals – a heart-opening love we need as we prepare for the heart journey of Rosh Hashanah. Here are poems, prayers, and artwork for Rosh Hodesh Elul / the New Year of the Animals. May these offerings help us to draw near to our animals, our traditions, ourselves, each other, and our Source.
Available both as a downloadable PDF and as google slides suitable for screenshare.
Elul – New Year of the Animals – Bayit 2021 [PDF]
Rosh Hodesh Elul: New Year of the Animals [google slides]
Here are a few tastes of what’s collected here:
…I lay a blanket down on the grass.
We lose ourselves eye to eye,
Reflecting face to face like still watersRestoring just a bit of something that
Sometimes I forget that I’d forgotten…— “All Life,” R. David Evan Markus
This is a blessing for my old orange cat, Buster,
On the occasion of Rosh Hodesh Elul,
Rosh Hashanah La Beheimot,
The New Year of the Domesticated Beasts…— “Blessing for Buster,” Trisha Arlin
We will blow the shofar,
And I’ll read Psalm 27
And if we’re lucky we’ll go for a swim together on Lac St-Pierre…— “On the first of Elul,” R. Dara Lithwick
…I don’t believe in these separations anymore
whatever we do
we do it to you, too
we live on the same planet
we share the same earth…— “Where We Walk,” R. Sonja K. Pilz, PhD
God is as close now
as blood pulsing in our veins,
that animal rhythm…— “We are animals too,” R. Rachel Barenblat
…This Elul may our animal friends teach us to live in balance, honouring the Divine
At home with you, Yah…— “Closing Blessing,” R. Dara Lithwick
Read the full collection:
Elul – New Year of the Animals – Bayit 2021 [PDF]
Rosh Hodesh Elul: New Year of the Animals [google slides]
Liturgy and poetry by Trisha Arlin, Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, Rabbi Dara Lithwick, Rabbi David Evan Markus, Rabbi Sonja Keren Pilz. Artwork by Joanne Fink. Find all of our bios on the Builder Biographies page.
