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August 17, 2015

There's a great Jewish tradition of dedicating the 29 days in the month of Elul to study and prepare for the coming High Holy Days. This time is supposed to challenge us to use each day as an opportunity for growth and discovery. While conceptually the notion is noble, it was clear to me that acting on it was a bit more challenging. So, ten years ago, I came up with Jewels of Elul: I collected short stories, anecdotes and introspections from the most fascinating people I could find—one for each of the 29 days of the month.

We have collected Jewels from an eclectic group of people including President Barack Obama, Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Debbie Friedman, Eli Wiesel, Deepak Chopra, Lady Gaga, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Pastor Rick Warren, Cantor Alberto Mizrahi, Kirk Douglas, Ruth Messinger, Jeffrey Katzenberg and over 250 other inspired voices . . . well-known and not-so-well-known.

This year, we decided to reprint 29 of our favorite Jewels for Volume XI: Ten Years of Inspiration. I invite you to make each day count and sign up to receive your daily inspiration at www.jewelsofelul.com.

Below is my introduction to this years edition of Jewels of Elul.

How do you measure 10 years of life?

10 years is a fifth of my adult life, a third of my marriage.

10 years is a third of my children’s lives, a decade in which they moved out and became independent adults.

10 years marks my transition from leading Friday Night Live at Sinai, to running a multi-faith cultural arts center at the first home of Sinai Temple.

10 years is a basket which holds personal battles with the deaths of family members, pets, and friends—even as I am blessed to have my parents and Louise’s parents in my life.

10 years is the life of a book—of Jewels, that keeps writing itself through remarkable people sharing perspectives.

In these past 10 years I have also witnessed contributors leave jobs, start new work, retire, marry, divorce, graduate, transition, and pass away. If I were Jacob, the past 10 years have been the angel I struggle with in wakefulness and in sleep: making my mind stronger, and my body a little less strong. I have become a more independent thinker, and more dependent on the support of family and friends. I think the late composer Jonathan Larson captured my feelings best:

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, a year in the life?
How about love? Measure in love.

How about love? What about love?

To a year full of seasons of love.

To order or learn more about Jewels of Elul, visit jewelsofelul.com

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