During the Jewish month of Elul, it is said that the creator/Gd/spirit is with us in the field – swaying in the goldenrod and the golden hour of late summer sunsets, closer than usual.

Join Aly when the Elul moon is new, full, and faded again to learn and sing songs of grief, joy, healing, & turning.

Elul is a month that continues a trajectory of reflection and return in the Jewish calendar, that culminates in the high holidays. it’s a month of presence, in which we ask each day for just one thing – to live in the house of the creator. As the season begins to change, we’ll take this time to come in close with ourselves, to notice where we are and have been in this deeply intense and painful year, and to be accompanied by each other in the process.

Come for one session or both online sessions!

Time:

6:30-7:30pm EST// 5:30-6:30 CT // 3:30-4:30 PST

Cost:

$18-54 sliding scale per session, with no one turned away for lack of funds.

Where:

Online! Zoom link will be sent with RSVP

Additional info:

This first song circle will be hosted by Rabbis for Ceasefire as part of their high holiday offerings to resource our spirits and movements.

About the artists:

Aly Halpert (she/her) is a queer Jewish musician, educator, and activist living on Lenni Lenape land in Philadelphia, PA, USA. A singer, pianist, drummer, and guitar player, Aly writes songs for building community and visioning different worlds. Aly leads music and prayer for Jewish community, and has worked with Kol Tzedek Synagogue, Eden Village Camp, Let My People Sing, and synagogues across the country. Her songs have been sung in national gatherings, song circles, and quiet moments of personal prayer, and have moved people all over the world. Her first album, Nipple Confusion, has made fans of young people and adults alike. Her first full-band album Loosen was released in April 2022 with Rising Song Records. Aly believes deeply in the power of music to awaken us to the loss and hope we carry, expand our sense of possibility, and connect us to each other and our collective strength. For more about Aly, go to www.alyhalpert.com.

Rachel Chang (she/her) is a Jewish musician, songleader, and educator, as well as a music therapist, living in Philadelphia, PA. Drawing from the many communities and identities that have shaped her, Rachel leads with expressive guitar, sensitive listening, and a deep intention to cultivate belonging. She is the director of A Queer Nigun Project, which uses nigunim as a collective healing practice for LGBTQIA+ people, for Jews of Color, and for incarcerated people in Jewish community, and she is the ritual director at LUNAR: The Asian Jewish Collective. As a queer and multiracial Chinese-American Jew, Rachel has spent years grappling with what it means to belong, to take up space, and to be heard in Jewish community, and she has found music to be an invaluable resource.