Weekly Torah Portion

My Dear Congregational Family,

This coming weekend brings together two powerful and meaningful moments in the Jewish calendar: Parashat Nitzavim and Selichot. Nitzavim means “you are standing,” while Selichot refers to our special prayers seeking forgiveness. Together, they speak beautifully to one another as we begin our sacred journey toward Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Nitzavim begins with the stirring words:

םֶכיֵהֹלֱֱא יְְי יֵנְפִִל םֶכְּלֻֻּכ םֹוּיַַה םיִבָּצִִנ םֶּתַַא

Atem nitzavim hayom kulchem lifnei Adonai

Eloheichem—“You stand this day, all of you, before the Eternal your God.”

Moses paints a breathtaking picture of an entire people standing together—leaders and laborers, elders and children, those born into the community and those who chose to join it. No one stands apart. No one is forgotten. Before God, every soul matters.

Having first reminded us that we all stand together before God, our tradition gently asks the next questions:

Now that you are standing here, who do you hope to become?

What do you hope to accomplish?

Selichot invites us to reflect not only upon who we have been, but also upon who we are still capable of becoming. It challenges us to live with deeper empathy and faith, renewed purpose, and the courage to make a positive difference in our families, our congregation, and our world.

Selichot is not a night of guilt or despair. Rather, it is the gentle beginning of our journey of reflection, renewal, and return. It reminds us that none of us is expected to be perfect—only honest. We are invited to look within, to mend relationships, to seek forgiveness where it is needed, and to believe that change is always possible. Judaism has never asked us to erase our past. Instead, it teaches us that with courage, humility, and God’s loving presence, we can write the next chapter of our lives more wisely.

This coming Shabbat, please join us at 7:00 p.m. as we welcome this sacred season together. Dressed in white as a symbol of purity, hope, and renewal, we will begin turning our hearts toward the High Holy Days through meaningful conversation, inspiring music, and prayer.

At the conclusion of Shabbat, on the Saturday evening before Rosh Hashanah, we enter the sacred season of Selichot. Wherever we may be, I invite each of us to pause and embrace its timeless message of reflection, forgiveness, renewal, and return. May we enter these holy days with open hearts, grateful for the gift of one another and for the opportunity to become the very best versions of ourselves.

I look forward to sharing this sacred journey with each of you.

L’Shalom,

Rabbi Rachelle Nelson