The next four Shabbats are something special because we are in the Hebrew month of Elul, which is a holi-month. You might be asking “what’s a holi-month?” It’s a month where every single day is a holiday! 

Elul is such a special time in the Jewish calendar, we actually blow the shofar every day this month to wake ourselves up and begin preparing for the coming High Holidays. Just as April is when we get our finances in order for tax season, Elul is when we take a look at our spiritual accounting: how did I show up in the last year and in what ways do I want to be better?

To lean into Elul OneTable style, we’re offering the latest edition of our Permission to Unplug program to help you consider what a tech-free Shabbat could look like. In its fourth year, Permission to Unplug is our mindfulness and unplugging initiative, helping you connect deeper to Shabbat by leaning into both traditional and contemporary aspects of a Shabbat practice. By allowing yourself to fully immerse in Shabbat and disconnect from devices, we hope Elul will be a time you connect more with yourself and your community as we enter the High Holidays. Permission to Unplug events will be happening in select cities around the U.S. and Toronto! They are open to registered OneTable users, so login or create an account to see what’s available near you.

Are you inspired to host your own Permission to Unplug dinner this month? Apply for a Nourishment+ dinner and check out our resources below including our Permission to Unplug Shabbat Guide, an Elul sourcesheet (if you’re into Jewish texts), and some videos to help you plan and get you in the mood to unplug!