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 in Elul to wake ourselves up and begin preparing ourselves for the coming 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 third year, Permission to Unplug is our mindfulness and unplugging initiative, helping you connect more deeply 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? Check out our resources below including an Elul Sourcesheet (if you’re into Jewish texts), and some videos from tech-free guru and our Permission to Unplug partner Tiffany Shalin to help you plan and get you in the mood to unplug!

This curriculum was made possible (in part) by funds granted by The Covenant Foundation. The statements made and views expressed, however, are solely the responsibility of the author(s).