Community Read! The Amen Effect by Sharon Brous

During the month of Elul, leading up to Rosh Hashanah, I invite you to read with me a book called The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend our Broken Hearts and World by Rabbi Sharon Brous. Rabbi Brous beautifully expresses what it means to be in sacred community with one another and the centrality of listening, of being present and witnessing one another, bringing comfort to one another and ultimately to healing the world. She speaks of “[T]he transformative nature of showing up when we want to retreat, of listening deeply to each other’s pain even when we fear there are no words. Of grieving and rejoicing together…” Cantor Maayan Harel and I envision this as a “congregational read” for the community as we prepare to enter the new year.

We will have the opportunity to come together to discuss the book on Saturday morning, September 20th, at Shabbat Morning B’yachad. Please mark your calendars! From 9:30-11:00 that morning, we’ll have a delicious breakfast and share our thoughts and reflections on this beautiful book. We will listen to each other and in our listening, we will find comfort in community and strengthen our commitment to witness one another through the new year to come.