When a person does something for the first time that they plan to do many times over, it is customary in Jewish tradition to say the words of shechiyanu – a blessing offering gratitude for reaching a certain moment in time and for being sustained to experience a new season. Shechiyanu! This is Third Space at Shaarei Tfiloh’s first blog post – a place to explore the themes of the upcoming holiday season as it moves along its annual cycle, to highlight upcoming offerings, and to dive deeper into the thinking behind why a certain performer is at Third Space or to wrestle with a big idea that previews the topic of an upcoming speaker.  Who knows, maybe we will even highlight guest contributors, but for now many of the ruminations put forth in this blog will be those of Rabbi Jessy.  

Shechiyanu! Third Space is excited to launch its inaugural season of happenings at the exact same time that Jews are preparing around the world to usher in a new year on the Jewish calendar.  Rosh Hashanah starts on the evening of October 2 and lasts 1–2 days, depending on how and where people observe.  A new year means new traditions and new opportunities to learn something you maybe haven’t made time for previously or consider something from a different vantage point due to a change in circumstance or opinion.  The month leading up to Rosh Hashanah, Elul, is actually the beginning of the High Holiday season – fitting with the big idea in Judaism that we never end something without beginning something new.     

During Elul, we are invited to ‘warm up’ and prepare for the High Holidays so that, when they arrive, we are ready to encounter the big questions and ideas of the days bookended by Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).  One custom during Elul is to hear the sound of the shofar every morning.  It is an announcement that the season of renewal and return is upon us.  Another custom is the recitation of selichot prayers – communal petitions asking for forgiveness for missteps and wrongdoing in the previous year.  In Sephardic tradition (Jews whose ancestors descend from places like Spain and Portugal), it is customary to recite these prayers on a daily basis, while Ashkenazi Jews (those of European descent) hold a selichot service the week before Rosh Hashanah.  We are so excited that our first Mainstage happening at Third Space is in the spirit of selichot with a rock-n-roll twist. On September 19th, join us for Monajat: The Nightingale of Iran, an extraordinary blend of Jewish Persian musical tradition and contemporary sound, performed by sisters Danielle and Galeet Dardashti. Rabbi Michelle Dardashti will be joining her sisters at this enchanting event that will weave together liturgy and modern Middle Eastern rhythms, creating an unforgettable experience of reflection and renewal as we prepare for the High Holidays. 

As the season starts to change, we are so excited to welcome you to the next chapter of Jewish life and learning – and community building beyond just Jews alone – in the iconic and beautiful Shaarei Tfiloh synagogue.  Third Space will be a place where we stand on the legacy of the hundred years Shaarei Tfiloh thrived as a traditional synagogue but in ways that are new and resonant in 2024 – or 5785 – the new year that starts next month.  We look forward to seeing you at Third Space and hope you’ll join us for something this fall!