CBI Book Club Elul Book Group: This Is Real, And You Are Completely Unprepared by Rabbi Alan Lew (z”l)  Thursday, September 22nd, at 7:30 pm Join Rabbi Sara Mason-Barkin in reading this soulful, thought-provoking book that will help us all prepare ourselves for the High Holy Day journey ahead. She re-reads this book each year during Elul, and can’t wait to share the journey with you. Our discussion will take place online and in-person (hybrid from the Bendalin Conference Room) on Thursday, September 22nd, at 7:30 pm. Zoom Link is available here. Please email Rabbi Mason-Barkin to let her know that you will participate (and if you will be in person or online). More about the book: “There are times in life when we are caught utterly unprepared: a death in the family, the end of a relationship, a health crisis. These are the times when the solid ground we thought we stood on disappears beneath our feet, leaving us reeling and heartbroken, as we stumble back to our faith.   The Days of Awe encompass the weeks preceding Rosh Hashanah up to Yom Kippur, a period in which Jews take part in a series of rituals and prayers that reenact the journey of the soul through the world from birth to death. This is a period of contemplation and repentance, comparable to Lent and Ramadan. Yet, for Rabbi Alan Lew, the real purpose of this annual passage is for us to experience brokenheartedness and open our hearts to God.”