Books published by Strong Voices Publishing

The month of Elul is a time for reflection, a time for t'shuvah, of turning and re-turning to G!d and to our best selves, in preparation for the Days of Awe. It is time for heshbon hanefesh, examining our hearts and souls. Elul is the time for us to begin to make atonement for the things we wish we had or hadn't done, and to renew ourselves, to do all we can to get ourselves to change. Elul is a time to turn away from the ways in which we have missed the mark and to make restitution as needed. To help you on this journey, you will find in this volume a series of reflections for the month of Elul, divrei Earth-teachings that connect Earth and Torah. These poems and essays are "etudes" that remind us that we cannot disconnect ourselves from all that surrounds us and that we are part of an intertwined whole. Use this volume to help you expand your own reflections about t'shuvah: read a few etudes a day or even select by theme. Themes include climate change, community and covenant, cycles, nature, gardening, personal behavior, rituals, and turning. These reflections, meditations filled with Jewish wisdom, are written by rabbis, hazzans, environmentalists, gardeners, activists, educators, storytellers, poets, scientists and other spiritual leaders, reflecting many points of view and ways of looking at the world and the process of t'shuvah. The editor, Rabbi Katy Allen of Ma'yan Tikvah¿A Wellspring of Hope, is the co-founder and leader of the Jewish Climate Action Network (JCAN) and the facilitator of the One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Parenting a chronically-ill child, holding a family together, and taking care of oneself in the process is often an insurmountable task. As caregivers, you give and give, making life changing decisions for your children. Often, its only your will and determination that makes the endless problems survivable. But you need care too. When her daughter was born with two liver diseases, Shirleys life was upended into a whirlwind of doctors and hospitals. In this book, she shares how she learned and applied tools for emotional survival. It takes courage to find peace. Shirley gives hope and understanding for other parents and caregivers of special children.